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Post by mslibrarian on Sept 9, 2008 20:55:17 GMT -5
My first, and so far only, solo trip was a month in Scotland/England in 2005. Since then I've been back to the UK for a week in 2006 with a friend (won't do that again!) and have spent the past two years exploring a bit of eastern North America.
But i've got the bug and I want to get back to Europe!
I'm thinking of beginning in Belgium the first of April or May of 2009. I'd like to spend a bit over a week in Belgium exploring Bruges and Ghent as well as visiting some of the WWI places like Ypres. How to get around Belgium is my big question.
After there I was thinking 2 or 3 days in Amsterdam and a visit to a friend in eastern Netherlands. At this time I'd also like to find my way to the Canadian war cemetary in Groesbrook (sp?) before heading to see another friend in Bremen and then exploring some of northern Germany.
Any suggestions? Should I get a rail card or is it not worth it? Any hostels you would recommend? Or not?
Any advice would be appreciated.
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Post by herrbert on Sept 11, 2008 7:48:14 GMT -5
Hi, Getting around Belgium is pretty easy by train, as the distances are short, I don't think that a pass is a good idea. I think that using place-2-place tickets for these short trips work out cheaper. For longer trips it might work out better to use a railpass. You can also check. www.railsaver.com for figuring out which choice is the cheapest. I think you mean Groesbeek, which is near Nijmegen. If you are interested in WWII I would also recommend to go to Oosterbeek which is near Arnhem (just 15 km North of Nijmegen.) In Oosterbeek you can visit the Airborne Museum. It tells the story of Operation Market Garden (the failed attempt to take the bridges over the Rhine in Arnhem in 1944). |
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Post by mslibrarian on Sept 11, 2008 19:32:04 GMT -5
I am interested in both WWI and WWII sites, particularly those with a Canadian connection. Holton is our official cemetary in the Netherlands. I've yet to find that on a map.
I'm thinking of taking the train from London to Bruges directly, bipassing Brussels alltogether. I hope to stay 3 or 4 days in that area and take a day trip into Ypres and another into Ghent.
The Netherlands is really the only part of the trip I have hot planned.
Germany is still up in the air, but aI'll be with a friend.
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Post by herrbert on Sept 12, 2008 5:04:03 GMT -5
I think this is a useful site for WWII-sites: battlefieldsww2.50megs.com/d_day_sites.htmIn the Netherlands again, distances are pretty small, but trains are pretty expensive, but never the less the best way to get around. Take a look at The Hague, Delft, Amsterdam, Haarlem, Nijmegen/Arnhem (for Groesbeek and Airborne museum), Maastricht and Groningen. I think these are amongst the prettiest cities and towns in the Netherlands. Maastricht would be a bit out of the way, but Groningen is a good stop on your way to Bremen. |
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Post by mslibrarian on Sept 15, 2008 11:42:13 GMT -5
Hello herrbert, I think the only two cities I'll be visiting will be Amsterdam and the Hague. I just can't seem to find small towns with half decent hostels and that really is my requirement. Maybe another trip when I can concentrate just on the Netherlands. But it's better than not being there at all  |
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Post by herrbert on Sept 16, 2008 11:30:00 GMT -5
Hello herrbert, I think the only two cities I'll be visiting will be Amsterdam and the Hague. I just can't seem to find small towns with half decent hostels and that really is my requirement. Maybe another trip when I can concentrate just on the Netherlands. But it's better than not being there at all You can try www.stayok.nlfor hostels outside of Amsterdam and The Hague. (still Nijmegen and Arnhem are about 1:15h. away from Amsterdam so that is very doable as a daytrip. (most places within the Netherlands can be done as a daytrip) |
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Post by mslibrarian on Sept 16, 2008 12:40:31 GMT -5
Thanks for that site! The hostels look quite good. I'm hoping to stay at as many of them as I can on this trip. I need to decide if I should skip Brussels and see more of the Netherlands. Right now I"m torn between the Hague/Delft and Apeldoorn. Two very different cities I know |
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Post by mslibrarian on Oct 18, 2008 11:26:02 GMT -5
Jack, howmuch time would you give to Gent? I'm pretty sure i'll be making that my base and then day tripping to Bruges.
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Post by Eagle on Oct 18, 2008 17:31:38 GMT -5
mslibrarian, I'll be interested to hear of your experiences visiting the WW-I & WW-II sites in Holland and Belgium. I haven't made it to those areas yet, but they are definitely "on my list". I'm especially interested in the Bridge Too Far sites that herrbert mentioned. The British Para's really took a beating on the last bridge (Arnhem, I believe). Unfortunately, the intelligence was not that good, and they weren't aware that an elite Panzer division was located there.
It's likely that the battle sites will be somewhat distant from the cities, so I'll probably be looking for organized day tours, similar to the BattleBus tours I took in Normandy. Renting a car is another option, but I've found that one gets a much better historical perspective from a knowledgeable Guide, so that would be the preferred option.
I saw Passchendaele last night, so also want to touch on some of the WW-I battlefields as well. The movie was quite good, however I felt it emphasized the "romance" part of the story too much and didn't provide enough historical information about the battle. Of course, Vimy Ridge is a necessary stop for Canadians!
I'm not sure when I'll be visiting that area, but certainly looking forward to it!
Cheers!
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Post by mslibrarian on Oct 18, 2008 20:23:38 GMT -5
I'm not sure which battlefields I'll be able to get to. I may not be able to visit any at all due to costs and how far out of the cities they are. It's a shame. I wanted to get to at least Ypres  |
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Post by WillTravel on Oct 20, 2008 2:22:19 GMT -5
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Post by madamtrashheap on Oct 23, 2008 19:42:11 GMT -5
If you can fit Ypres/Ieper in to your plans, you'll be able to experience a little of the WWI battlefields that surround the city and visit the Menin Gate without going on a tour as such. Although tours are, of course, a good way to reach areas and find out information about them that you might otherwise not be able to do on foot.
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