shanetaurima2832

We are looking at visiting Europe in May June. We are looking for recommendations for possible places to visit from Milan. We'd like to visit Amsterdam, and then need to reach Wales. We love good food, landscapes, beaches, history, museums. We'd prefer to limit air travel and use trains or buses. We also plan to visit a concentration camp, if there are any recommendations. We will have two and a half weeks. Thank you.

Sassafrass

If you wish to visit Amsterdam, see a concentration camp and must go to Wales, how does Milan play into the itinerary? Where is your home departure city and will you be departing for home from Wales?

shanetaurima2832

We have a tour in Italy that ends in Milan. Hence my question starts in Milan. Thank you.

shanetaurima2832

Yes we will be departing Wales for home.

Travel_Nerd

You have a lot going on here and need more info. May/June of this year? Exactly how much time do you have total on the ground (excluding flights?. 2.5 weeks can be anywhere from 16-19 days, give or take.

I may have missed it, who is all traveling on this trip? Ages?

Have you booked your flights? Are you landing in Milan and home from Wales? If you have not booked, fly multi city (in one, out another).

Are you planning on actually seeingi n/around Milan or are you using it as a "landing point?" If so, consider adjusting your flight plan if you can to a point you actually want to see. If that is Amsterdam, fly to Amsterdam first. Same with Wales - how long will you have for the UK and do you plan on spending any time there?

You lose at least a half day in transit from point to point, also with logistics (checking in/out of lodging, traveling to/from stations, etc.) and you need to be mindful of that depending on your plans.

Most concentration camps are going to be much further east from where you sre planning on being. If this is a priority, you will likely need to make adjustments. In terms of other "suggestions," we really need to more what your priorities and interests are.

Travel_Nerd

Sorry, I was typing at the same time as @Sassafrass was posting. Did not mean to be redundant.

janisj

Welcome to Fodors. OK -- where are you flying out of (likely not Wales -- Heathrow perhaps)

Are you thinking of a specific Concentration camp or any camp? Kamp Amersfoort is about 30 miles from Amsterdam.

What are your plans / how many days in Wales? Are you planning on visiting any other parts of the UK or JUST Wales?

janisj

Me too

shanetaurima2832

Flying out of Heathrow, so plan to train from Cardiff to Wales.

shanetaurima2832

Thank you for the camp 30m from Amsterdam. I'd like to visit Auschwitz, but that may not be possible given time.

Travel_Nerd

Cardiff is in Wales.

Any particular reason for heading all the way to Cardiff? Don't get me wrong, it's an interesting city. But seems to be an outlier here.

janisj

OK -- this scattershot posting isn't helping very much. We don't charge be the word LOL

BTW Cardiff is IN Wales. If you meant taking the train from Cardiff to LHR -- there isn't one. You would take a train to London Paddington and then anouthr train back out to LHR. OR you can take a direct coach (bus) from Cardiff to the airport.

We were posting at the same time AGAIN

I assumed they are wanting to visit Wales - not Cardiff specifically

Travel_Nerd

Blah! Sorry Janis!

OP may have run out of their post limit, too. OP, please take some time and digest some of our questions. Answers to some of them may help fodorites assist you further and with greater detail.

rouelan

Dachau, close to Munich, could more or less fit into the itinerary.

From Milan, take a train to Tirano. Stop enroute for a couple of days on the shores of beautiful Como lake.
In Tirano, change for Chur. It is a touristic train going through fantastic scenery.
From Chur (BTW an interesting city), it is not difficult to find a train for Munich (I didn't check, probably via Zurich or St Gallen).
Then, I am bit at loss to complete the itinerary, especially if beaches have to be included!

hetismij2

Auschwitz is way too far of your route. There are three possible places for you in the Netherlands:

Kamp Amersfoort is a small site, very moving and full of ghosts, but surrounded by development and with not much of the original camp left. The shooting gallery is haunting.
https://www.kampamersfoort.nl/en/

Westerbork, in Drenthe, was the first stop for many Jews on their way east to the death camps. It is where Anne Frank went for instance.
https://kampwesterbork.nl/en/

Or there is Kamp Vught in Brabant:
https://www.nmkampvught.nl/multi/english/

How long do you have for Amsterdam? You can get the train from Milan, changing in Basel and Cologne along the way. I would break the journey up unless you are happy with a very long day travelling.

bilboburgler

There is also the camp in Alsace. Great to see the train planning, thank you

bhuty

Auschwitz seems to far out of the way of Amsterdam and wales.
Maybe Lausanne to Strasbourg (Alsace) then any number of places up to Amsterdam over to Belgium then train through the channel to London blah blah blah. Doable and would see a lot of great things along the way

JohnEW2912

Whilst taking the Eurostar from Amsterdam to London and then train on to Cardiff would be the nicest way to travel KLM also fly direct from AMS to Cardiff or, if that route is expensive (as it might be) EasyJet also fly from AMS to Bristol, which is not far from Cardiff.

janisj

One cannot take the Eurostar from Amsterdam - There is no service until the construction is completed. The journey would involve taking a train to Brussels and then doing passport check/security there before taking EuroStar from Brussels to St Pancras. Then in London transiting (Taxi or tube) from St Pancras to Paddington and getting a train to Cardiff.

hetismij2

Eurostar direct to London from Amsterdam is running until June 14th. After that you take a Eurostar to Brussels and go through immigration there, which will add about an hour to the journey time.