Brussels or Amsterdam?

Hi All,

We are planning to visit Belgium and the Netherlands between Nov.10-17. My girlfriend and I are wondering whether it%26#39;s worth spending 3 days in Brussels and 4 in Amsterdam or the other way around? We are traveling on a budget but both places seem equally expensive. Do you recommend maybe spending a night somewhere else either before getting to Brussels or in between Brussels and Amsterdam? If so, where would it be?

Also, we%26#39;ve been looking at places to stay in Brussels and the only places who get positive reviews are $200 more / night. We are hoping to spend no more than $125 per night on accommodation. Which neighbourhood should we look at? We don%26#39;t mind taking public transit but we want to go out in the city at night and make sure we can easily come back to our room at night.

sorry for this long post. Hopefully you can share your thoughts with us.

PS: what are the best things to do in November in Brussels?

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I don%26#39;t know how prices translate into Canadian dollars, but the Welcome Hotel is a small one that scores well in Tripadvisor, it%26#39;s right next to Ste. Catherine metro station, in a restaurant area (the old fishmarket) and not far from the Grand%26#39; Place etc. Alternately, somewhere like the Ibis %26quot;off Grand%26#39; Place%26quot; is not going to score highly on atmosphere (it%26#39;s a chain) but it%26#39;s conveniently located. I hope you are not just going on prices given on Tripadvisor but checking the hotel%26#39;s website (and possibly other booking sites); TA will give you an average, but many Brussels hotels drop their rates considerably at weekends because they make their living, not from tourists but from business visitors. This may be a factor to be taken into account in deciding which city to visit first, as would which airport you are arriving at and at what time of day.

It doesn%26#39;t really matter which neighbourhood you stay in in Brussels (although I would advise you to stay away from the Gare du Midi area), the city is small. But for convenience most tourists want to stay near the Grand%26#39; Place and Central Station. If nightlife is important to you, you may want to spend longer in Amsterdam.

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Thanks for your response... Having looked at some hotel options, what are your thoughts about:

- George V (RUE T4KINT N°23)

- President Nord Hotel (107 Bvd Adolphe Max)

- Hotel Bentley (51 avenue Rogier)

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