Flying into Amsterdam instead of London

We are thinking about a Princess British Isles cruise in a couple of years for our 10th anniversary. I know most people fly into London to board the ship in Southampton, but I saw on another thread that there are direct flights available from Amsterdam and Paris to Southampton.

Since we will probably only have 1-2 days pre-cruise wherever we fly into, I want to pick the city that I'd like visit but not necessarily go back to for a longer trip. Between the three (London, Amsterdam, Paris) I think we could be satisified visiting Amsterdam 1-2 days and not feeling like we missed a ton of things on our bucket list--in case we never get back there.

So my question is, is there some reason it would be a BAD idea to fly into Amsterdam from the US instead of flying into London? Which city would you choose if you only had 1-2 days? This is all assuming of course that nothing changes dramatically in the next couple of years and is also ignoring the fact that we may be jet-lagged and not feel like sightseeing those first couple days no matter where we are :)

Amsterdam has plenty to offer, but a lot less than London or Paris.

So it fits the bill perfectly. :)

Assuming an overnite flight, your first day may well be affected by jet-lag so I suggest a boat trip on the city's canals.

Pick a hotel between the central rail station & Dam Square (if using the train to/from the airport, make the hotel close to the central station end), stash your bags (hotel or luggage lockers at the station), and wander the streets & cafes til you're ready to drop then take a boat tour.

Boats available in various places, particularly on Damrak, near the station.

Choice of quite large glassed-in boats or smaller open boats.

If the weather's fine I highly recommend Eco-boats, on Damrak - open boats taking about 20 passengers, electric power so no noise or fumes, small enough to take some little canals out-of-bounds to the larger boats, live commentary & quirky facts from the very personable captain. To avoid disappointment or a line, best to go straight to their pier on Damrak & book for a suitable time before heading for a coffee or a beer or a wander.

That evening, or next evening, nearby is the Red Light district.

Quite an eye-opener, but not as seedy as you'd imagine. Couples & families walk the streets and take in the sights, not just "dirty old men" :D

Amsterdam's sights include Ann Frank's house (pre-book an allocated time - turning up on-spec involves long lines) the Van Goch museum & Rijksmuseum, brewery tour etc etc. Up to you how many days you spend there.

Bear in mind that hotel rooms in Europe tend to be small, and in Amsterdam stairs can be very steep & narrow so check if there's an elevator.

Southampton is under 90 minutes away by http://www.flybe.com/ but do run through a dummy booking to include luggage costs etc

And be aware of the one hour time difference

JB :)

Both London and Amsterdam are great cities to explore. You would probably need 4 days in each to see the basics. Amsterdam is really unique because of its canal system. It's sometimes called the "Venice of the North".

http://AmsterdamHolland.ca

Can't speak to the Amsterdam option; there are many places between London Heathrow and Southampton that are lovely to visit and get over jet lag. For 2017 we have chosen to stay in Winchester for 2 nights pre-cruise. It is a cathedral town so we plan to attend the choral evensong on our first evening, explore and walk on our full day there, and walk some more on our last morning. We will use Smiths for Airports again for transport.

You can also fly Icelandair and stay for 2-3 nights in Rekyavik before heading to London Heathrow. Amazing place!

Lots of options of ways to get to Southampton.

Its a great option if you want to visit Amsterdam, and there's quite a few flights a day between Amsterdam and Southampton, 5 on Flybe and 2 on KLM.

Have been to London AND Amsterdam several times! I think if you are new to the U.K. I would fly there a few days ahead if possibly and spend my time there, and pass on Amsterdam if you fly into Amsterdam with only two days you will be so jet lagged if you fly coach from the States you'll not enjoy it.

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I'm convinced that the majority of jet leg is mental rather than physical. I'm rarely affected by it anymore, once I stopped worrying about it. I don't even think about it now, just jet off and adjust fairly quickly, even very long haul flights. The first time I noticed little affect was a flight from Washington, DC to Dubai, about 14 hours. Felt pretty good, we jumped right in, rented a car and drove to Oman the next day. Have been doing that for a long time, no laying around nursing imagined jet lag! :)

I'm convinced that the majority of jet leg is mental rather than physical. I'm rarely affected by it anymore, once I stopped worrying about it. I don't even think about it now, just jet off and adjust fairly quickly, even very long haul flights. The first time I noticed little affect was a flight from Washington, DC to Dubai, about 14 hours. Felt pretty good, we jumped right in, rented a car and drove to Oman the next day. Have been doing that for a long time, no laying around nursing imagined jet lag! :)

You are most fortunate.....

http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/jet-lag/basics/definition/con-20032662

http://www.jetlagrooster.com/

You are most fortunate.....

http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/jet-lag/basics/definition/con-20032662

http://www.jetlagrooster.com/

Yes, I know its medically recognized. I was not saying it was all completely in your mind, but that you can greatly exacerbate it by dwelling on it. The less you think about it and worry about it, the less it affects you. This is what I've found personally and have been traveling worldwide for decades. I can remember in my younger days being totally wiped out, just that 6 hour time change to Europe, now I am not, though there is some adjustment but its very minor. If it were 100% a physical condition, then one would not be able to lessen the severity is my point. Just try it next time you fly, don't even think about it, set your watch to local time at your destination and roll. :)

As a frequent visitor to both London and Amsterdam, my only advice would be to give yourself three to four days minimum in either city. We are doing the British Isles cruise on Princess in May and will spend two nights in London beforehand. However, if I only had one city to unwind in pre-cruise and hadn't visited before...I'd certainly give it at least three nights

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Amsterdam has plenty to offer, but a lot less than London or Paris.

So it fits the bill perfectly. :)

Assuming an overnite flight, your first day may well be affected by jet-lag so I suggest a boat trip on the city's canals.

Pick a hotel between the central rail station & Dam Square (if using the train to/from the airport, make the hotel close to the central station end), stash your bags (hotel or luggage lockers at the station), and wander the streets & cafes til you're ready to drop then take a boat tour.

 

Boats available in various places, particularly on Damrak, near the station.

Choice of quite large glassed-in boats or smaller open boats.

If the weather's fine I highly recommend Eco-boats, on Damrak - open boats taking about 20 passengers, electric power so no noise or fumes, small enough to take some little canals out-of-bounds to the larger boats, live commentary & quirky facts from the very personable captain. To avoid disappointment or a line, best to go straight to their pier on Damrak & book for a suitable time before heading for a coffee or a beer or a wander.

 

That evening, or next evening, nearby is the Red Light district.

Quite an eye-opener, but not as seedy as you'd imagine. Couples & families walk the streets and take in the sights, not just "dirty old men" :D

 

Amsterdam's sights include Ann Frank's house (pre-book an allocated time - turning up on-spec involves long lines) the Van Goch museum & Rijksmuseum, brewery tour etc etc. Up to you how many days you spend there.

 

Bear in mind that hotel rooms in Europe tend to be small, and in Amsterdam stairs can be very steep & narrow so check if there's an elevator.

 

Southampton is under 90 minutes away by http://www.flybe.com/ but do run through a dummy booking to include luggage costs etc

And be aware of the one hour time difference

 

JB :)

Thank you!!! This is exactly everything I needed to hear :) No elevator needed and we're pretty low maintenance when in comes to hotels. The biggest Amsterdam draw for me is the Van Gogh museum so that's at the top of the list.

I'm convinced that the majority of jet leg is mental rather than physical. I'm rarely affected by it anymore, once I stopped worrying about it. I don't even think about it now, just jet off and adjust fairly quickly, even very long haul flights. The first time I noticed little affect was a flight from Washington, DC to Dubai, about 14 hours. Felt pretty good, we jumped right in, rented a car and drove to Oman the next day. Have been doing that for a long time, no laying around nursing imagined jet lag! :)

I tend to think this way too, but then again the longest flight I've ever been on before was 6 hours so I might feel differently after this trip ;-). It will be our first time to Europe.

As a frequent visitor to both London and Amsterdam, my only advice would be to give yourself three to four days minimum in either city. We are doing the British Isles cruise on Princess in May and will spend two nights in London beforehand. However, if I only had one city to unwind in pre-cruise and hadn't visited before...I'd certainly give it at least three nights

 

 

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I would love to spend more time pre-cruise, but unfortunately work limits the number of days off I can take. Between the 12-day cruise, 2 days' travel each direction, and trying to squeeze another 1-2 days in pre-cruise, I'll be maxed out. Hopefully we'll have less limitations once we retire (not for a long time) and then we'll take trips back to the places we want to see more of. This is why I'm trying to pick a city that is interesting but that I'm not set on seeing more of later.

I would love to spend more time pre-cruise, but unfortunately work limits the number of days off I can take. Between the 12-day cruise, 2 days' travel each direction, and trying to squeeze another 1-2 days in pre-cruise, I'll be maxed out. Hopefully we'll have less limitations once we retire (not for a long time) and then we'll take trips back to the places we want to see more of. This is why I'm trying to pick a city that is interesting but that I'm not set on seeing more of later.

Just a thought...........

The last port-of-call on some British Isles (and other) cruises out of Southampton is Le Havre, then it's just an overnite hop across the English Channel from Le Havre to disembark in Southampton next morning.

Some passengers who want to spend post-cruise time in Paris jump-ship (with permission) in Le Havre & take the train to Paris (about 2 to 2.5 hrs) to spend a few days in Paris and fly home from there. This means an 11-day cruise with just the loss of that one evening on the ship, and an extra day in Paris.

I know Princess frequently permit cruisers to do this.

So if that last port-of-call is indeed Le Havre (or Cherbourg), that's an option to throw into the mix.

For flying across the Pond to one European city & flying back from another, save money by booking open-jaw (aka multi-city) return flights with one airline or airline alliance, rather than two one-way tickets.

JB :)

Thank you!!! This is exactly everything I needed to hear :) No elevator needed and we're pretty low maintenance when in comes to hotels. The biggest Amsterdam draw for me is the Van Gogh museum so that's at the top of the list.

If interested in her history visit Anne Frankhuis, better to read the book first. Always make advance reservations, lines can be very long. There is a sperate entrance for people with reservations.

I tend to think this way too, but then again the longest flight I've ever been on before was 6 hours so I might feel differently after this trip ;-). It will be our first time to Europe.

Where are you flying from? If east coast, actual flight time is only about 7 hours, and flying back is about 8 hours. Its really not bad at all. Flights eastbound are usually red eyes departing in the evening and arriving Europe the next morning.

Yes, I know its medically recognized. I was not saying it was all completely in your mind, but that you can greatly exacerbate it by dwelling on it. The less you think about it and worry about it, the less it affects you. This is what I've found personally and have been traveling worldwide for decades. I can remember in my younger days being totally wiped out, just that 6 hour time change to Europe, now I am not, though there is some adjustment but its very minor. If it were 100% a physical condition, then one would not be able to lessen the severity is my point. Just try it next time you fly, don't even think about it, set your watch to local time at your destination and roll. :)

I suspect that you are also getting light at the right times. It's why, as you say, it's important to get outside and be active when you arrive at a destination. Eating at the local time is also important. We have been traveling to destinations around the world for about 50 years. Our strategy when we go to the UK is to have another breakfast when we arrive, go out in the morning, and have a light lunch followed by an afternoon nap. We then have enough energy to go to dinner on local time. Works for us.

We live at high elevation so going down to sea level, and back again, is also a consideration for us.