Harvard Student Agencies - Lets Go Paris, Amsterdam & Brussels. The Student Travel Guide

LETS GO

www.letsgo.com

researcher-writers

Heather Buffo
Taylor Nickel
Katharine Vidt

staff writers

Beatrice Franklin
Marcelle Goggins
Charlotte Kreger
Mikia Manley
Taylor Nickel
Alexandra Perloff-Giles
Delphine Rodrik
Jane Seo
Amy Weiss-Meyer
Natania Wolansky
Qichen Zhang

research managers

Haley Bowen
Linda Buehler
Billy Marks

editors

Spencer Burke
Michael Goncalves
Claire McLaughlin

managing editors
Michael Goncalves
Chris Kingston

HEATHER BUFFO. Armed with a few choice French phrases (Bonjour! Merde!), Heather ran a marathon sprint through Paris and Brussels before retiring to the south of France. With a trusty traveling gnome at her side, Heather briefly joined the ranks of Frances Most Wanted and befriended some shockingly deceptive bartenders. She eventually wound up on a paradisiacal beach, tan and scheming how to smuggle Nutella crepes back into the US.

TAYLOR NICKEL. This Lets Go veteran returned to France to conquer Pariss streets and woo its women with his savvy wit. When he wasnt sipping on a demi-pche or resting up in his apartment in the 14me, Taylor was finding the perfect local hangouts and the best bargains. Though its slightly more stressful than the French countryside, Paris will always be Taylors home away from home.

KATHARINE VIDT. From providing X-rated research notes to cycling around on her bicycle, Kat embraced the true spirit of Amsterdam. She proved she could pry information from anyone, whether a stony-faced hostel owner or just a plain stoner. Though Kat could probably write books solely on Electric Ladyland, Albert Heijns, and stroopwafel ice cream, she conquered the whole city, and did it with swag.

At first glance, grouping Paris, Amsterdam, and Brussels together may seem as odd and unlikely as a lunch date between Brigitte Bardot, Vincent Van Gogh, and Tintin. But with rich political, artistic, and culinary legacies, these three cities continue to be major destinations for young travelers looking to experience everything from the classic beauty of Pariss wide boulevards to the reefer-clouded progressiveness of Amsterdam to the famous waffles, chocolates, and beer of Brussels. Students might go to Paris to discover the secrets that inspired the likes of Claude Monet and Ernest Hemingway, the latter of whom once declared the grand city a moveable feast. From the sweet aromas drifting out of the corner boulangeries to that famous French snobbery, Paris is a city that will charm and bitchslap you with equal gusto. But dont fretthe gleam of bronze balconies and the buzz of a good 2 bottle of wine are worth crossing cultural divides, and by your third or fourth sincere attempt at silvous plat, even the waiters will soften up. While the City of Lights has a tendency to outshine its peersindeed, Brusselss Manneken Pis certainly lacks the grandeur and poise of the Eiffel Tower, and wooden clogs arent exactly a hot commodity on the Champs-lysesAmsterdam and Brussels offer their own varieties of folksy, earnest charm. Like your ex-hippie high school history teacher, Amsterdam somehow manages to appeal to both tulip-loving grandmas and Red-Light-ready students. Come to this city to gawk at coffeeshops and prostitutes, then take some time to cultivate an appreciation for canals and the Flemish masters. While visiting Brussels, tap into your middle school nerd and admire the comic book characters that abound in the citys museums and on the sides of many buildings. If cartoons arent your thing, head over to the European Parliament and mingle with Eurocrats while plotting future world domination. Diverse as they may be, these three cities each have a unique character that, if probed beyond that surface, offers a little something for everyone.

Spring weather in Paris is fickle and brings rainy and sunny days in equal numbers. June is a notoriously wet month, while July and August see temperatures rise; heat waves during the summer can be uncomfortable, and muggy weather aggravates the citys pollution problem. By fall, a fantastic array of auburn brightens up the foliage in the citys parks, and the weather is dry and temperate. Mild winter months tend to see more rain than snow. In Amsterdam and Brussels, you can expect moderate weather; here, temperatures rarely rise to intolerable levels, although rainy, gray skies are fairly characteristic of the Low Countries fluctuating climate. The Netherlands are also graced by a classic ocean fog that almost always dissolves by midday.

Everyone loves Paris and temperate weather in the springtime, but summer sees droves of tourists move in as Parisians depart for their vacations. Many of the citys best festivals are held during the summer (see Festivals), although smaller hotels, shops, and services usually close for the month of August. The Low Countries reach their tourist peak during the summer (July and August), when the weather is sunniest, the days are longest, and most people are on vacation. Spring is another time to hit the region, especially if youre a flora fanatic dying to see Hollands tulips in bloom or a jazz junkie hoping to soak up some jams at Brusselss Jazz Marathon.

top five places to go dutch

5. MANNEKEN PIS: Answer natures call and pay a visit to Brusselss favorite public urinator.

4. ANNE FRANK HOUSE: You read her diary in eighth grade; now see the building where her inspiring story was written.

3. LEIDSEPLEIN: Bike your way home after a late night spent partying in this neighborhood that never sleeps. Youll earn more local street cred than the bros on the Leidseplein Pub Crawl will ever possess.

2. JARDIN DU LUXEMBOURG: Its the Central Park of Paris. Lounge like a local or jog like an expat.

1. TOUR EIFFEL: Beautiful and awe-inspiring, a visit to Pariss most iconic monument is never a waste, no matter how clich (or phallic) it is.

Forget Italy and its Renaissancethe Dutch Golden Age inspired serious strides in architecture, literature, and painting. Leonardo, Donatello, Raphael, and Michelangelo? The Ninja Turtles should have been named Rembrandt, Vermeer, Hals, and Brueghel. Amsterdam even has more canals than Venice. In all seriousness, were you to put Italian and Dutch art up against one another in a cage match, thered be no decisive winner (probably because the Dutch side would either find a way to subsidize itself out of the problem or wouldnt pass the drug test, but thats beside the point). Dutch art may be quieter than its Italian counterparts, but after studying it in places like the Rijksmuseum, youll agree that its got a certain something.