Two Weeks in Northern Europe

When you decide to take a vacation to Europe, it is hard to see everything if you have limited time and resources. However, with only two weeks, you can easily see five countries in northern Europe by utilizing the train network. If you stick with France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, and England, you can experience many great cities, including Paris, Amsterdam, Brussels, and London.

Where to Begin

You have a few different options where you want to start. It is easy to fly into Paris, Amsterdam, or London airports. If you can fly in and out of different airports, which sometimes adds too much cost, then flying into London and out of Paris will make for a nice one-way trip. However, you can easily make the trip work flying in and out of the same airport. Amsterdam is a good central airport for your base, and will allow you to make an easy circle. Depending on where you fly, your route will differ. However, for example purposes, Amsterdam will be the starting and ending part of the trip.

Basic Itinerary

First,travel to Amsterdam. As one of the biggest airplane hubs in Europe, this will be easy. From Amsterdam, you will take the train to Cologne in Germany. After spending time in Cologne, you will head off to Brussels, Belgium. For a great side trip, you can take a train to Luxembourg. Then, it is an easy hour-and-a-half train trip to Paris. From Paris, you can take the Eurostar under the Channel to London. Depending on your time, you can explore some more of Great Britain, as London is a hub center to many places. From London, you can hop back on the Eurostar to Brussels, stopping in Lille if you wish. Once you are in Brussels, take the time to explore the nearby Bruges. Then, stop off at Antwerp on your way back to Amsterdam. You can decide how long to spend in each city, depending on your own interests. With two weeks, you can spend 2 days per city. If you want to see more in one city, you can always take time away from another city or even skip one. The mileage covered is relatively small, allowing for easy travel between places.

Must See Highlights

In each of these cities, there are a few must see destinations. Amsterdam is a beautiful city full of canals. Be sure to check out the Anne Frank Museum, the Rijksmuseum, and the Van Gogh Museum. You can usually take a side trip to a tulip farm, a definite must see.  Cologne features beautiful architecture on the Rhine River. Paris features the Louvre, the Eiffel tower, and the Arc de Triomphe. Brussels features the Comic Strip Museum, the Magritte Museum, and even a mini-Europe where you can visit all of Europe in a few hours. Bruges is a beautiful medieval city, and is Belgium’s most visited.In London, you must see the Tower of London, Westminster Abbey, Shakespeare’s Globe Theater, the London Eye, and Trafalgar Square.

Images from http://www.gogobot.com/amsterdam