Travel Benelux countries in October?

cheermom09

O.G.
Apr 18, 2009
851
75
I'm headed to Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg in the mid-end of October and am so worried that it is going to be freezing cold! I've lived in AZ for enough years that I'm not used to cold weather anymore...

Anyone know what we should expect?

TIA! :smile:
 
I live in Belgium so I think I can help you: it's probably going to rain. Make sure you have a good wintercoat and scarf. You can layer underneath. It's never going to be warm in november, but you can never be sure about the weather. It can snow, but it can also be nice (nice being around 10°). It's not going to be freezing cold, temperatures don't go below zero very often.
If you need any tips about where to go? (I would not really recommend Luxemburg, not very exiting)
 
I'm sorry, I just noticed you will be going in October: it will not snow, but it will rain.
Same thing applies: good coat, so can choose if you wear a thick sweater underneath or not.
 
If you need any tips about where to go? (I would not really recommend Luxemburg, not very exiting)


Antwerp, any tips you may have would be welcomed! Do you live in Antwerp? That city is on our list of stops :smile:

We plan to visit Brussels, Brugges, Amsterdam and Luxemburg. I can see that Lux. might not be too exciting, but I doubt we'll ever go back there so we want to take a day trip while we have the opportunity.

I'm going with 3 girlfriends and will be gone from home for 10 days. We have lots planned, but can still fit more in!
 
Yep, it will be rainy and very cool, perhaps windy. Brugge is absolutely AMAZING - we used to live in The Hague and drive down every few weeks just for lunch.

The Hague (Den Haag) is beautiful too. *sigh* wish I was still there.
 
I mean 10° C, sorry for not being clearer. I live in Antwerp and to people who live here, Anwterp is the centre of the world. We have great shopping and all within walking distance. I would still not recommend Luxemburg. I think you need your time for Belgium and The Netherlands.
Must-sees in Belgium: Antwerp off course, Ghent and Bruges. I personnaly am not a fan of Brussels but there are some beautifull places there.
Must-sees in The Nethelands: Amsterdam. I'm not that sure about other places, you'll have to ask someone Dutch.

Don' forget to enjoy the great food:fries, waffles and chocolate!
 
I was a loooong time (17 years) ago in Holland, can't recall too much other than I absolutely loved Haarlem. Utrecht was nice too, Amsterdam too big/busy for my liking...
Antwerp - I'm going to Bruxelles in mid/late Sept. for 5 days, can you tell me please what kind weather to prepare for? (I'm coming from Ireland which is dreadfully cold & wet all year round) Thanks! :flowers: I'll be taking at least one day-trip to Bruges, also trying to get to Ghent & Antwerp if time allows... (gosh, I'd need 3 weeks at least for each town to properly "get into" - where's my money-tree?!)
 
Get a couple of lightweight silk turtlenecks and one pair of long johns (lightweight leggings) from www.WinterSilks.com

Get coordinating colors so you can layer under your clothes. You can also use them as jammies.

Lightweight silk dries super fast if you get caught in rain, adds very little bulk to clothes, and takes up very little room in your suitcase.

I LOVE WinterSilks!

Register your personal email addy with them to get notices of free shipping, etc.
 
Just throwing in a few tips for Amsterdam:

Vyne (Prinsengracht 411) - great wine bar with extensive selection, friendly and knowledgeable staff, lots of ex-pats and tourists visit

Restaurant Incanto (Amstel 2) http://www.restaurant-incanto.nl - Italian restaurant with Venetian chef. Menu changes seasonably, but food is always excellent.

www.diningcity.com covers many of the cities you're planning to visit, so you can also look for specific types of restaurants, menus online, etc.

In Bruges, you have to visit Dumon for the chocolates. There are a few locations, but I went to 6, Eiermarkt. (I'm trying to convince my husband to drive to Bruges one Saturday just to visit Dumon! ;))
 
Like the other said: be prepaired for rain! Bring a nice raincoat, a scarf, turtlenecks, jeans, boots and an umbrella! Normally the temperature is around 10°-15° Celsius.

The cities I recommend are Brussels, Antwerp, Bruges (I agree with FDS: You must get chocolates from Dumon Chocolatiers; they are the best in the world!) and Ghent. I really like Amsterdam and The Hague in The Netherlands.

And I do like Luxembourg City! It isn't a very large town but you have some nice museums and (designer) shops and the casemates(=fortifications) are fun to visit. And there are some nice bakeries which serve delicious pastry. The country itself is great for hiking trips too.
 
Hello all! Just like cheermom, I'm going to be in Belgium and the Netherlands from Oct 30 - Nov 8. I will benefit from the wisdom already shared...but here's a basic question. Hopefully Cheermom you won't mind me adding to the thread!

I don't have a good sense of space. We are flying into Brussels and flying out of Amsterdam. We want to visit Brugges, and perhaps some other out of the way special chateaux type place that is romantic. Do we need to rent a car to get from place to place, or is Bruges a day trip from Brussels? Or should we plan on spending a day or two in Brussels, moving to Bruges for a couple days, moving to Antwerp, etc etc and finally two or three days in Amsterdam/surrounding area?

I'm also looking for cute accessories stores (stockings, hats, gloves, shoes, etc). Any ideas?