Pre and Post Stays Amsterdam and Zurich

[thepoint]

What is your experience with pre and post stays in Amsterdam and Zurich? Is it better to just go along with the cruise line (AMA) or do it on your own? What should we concentrate on doing in these two cities? Thank you for your help.

[caviargal]

What is your experience with pre and post stays in Amsterdam and Zurich? Is it better to just go along with the cruise line (AMA) or do it on your own? What should we concentrate on doing in these two cities? Thank you for your help.

 

Switzerland is super pricey so in that case I would compare what you are getting with AMA to what you can do on your own.

 

Amsterdam has lots of good hotels at good prices and is very easy to DIY. I think you can do better there on your own.

 

If this is the Rhine cruise with AMA with the 4 night pre cruise package in Lucerne and Zurich, I would add up all the costs and see what you can save by going DIY. It is an easy country to get around in but nothing about it is cheap, or even reasonable.

[QueenofEverything]

I'll ditto that about Switzerland, outrageously expensive!! We took care of our own arrangements in Amsterdam and had Avalon book the hotel in Zurich for us because it was a very reasonable price.

 

In Amsterdam, we stayed at the Posthoorn, a canal house B&B about a 10 minute walk from the train station and right up the street from the Anne Frank House. I can't say enough about it. It was very small, run by a lovely French family. Only 3 rooms. The owner brought breakfast to your room each morning as opposed to a sit down in a dining room. We learned about it on Trip Advisor. Amsterdam is easy to get around as it is very compact and everyone speaks English. All the signs are in English and Dutch. Great City.

 

We were not that impressed with Zurich, so we took the train for the day to Lucerne. Wow, what a beautiful place. If you go to Lucerne, be sure to go up Mt. Pilatus. It is expensive, but the views are unbelievable.

 

If you go in the spring, don't miss Keukenhof outside of Amsterdam. 6 million bulbs, 5 million of them Tulips. One of the most beautiful places I have seen.

[janetcbl]

QueenOfEverything is exactly right about Zurich......it is not an impressive city. Go to Lucern (2 trains/ hour)....Mt. Pilates is awesome, as is the city. Check it out on line. Whatever you do, if you do stay in Zurich and book your own hotel, do not stay near the train station....it is fine in the daytime if you are catching a train, but a bit seedy and not a place to be after dark....I have never had a problem there, but I have always been with someone else. Go to Lucern!

[Host Jazzbeau]

There is one excellent site in Zurich -- the Fraumunster, with fabulous Chagall stained-glass windows. This wasn't on the itinerary of our guided tour, but the tour guide tipped us off when to ditch her and go there on our own [it was near the bus pick-up point]. We would have liked to have had more time there, as the windows are in the apse and are both beautiful to look at and also inspiring for meditation. A day trip from Zurich would take you to the Rhine Falls and the village of Stein-am-Rhein -- this is also worthwhile.

 

But Lucerne has so many wonderful things to see and do, that I would definitely favor that if you can't do both -- or give it more time.

 

As to whether to take the ship's extension or DIY -- I agree that Amsterdam is so easy to navigate that it's the perfect DIY spot, especially as most river ships dock right near the Centraal Station transportation hub. Switzerland is more spread out [it's a country, not a city!], so we felt the ship's excursion hand-holding was worth any extra cost.

[pacmom]

On our trip last December, our tour took us to the Fraumunster and the glorious windows. It was with AMA. We cruised Amsterdam-Basel with 2 days post trip in Lucerne and 2 in Zurich. We also opted for the cruise line's tour--the only one we have ever used. We also felt that we had spent time in Amsterdam on 4 other occasions, so just came in one day early. It is a very easy diy city--just look for bikes as well as cars. Pat