Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Major Holidays and Weekends
Popular places are even busier on weekends...and can be
inundated on three-day weekends. Plan ahead and reserve
your accommodations and transportation well in advance.
The big holidays in the Netherlands are the Easter week-
end (Fri-Sun: April 10-12 in 2009, April 2-4 in 2010), Queen's
Day (Koninginnedag, April 30), May 4 (Remembrance of the
WWII Dead), May 5 (Liberation Day), Ascension (May 21 in
2009, May 13 in 2010), Pentecost (May 31 in 2009, May 23 in
2010), December 5 (St. Nicholas' Eve), Christmas (celebrated
on December 25 and 26), and New Year's Day.
Belgium's major holidays include New Year's, Easter,
Ascension, Pentecost, and Christmas, plus Labor Day (May 1),
Belgian Independence Day (July 21), Assumption (Aug 15), All
Saints' Day (Nov 1), and Armistice Day (Nov 11).
For a more complete list of festivals and holidays, see
page 465 in the appendix.
Room and Board:
You can thrive in the Low Countries on
$120 a day per person for room and board (less for Bruges and
Brussels, more for Amsterdam). That allows $20 for lunch, $30
for dinner, and $70 for lodging (based on two people splitting
the cost of a $140 double room that includes breakfast). To live
and sleep more elegantly, I'd propose a budget of $140 per day per
person ($20 for lunch, $40 for dinner, and $80 each for a $160
hotel double with breakfast). Students and tightwads eat and sleep
for $60 a day ($30 per bed, $30 for meals and snacks).
Sightseeing and Entertainment:
In big cities, figure $12-18
per major sight (Rijks, Memling, and Van Gogh museums); $3-5
for minor ones (climbing church towers or windmills); $10-18 for
guided walks, boat tours, and bike rentals; and $30-60 for splurge
experiences such as concerts, special art exhibits, big-bus tours,
and guided canoe trips. An overall average of $20 a day works for
most. Don't skimp here. After all, this category is the driving force
behind your trip—you came to sightsee, enjoy, and experience the
Low Countries.
Shopping and Miscellany:
Figure $1-2 per postcard, tea, or
ice-cream cone, and $5 per beer. Shopping can vary in cost from
nearly nothing to a small fortune. Good budget travelers find that
this category has little to do with assembling a trip full of lifelong
and wonderful memories.
When to Go
Although Bruges and Amsterdam can be plagued by crowds, the
long days, lively festivals, and sunny weather make summer a
