I like Belgium. The architecture is old and interesting, the beer is good, and it's small enough to make side trips to other places in the region.
On this trip, we flew into Dusseldorf and took a train to Brussels. From Brussels Midi Station, it was easy to connect to the tramway, which took us directly downtown.
Yeah, yeah, yeah…Amsterdam has a reputation—but honestly, that’s not why we are in love with this city. Smoking and prostitution are not my idea of a good time, and that’s not what Amsterdam is all about. It’s a beautiful, beautiful city, with tightly-packed row houses and endless canals that make for very romantic strolls. The restaurants are great and the pubs are cozy. On top of it all, Amsterdam has some of the most interesting museums in Europe.
KLM has direct flights to Amsterdam. From the airport, it’s very easy to take the train to Amsterdam or Den Haag (The Hague). Amsterdam is only about 15 minutes away. To get around the city, don’t be intimidated by the tram system. It’s convenient and easy, once you know what to do. Buy your tickets in the back of the tram, not the front. In nice weather, though, you can walk just about anywhere. Both Amsterdam and Den Haag are very compact cities, and thus, even in the winter, are very walkable.
Luxembourg had been high on our travel list for quite a while. The problem is that it takes longer than you'd think to get there by train from other major cities. When a sale on British Airways presented itself, it was a no-brainer.
Luxembourg City is a city of layers, physically and culturally. Luxembourgish is the language, but with nearly 70% of the residents in the city being expats of some sort, no one will speak it to you. French is the lingua franca here, but you'll get by with English. The cultural influences from its neighboring countries give it its own feel, and the unique city layout has left a distinct impression on our memory of this place. Walking between the upper and lower parts of town was enjoyably exhausting, and being in a city that intertwines itself with nature was refreshing. The Petrusse Valley runs through the city, and in it are tall trees and walking paths. It felt like it was part of the city--so much more than a confined or manufactured park would be. All in all, we loved every minute in Luxembourg. This trip was a long time in the making, and I'm glad we did it.
From Luxembourg, we took a high-speed train (nearing 200 mph) to Strasbourg. I read wonderful things about it ahead of our trip, and it was everything I hoped it would be. First, the flat terrain was a pleasure after the steepness of Luxembourg. The Alsatian architecture was so beautiful that it didn't seem real. The food was some of the best on this trip, as were the pubs. People were friendly and didn't seem to mind my rudimentary attempt at French. It definitely sold me on returning to France in the future.
After Strasbourg, we returned to Luxembourg. On the last day of our trip, we took the train for a day-trip to Trier, Germany. That's one more nice thing about Luxembourg's location--easy, enjoyable side trips.
As I stated before, we flew on British Airways through London Heathrow. We had a four-hour layover at Heathrow on both ends. For those of you who know Heathrow, you're already aware that this is, in actuality, an hour and a half. Transferring between terminals in Heathrow can take well over an hour. As long as you plan ahead, it's fairly painless.