At long last, it’s time to mix in some travel action with all the financial updates of late. Picking up where I left off in Part 5, we had just enjoyed five lovely days in Paris and were headed to Belgium. Read on for my Travel Hack Recap: Europe, Part 6 – Brussels & Amsterdam below!
Full disclosure: I’m not sure how many parts this trip will be split into. Ninety days of continuous travel was a huge undertaking on our part! Documenting the details has been daunting enough for me to procrastinate nearly 6 months to start doing so. But I’ll do my best to share the highlights and travel hacks along the way!
Travel Hack Recaps of Europe so far:
- Europe, Part 1 – Baltic Sea Cruise
- Europe, Part 2 – Baltic Sea Cruise (Part II)
- Europe, Part 3 – London
- Europe, Part 4 – Edinburgh & Dublin
- Europe, Part 5 – Paris
Where We Went
The first thing to note related to our activities through most of this European extravaganza is that we pre-booked a lot of tickets weeks, if not months ahead of time. Given the precarious nature of COVID-19 throughout the world at the time, most attractions were open but requiring advance booking for a specific time slot.
This had its pros and cons: a designated time slot meant guaranteed admission and minimal time waiting in lines, as well as reduced crowds; however, our flexibility was greatly reduced by being locked in to nonrefundable tickets with a particular entrance time. All in all, I’d say the pros outweighed the cons, but note that your experience may be different than ours depending on the restrictions in place.
Day 1 (Day 30 of the trip) – Paris, France to Brussels, Belgium
Having completed our sampler platter of Paris, we walked from the hotel to Gare du Nord train station. By this point in the trip, I was already falling in love with the ease of European train travel. Show up to the station, find your track, depart (almost always) on time.
Less than an hour and a half later, we trudged from Brussels Zuid station to our hotel, The Dominican Brussels. It was a bit of a hike dragging our suitcases along the cobblestone but we’ll chalk it up to a good workout. The hotel’s location was absolutely perfect for exploring the historic city center.
After devouring breakfast and my first of several Belgian beers (it’s never too early in the morning for a good Belgian beer), we milled about until meeting up for a Sandemans free walking tour. We had done a few of these tours on our trip already, and this one was slightly below average from an entertainment standpoint. However, the main goal was accomplished: see the sites and learn some history.
The first night in Brussels closed with a delicious dinner with Mrs. FIby35’s family at a joint famous for their mussels. I’m not a big fan of seafood, but I had to try mussels in Brussels.
Day 2 (Day 31) – Brussels, Belgium
With little planned for the day, Mrs. FIby35 found a laundromat nearby while the others explored independently. Not a glamorous use of time, but a necessity on a 3-month adventure with just a small suitcase of clothes.
Around lunch time we embarked upon a self-guided food tour. Mrs. FIby35 had scouted out the top-rated options nearby for all the must-eats of Belgium: Fritland for Belgian fries (with mayo, not ketchup), Le Roi de la Gaufre and Maison Dandoy for Belgian waffles, and Neuhaus for Belgian chocolates. All were spectacular (the consensus was in favor of Le Roi de la Gaufre for waffles). However, they were just a warm-up for my main event: Delirium for Belgian beer.
If you’re not familiar, the Delirium brewery operates an entire block-long compound of different bars in the city center of Brussels. Each one offers its own menu of beers from all over the world with some of the finest and rarest Belgian varieties available. I started with a meter-long paddle of samples to be shared with the group. Then moved on to a different bar for another (smaller) flight. Finally, I ended up in a basement bar ordering single bottles of tasty tripels.
I could have died that night a happy man, full of delicious food and some of the best beers in the world.
Day 3 (Day 32) – Brussels, Belgium
But alas! I woke up the next morning with not too bad of a hangover. A quick turn in the hotel sauna set me straight and we set off to explore more of Brussels. Another chilly, dreary day kept us indoors when possible. We meandered through Les Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert and braved the elements in search of more waffles.
Mostly, we just enjoyed the company of family as they would be leaving us in the morning. It was fantastic to be able to share the experiences of my first time in Paris and Brussels with Mrs. FIby35’s family, who had spent a few years of their lives living in those cities.
Bucket list items checked off in Brussels: eat Belgian waffles, fries, chocolates, and even mussels. Oh, and consume as much Belgian beer as reasonably possible.
Day 4 (Day 33) – Brussels, Belgium to Amsterdam, Netherlands
After saying goodbye to our family, Mrs. FIby35 and I headed back to Brussels Zuid station for the next leg of our journey: Amsterdam!
Just a 2-hour train ride and then we set foot in yet another new country. Accommodations for the next three nights were at the DoubleTree by Hilton Amsterdam Centraal Station. You guessed it – conveniently within walking distance of Amsterdam’s Centraal train station. After check-in we navigated the maze of concentric canals surrounding Amsterdam’s historic city center in search of lunch.
Ever in search of local beer, we found ourselves in a local pub (In de Wildeman) to scour the menu. The bartender came off as a bit cold, likely wary of the scores of tourists he deals with daily. But after probing for recommendations, he opened up and ended up being an awesome guy. We even came back to the pub the next day for another round of drinks.
Sandemans Free Walking Tour
Yet another free walking tour, and this one was again a bit disappointing. We were beginning to see the hit-or-miss nature of these tours and the guides themselves, so lowering our expectations allowed for a more enjoyable experience. You literally get what you pay for on these free walking tours.
The guide took us through the Jewish Quarter and Red Light District (during the day), past the National Monument and Royal Palace. The most interesting thing to me was probably the Dutch perspective on its golden age in the 17th Century. Though incredibly prosperous times that resulted in its growth into a world power, the period has been labeled with a bit of an asterisk given that it was achieved using slavery and subjugation in many parts of the world. Complicated stuff, and a bit of self-awareness you don’t see in every culture.
After the tour, we wandered the canals for a while, admiring the quaintness of historic Amsterdam. Though a nightmare to navigate for someone like me who prefers a North-South-East-West grid pattern, I did my best to appreciate the uniqueness of the city.
Day 5 (Day 34) – Amsterdam, Netherlands
For our first full day in Amsterdam, we took the ferry across the water to Amsterdam-Noord, where we walked a few miles on a beautiful sunny day. Admiring the picturesque Dutch architecture, it was nice to get out of the city center for a bit. Upon our return, we splurged a bit for some fancy cocktails and stunning views at the DoubleTree Sky Lounge on the roof of our hotel. We took it easy knowing the next day would be pretty emotionally taxing.
Day 6 (Day 35) – Amsterdam, Netherlands
Anne Frank House
This was the #1 attraction on our to-do list for Amsterdam and it definitely delivered. Like most American kids, I read The Diary of Anne Frank in school and was familiar with her story. But that doesn’t adequately prepare you for standing in the exact location that she wrote that diary. This isn’t just a museum – it’s a real-life location that exhibits the horrific atrocities of World War II. An informational and extremely sobering experience I will never forget.
After the Anne Frank House, we walked the Jordaan neighborhood while following the Rick Steves guided audio tour. We came to love these Rick Steves tours and would rely on them more and more throughout Europe.
Canal Tour
Needing a mood change, we splurged on an extra activity: a canal tour by boat. This small group tour was far more entertaining than the walking tour and allowed you to bring your own alcohol onto the boat (always a crowd-pleaser). Much of the information was similar to our earlier tour, but presented from a much more vibrant perspective. We really enjoyed the tour (~$30/person) and highly recommend Those Dam Boat Guys when in Amsterdam.
Day 7 (Day 36) – Amsterdam, Netherlands to Stuttgart, Germany
With an 8am train to catch, we lugged our suitcases to Centraal Station and made our way on board. This was one of the longest rides of our trip at 4+ hours to Mannheim, Germany before continuing another 40 minutes to Stuttgart, but it was still relatively enjoyable.
Over a month into the trip, we were growing a bit travel-weary. Each day was a constant barrage of logistics and decisions. An energizing return to Germany was exactly what I needed.
How Much We Spent (and Saved)
Let’s take a look at the Travel Hack Recap spending breakdown for our 3 nights in Brussels and 3 nights in Amsterdam. I should note that during our entire 3 months in Europe, the US dollar was extremely strong. The exchange rate with the Euro was at or near 1:1 for much of our trip, so everything was at a bit of a discount compared to historical exchange rates.
Spending in Brussels:
| Category | Budget | Actual | Notes |
| Flights | $0.00 | $0.00 | |
| Accommodations | $0.00 | $0.00 | 80,000 Marriott points for 3 nights at The Dominican Brussels |
| Food/Drink | $225.00 | $215.65 | |
| Entertainment & Misc | $64.00 | $20.00 | Free walking tour tip; laundry |
| Transportation | $87.00 | $61.28 | Paris-Brussels train |
| TOTAL | $376.00 | $296.93 |
Some great savings in Brussels, as the historic city center was extremely walkable from our hotel. Nearly all of our spending was sampling the delicious food and beer Belgium is known for.
Total savings from travel hacking:
- 3 nights at The Dominican Brussels would have been $801.
Even excluding the savings of walking everywhere instead of Uber/Taxi/Rental car, we saved over $800 by travel hacking this leg of our trip to Europe in Brussels.
Spending in Amsterdam:
| Category | Budget | Actual | Notes |
| Flights | $0.00 | $0.00 | |
| Accommodations | $0.00 | $0.00 | |
| Food/Drink | $195.00 | $228.86 | |
| Entertainment & Misc | $83.00 | $107.67 | Free walking tour tip; Anne Frank House admission; Canal Tour + tip |
| Transportation | $69.00 | $60.82 | Brussels-Amsterdam train |
| TOTAL | $347.00 | $397.35 |
Amsterdam was a little on the pricey side, but we used some of the savings realized in previous cities to cover the difference. It certainly helped that Mrs. FIby35’s Hilton Diamond status afforded us free breakfast each morning.
Total savings from travel hacking:
- 3 nights at the DoubleTree by Hilton Amsterdam Centraal Station would have cost $816 and included breakfast.
Even excluding the savings of walking everywhere instead of Uber/Taxi/Rental car, we saved another $800 by travel hacking this leg of our trip to Europe in Amsterdam.
Conclusion
Brussels and Amsterdam were enjoyable for the delicious food and world-class beer alone. Outside of that, the architecture was stunning and history is incredibly interesting. Having said that, I think three days in each city was about enough. We had a great time with family in Brussels and the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam was moving, as expected.
However, with a limited budget and no personal transportation method, Brussels lacked additional activities that interested us and Amsterdam was so, so touristy. Not just touristy because we were used to that. This was obnoxious, looking-to-get-in-trouble kind of touristy. Not our style. If we are ever back in this area of the world, I think we would explore more outside of the city centers. Probably even visit different cities altogether.
Up next: Stuttgart, Germany!
Have you been to Brussels or Amsterdam? What’s your favorite Belgian beer? Comment below!
