Let's Go Paris, Amsterdam & Brussels. The Student Travel Guide

689 Pages·2012·20.29 MB·English

by  Harvard Student Agencies

LET’S GO
www.letsgo.com
PARIS, AMSTERDAM & BRUSSELS
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
CONTENTS
PARIS, AMSTERDAM & BRUSSELS
DISCOVER
PARIS
AMSTERDAM
BRUSSELS
ESSENTIALS
BEYOND TOURISM
QUICK REFERENCE

RESEARCHER-WRITERS
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 France’s 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 Let’s Go veteran returned to France to conquer Paris’s
streets and woo its women with his savvy wit. When he wasn’t sipping on a
demi-pêche or resting up in his apartment in the 14ème, Taylor was finding the
perfect local hangouts and the best bargains. Though it’s slightly more stressful
than the French countryside, Paris will always be Taylor’s 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.
DISCOVER PARIS, AMSTERDAM &
BRUSSELS
When To Go
What To Do
LET’S (VAN) GOGH
A CASE OF THE MUNCHIES
MIDNIGHT IN PARIS, AMSTERDAM, AND BRUSSELS
BEYOND TOURISM
Suggested Itineraries
BEST OF PARIS, AMSTERDAM, AND BRUSSELS IN 9 DAYS
PARDON MY FRENCH
NORTHERN NICETIES
LESSER-KNOWN WONDERS
How To Use This Book
CHAPTERS
LISTINGS
ICONS
OTHER USEFUL STUFF
PRICE DIVERSITY
MAP LEGEND
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 Paris’s 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 don’t fret—the 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 s’il vous plaît,
even the waiters will soften up. While the City of Lights has a tendency to
outshine its peers—indeed, Brussels’s Manneken Pis certainly lacks the grandeur
and poise of the Eiffel Tower, and wooden clogs aren’t exactly a hot commodity
on the Champs-Élysées—Amsterdam 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 city’s museums and on the sides of
many buildings. If cartoons aren’t your thing, head over to the European
Parliament and mingle with Eurocrats while plotting future world domination.