The Smith Family Summer 2024 Itinerary
Here is my recommendation for your 2-week trip to visit family and see some of the sights of Germany, France, Belgium and The Netherlands.
Sample basic client itinerary from Experience Wanderlust:
So happy to hear that you have decided to take a trip back to Germany to reconnect with family roots as well as explore some of the more picturesque highlights of this part of the world. I especially applaud you for making it happen before your kids are off living their own lives and not as easily able to join you in experiencing this.
It may be a bit of a whirlwind tour of northern European destinations, but hopefully I've managed to balance your goal of visiting family, comfort level driving in Europe, desire to see some of the more known spots in this region while providing a few memorable home bases to settle into a bit along the way!
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June 24-28 - Berlin, Germany
Arrival city and 4-night stay with family.
(Optional) June 28 - Erfurt
Possible break/lunch stop in a quaint medieval eastern German town.
Approximately 3.5 hours drive from Berlin.
June 28-29 - Heidelberg
I have enjoyed this city and adding it as an overnight would be a good way to “check this off” for your family's sake while keeping the drive to the Alsace more manageable.
About 3.5 hours drive from Erfurt/7 hours from Berlin.
June 29-July 2 - Colmar, France
A 2-hour drive from Heidelberg - since this isn't too long, you would have time to sightsee a bit in Heidelberg before hitting the road.
I recommend Colmar over Strasbourg as a more charming, small-town place to stay, but the larger nearby city of Strasbourg is another good option and worthy of a stop regardless.
I suggest 3 overnights in Colmar, so that you can settle in a bit and also use it as a good base for potential daytrips.
Definitely recommend visiting the villages of Riquewihr, Ribeauville and Eguisheim (all within a half hour’s drive from Colmar).
Other potential daytrips from Colmar could be Black Forest destinations in Germany, such as Freiburg (1 hr), Titisee (glacial lake, 1h30m), Baden-Baden (1h30m, famous spa town), Triberg (1h45m) or Schaffhausen (big waterfall in Switzerland, 2+ hrs).
July 2-5 - Cochem
A 4-hour drive from Colmar, Cochem is a lovely city along the Mosel River, which many find more appealing than the Rhine valley. It is still relatively close to the Rhine, allowing you to visit both if you stay my recommended 3 nights.
Day 1 (July 3) could include a Mosel River cruise and visits to towns along the route, such as Beilstein, Bernkastel-Kues and Trier.
Day 2 (July 4) I would recommend driving in the other direction to explore the Rhine valley, with options to visit Burg Eltz (30m), Deutsches Eck (45m, the confluence of the Mosel & Rhine in Koblenz and a pilgrimage of sorts for ‘true’ Germans 😉), continuing along the Rhine to Sankt Goar, Bacharach and Bingen-Rudesheim.
July 5-6 - Bruges, Belgium
A 4.5 hour drive from Cochem - you could drive over Luxembourg to hit another country, but which may add time to your travels. If you want to stop, I recommend the appealing smaller town of Vianden in the northern end of the country.
I highly recommend staying at least 1 night in Bruges. It is very cozy and picturesque, and would deserve 2 nights, if you cut one out somewhere else?
July 6-9 - Amsterdam, The Netherlands
A 3-hour drive from Bruges - depending on how much time you have, you could stop along the route in my personal favorite, Leiden, or Delft (famous for its ceramics).
I think 3 nights/2 days in Amsterdam is enough time to see some of the major sights and take a day trip, although of course you could spend more.
Highlights in the city include the Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh Museum and the Anne Frank House, as well as general wandering and possibly a canal cruise.
Haarlem is an oft recommended day trip from Amsterdam and a worthy destination.
Berlin, Germany
4 nights
Heidelberg, Germany
1 night
Colmar, France
3 nights
Cochem, Germany
3 nights
Bruges, Belgium
1 night (?)
Amsterdam, Netherlands
3 nights
The biggest difference between what I suggest here and the tentative plan you outlined in our correspondence is opting to stay in the Mosel River valley instead of the Rhine. I have spent time in both areas on a couple of occasions and have found the Mosel generally more charming in its smaller scale, and if you stay in Cochem, you are still close enough to visit both river routes. That said, you can easily opt to stay somewhere along the Rhine (see the towns I suggest visiting on July 4 above) and conversely visit the Mosel valley.
I also cut a day out of Amsterdam, but of course, it all depends on how much you are hoping to see and experience in each place.
As far as accommodations go, I tend to look on Booking.com or Airbnb.com to book ahead for international destinations. If you are willing to be flexible and a bit adventurous, smaller towns in Germany are known for their "Zimmer frei" signs, as many larger homes rent out rooms in summer. Of course it will be high season and you'll have better luck on the outskirts of the towns I've mentioned, but with a car at your disposal, it is an option to consider.
Overall this itinerary is a great mix of big cities with exciting events and important sights to see and smaller, quieter towns that will hopefully infuse your vacation with a sense of relaxation and calm too. Let me know if you have any questions about the itinerary or if I can be of any more help in the planning process!
"So much of who we are is where we have been."
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