Greetings fellow Eurotripites-

My brother and I are in the midst of formulating our (first) European travel itinerary.  We will be in Europe from Dec. 28-Jan.8, having allocated approximately 11 days to our winter sojourn.  We will begin our trip in Amsterdam, transition to Berlin to enjoy the New Year’s festivities, travel to a yet-to-be-decided skiing destination, and then return to Amsterdam to conclude our journey.  I (we) welcome the collective feedback of our emerging travel plan(s), captured in the following summary:

12/28-Amsterdam
12/29-Amsterdam
12/30-Amsterdam/begin travel to Berlin (by rail)
12/30-Arrive in Berlin
12/31-Berlin
1/1-Berlin
1/2-Depart for chosen skiing destination (by plane)
1/2-Skiing
1/3-Skiing
1/4-Skiing
1/5-Skiing
1/6-Return to Amsterdam (by plane)
1/6-Amsterdam
1/7-Amsterdam
1/8-Return to US

I have the following questions related to our aforementioned trip:

-Our itinerary is decidedly “relaxed”.  However, I’m aware that Berlin is the European counterpart to New York during the New Year’s Eve celebration.  Should we be alerted to potential difficulties in procuring travel, hotel, etc. accommodations?
-Is this the appropriate forum to request a list of recommended hotels in Amsterdam and Berlin?  If so, what hotel(s) in Amsterdam and Berlin would you suggest that we review?
-We really need assistance in choosing a skiing destination, one that will be convenient to access (that is, without sacrificing hours of travel to said destination).  We are amenable to the idea of skiing in France or Switzerland.  Again, we will be traveling by plane from Berlin to the skiing destination; we expect that Zurich or Geneva will be our way point via Berlin.  Is this the correct forum to request such information?  If it is not, what forum (or other web site(s)) do you recommend that we review?
-During our stay in Berlin and Amsterdam, what suggested notable site(s) should we visit (i.e. museums, historical architecture, etc.)

Any additional information (related to the content of this forum) you can provide will be sincerely appreciated.



ttfn,


obiwan