MsPerky

I would say that water levels might not be as much of a problem if you book for spring versus summer. Assuming you have that option.

I raved so much about our Canadian Rocky Mountaineer trip that my sister is getting ready to book one (Seattle to Banff). If anyone has not seen my thread about it, here it is.

https://www.s2ki.com/forums/s2000-vi...016-a-1128411/ - trip discussion

https://www.s2ki.com/forums/s2000-vi...016-a-1153595/ - photos (Looked at them again...brought back some nice memories.)

Hard to believe that trip was three years ago. Time really flies! Which is why I want to get in all my bucket list trips before time runs out! Sis is going with us on the Tulip trip if her hubby doesn't want to go on the Rocky Mountaineer. He will not go overseas for some reason. So we may be traveling with her. TBD...

MsPerky

Appears I will be booking KLM since they are the only airline that has direct both ways from IAD to AMS. Anyone flown KLM before?

cosmomiller

Yes. KLM is a great airline. You may be able to get miles on the trip for Delta as KLM is a partner. (Was once a co-owned company with Northwest)

Amsterdam Schiphol airport is one of the best in the world. Works well even if you take ground transportation from there.

MsPerky

Thanks. I am definitely booking KLM as soon as I can...a few more days. We will have transportation from and to the airport via Avalon. Worked great in Paris.

cosmomiller

I don’t know if you I are subject to aches and pains from extended walking or have touchy limbs and joints but I recommend something you can snag right before you walk out of the airport, just past customs and then to the left. There is the Dutch équivalant of CVS called Etos. For about 10-12 Euros you can get a small tube of either the generic 5% Ibuprofen gel and/or 1.16% Voltaren with Diclofenac. It is similar to ibuprofen. These are both OTC in Europe but by prescription in the USA. (Not to worry about bringing any back home, I do it all the time, Customs is fine with it-no need to declare as there are no goofy drugs in it. Just be aware of the 3oz restriction for TSA)

Great stuff. I gave some to my friend, a medical doctor for Kaiser and he started prescribing it for his patients. They run $60-$120 for a tube in the USA Rx!
My wife uses it all the time as she donated a kidney and has to watch her consumption of ibuprofen. I gave some to my sister who was having chronic pain in a joint and she said for the first time she was pain green in a long time. Big deal for professional sports. If you go to Italy you can get the Voltarin as a 2% gel instead of the Dutch limit of 1.16.

Good place to get Euros is right before you leave Customs if you did not acquire some in the terminal. That airport is one of the few that mixes incoming and outgoing international travelers in the same space.

DutchyFutch

I was originally born in The Netherlands and I recommend flying KLM. Awesome service.

As for The netherlands itself. It is a great country but do your research on where to go beforehand because it's a small country with so many things to do you'll miss them!

MsPerky

^ Thanks...in case you did not see the link, these are the places we will be visiting:

Amsterdam
Rotterdam
Antwerp
Ghent
Middleburg-Veere
Willemstad

There are different tours at each stop to choose from. And free time in some places to explore. I was very impressed with Avalon on our first trip with them. They put together a big packet of materials and history on the country (France) as well as the specific locations. So I expect to see something similar this time around. This is part of why I chose them again. I also do a lot of my own research.

MsPerky

^ We will have about two full days in Amsterdam. One day ahead of the cruise is on our own. I have been twice, but if you have specific recommendations, that would be great!

MsPerky

OK...plane booked. KLM - direct both ways. And the tix are $300 per person cheaper than our flights to Paris last year.

cosmomiller

If you don't care too much about a non stop return, you may want to look at Iceland Air. I have used them before and found them very reasonable. They have options to stay up to 3 days in Rekeyvick on a one way journey. Might be a fun option.

As far as your 2 day stay in Amsterdam, it depends on what you like. Are you a museum person? Love Rembrandt, Van Gogh or Vermeer? You would then want to see the Rijksmuseum or the Van Gogh Museum. You can also get to the Hague (Den Hague) in 20 minutes every 15 minutes from the central station and see the best car museum I have ever seen in the world: The Louwman Museum. I spent 4 1/2 hours there. But wait, there is more! Smack in the middle of the town is Mauritshuis which has 400 classic works including many Vermeers including the Girl with the Pearl Earring. Easy walk back to the station to head back to Amsterdam.

You can do a canal trip in Amsterdam. If you do, I would avoid the larger boats that just pack in the tourists and instead find a smaller one that offers beverages and a more intimate experience. The best, IMO, is the self driven boats which can be a blast. I have done that all day with the family but you do need to be on top of your location (with GPS and an iPad it is easy) and you should not be over any BAC limit. Just as an aside, the BAC in the Netherlands for driving and boating is .05 which you can approach after one drink. My advice is not to drink at all when driving or boating. Of course if you are not driving the boat, enjoy!

Almost ever single time I go out, I snag a bike from our hotel and bike anywhere I want to go. You can cover sooooo much ground. Take a light weight backpack if you do a little shopping or get some tulips or food. Most bikes have a small rack over the rear tire. Turn on your lights at night.