How Much I Spent for 10 Days in Belgium and the Netherlands

Belgium and the Netherlands: two exceptionally charming little countries that are well worth a visit. And thanks to their excellent train systems, close proximity, and small size, visits to Belgium and the Netherlands can easily be combined into one wonderful trip.

Belgium and the Netherlands can also be expensive countries to visit. But just how much does a trip to Belgium and the Netherlands cost?

I had the same question before my 10-day trip to these lovely countries. So, during my visit, I tracked every dollar I spent on transportation and food and lodging and absolutely everything else. Now I’m spilling the beans and telling you exactly how much it cost me to visit Belgium and the Netherlands for 10 days.

Are you:

Wondering how much international travel really costs?
Trying to figure out your own budget for an upcoming trip?
Simply feeling nosy? (Don’t worry, I get it.)

Then my Travel Spending series is for you. Here, I open up about how much my travels actually cost so you can make informed decisions about which destinations, accommodations, restaurants, activities, and more might be right for you. I also make some alternative suggestions in case you’re traveling on a tighter budget or want to shell out for a little more luxury than I chose.

Check out all the posts in my Travel Spending series here, or read on for a peek into my spending in Belgium and the Netherlands.

IN THIS POST

This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase or a booking through one of these links, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks for supporting In Old Cities in this way!

The Cost of 10 Days in Belgium and the Netherlands

My 10-day trip to Belgium and the Netherlands took place in March 2023. If you’re reading this in some future year, you can estimate the cost of my trip in present values using an inflation calculator (like this one, if you’re in the U.S.).

All amounts are in USD.

Transportation

Travel to and from PHL	$18.50
Flight to Brussels	$27.40
Flight from Amsterdam	$58.87
Trains	$193.61
TOTAL:	$298.38

First, I flew in and out of the Philadelphia airport, and spent $18.50 traveling between my office (where I parked my car) and the airport on SEPTA (Philly’s public transportation system).

How did I spend so little on my flights? Airline miles! Booking flights with miles is so delightful: you’ll always have to pay some taxes and fees in cash (these costs may range from a few dollars to a few hundred dollars, depending on the countries and airports you fly through), but you can generally eliminate one of your largest expenses.

In this case, I flew economy from Philadelphia to Brussels (with a stop in London) on American Airlines and British Airways, which cost me 30,000 miles and $27.40 in taxes and fees. Then I flew nonstop economy from Amsterdam to Philadelphia on American Airlines, which cost me 34,000 miles and $58.87 in taxes and fees.

If I had paid cash for these flights, I would have booked a single multi-city ticket (where you fly into one city and out of the other). At the time I booked my flights, equivalent multi-city flights were priced at about $700.

Finally, while actually in Belgium and the Netherlands, I got around exclusively by (1) train and (2) my own two feet. In total, I spent $193.61 on trains to and from Ghent, Bruges, Namur, Dinant, Utrecht, Delft, and Haarlem, as well as a one-way train from Brussels to Amsterdam (which included a stop in Antwerp), a train from the Brussels airport to the city center, and a train from Amsterdam to Amsterdam’s airport.

My total transportation costs: $298.38.

A motorbike speeds past a pink building with a green door.

If you want to spend less on Transportation…

Avoid or decrease airport transportation costs by flying out of an airport that’s closer to your home — if you’re lucky, one that’s close enough that a generous loved one can give you a ride.
You’re not likely to spend much less than I did on my flights. However, if you don’t like dealing with airline miles and just want to pay cash, I recommend checking out my tips for finding great deals on flights.
Take fewer day trips. I treated Brussels and Amsterdam as home bases, and spent most days exploring other cities and sights via train. But there’s plenty to see in just those two cities: you can save a lot of money on train tickets by choosing to stay in just one or two places and forgoing (or limiting) day trips.

If you’re looking for more luxurious Transportation…

Buy business or first class tickets for your flights. NOTE: If you’re looking to upgrade only one or two aspects of your experience, I generally wouldn’t recommend choosing this one. While I’m not crazy about sleeping in economy seats on flights, I’m usually able to grab a few hours of sleep (thanks to some critical tools) — enough to help me power through my first day at my destination, at least. But if you’re reaching Belgium or the Netherlands via a particularly long flight, the lay-flat seats that are often available in business or first class may be worth the extra cost.
Upgrade your train tickets to first class. NOTE: I never do this in Europe, as the difference between first and second class on trains is negligible and, to me, not worth the extra cost. But if you’re in need of a slightly larger seat or more space for any reason, this is an option to consider.

Accommodations

Airbnb in Brussels (4 nights)	$393.96
Hotel in Amsterdam (5 nights)	$394.43
TOTAL:	$788.39

I spent the first four nights of my trip at an Airbnb near the central train station in Brussels. It cost $393.96, including all taxes and fees. (I paid for this stay with my Capital One Venture X card, and actually received a $200 refund from Capital One as part of the sign-up bonus offered with the card. However, I consider this refund to count toward saving money on the card’s annual fee, rather than saving money on accommodations, so I don’t include it here.)

Then I moved on to Amsterdam, where I spent five nights at Travel Hotel Amsterdam, a budget hotel near the train station. I booked it on Agoda for $357.79, and had to pay an additional $36.64 in the city’s tourist tax upon arrival.

My total accommodation costs: $788.39.

A row of lit-up bridges in Amsterdam, as viewed from a canal.

If you want to spend less on Accommodations…

Book a dorm room in a hostel, such as Meininger or Latroupe in Brussels, and ClinkNOORD or Flying Pig in Amsterdam. This option requires you to be comfy with sleeping on a bunk bed in a room with a few strangers. If that’s the case, hostel dorm rooms are a great option: they’re often incredibly inexpensive, and you can easily meet other travelers if that’s something you’re looking for. (And, if you’re traveling in a group of, say, 4 or 8 people, you may even be able to snag a dorm room for your group alone!) NOTE: some hostels offer women-only dorm rooms for female travelers who would rather not stay in the same room as men.
For a slightly higher price, plenty of hostels also offer private rooms with shared bathrooms, meaning that you have your own space to sleep and keep your stuff, but use a bathroom elsewhere on the hall (which is also accessible to other guests, and may be either a single-user space or may be a dorm-style bathroom). If you want to save money but are skittish about sharing a room with strangers, I highly recommend this option. (Some budget hotels also offer this style of room!)
NOTE: Other than flights, accommodations are often the biggest line item in a travel budget. The great news is that most destinations have a variety of lodging options at all sorts of price points — so if you’re looking to cut on-location costs, start here!

If you’re looking for more luxurious Accommodations…

There’s certainly no shortage of beautiful lodging options in Belgium and the Netherlands. In Amsterdam, I very nearly stayed at Studio Koggeschip, which looks lovely and would have cost about $665.00 for my five-night stay. While I ultimately decided I wanted to spend less, that apartment could be a great option if your budget is a little higher than mine and you also want to stay near the train station.
For more traditional hotels, check out the Warwick or Hotel Indigo in Brussels, and The Pavilions or Hotel Estheréa in Amsterdam.

Food & Drink

Oof — I spent $533.62 on food and drinks! That includes all my meals (which I mostly ate at sit-down restaurants), snacks, coffee, alcohol, and water (yes, you have to buy water in many European restaurants).

In retrospect, this was really excessive, and I could have easily halved this amount with a little effort.

My hand holding a waffle covered in chocolate and strawberries.

People smile at a table inside a cozy cafe in Amsterdam.

If you want to spend less on Food and Drink…

Eat fewer meals at sit-down restaurants, and opt for more street food instead.
If you’re staying at a hostel or an apartment with a kitchen, you could buy groceries and prepare some of your meals, which typically costs a lot less than eating at restaurants. You can also buy cheaper, premade meals at many grocery stores.
Buy fewer beverages. At dinner, I often drank a glass of wine (wine is cheaper than water in a lot of restaurants!) and bought a bottle of water. Those things add up!

If you’re Willing to Spend More on Food and Drink…

Eat at fancier restaurants!

Activities

I spent $272.41 on activities, which included entrance fees for museums, towers, and some churches, a couple of boat rides, one walking tour, and some cable car rides.

I essentially did everything I wanted to do (and had time to do), and didn’t hesitate to shell out for an entrance fee if something I wanted to see charged one. And while I spent an afternoon or two relaxing in a cafe, I otherwise pretty much filled each day with sightseeing. Had I traveled a bit slower and kept myself less busy, my spending on activities could have been quite a bit lower.

A nun walks through a field of daffodils.

Rows of bookshelves across several floors inside the Rijksmuseum.

If you want to spend less on Activities…

Chill out! Do a little less. Spend more time just walking around or people-watching at cafes.
Be choosier about the activities you spend money on, and opt for more free activities instead of paid activities.

If you’re Willing to Spend More on Activities…

Well, I think it might be tough to do even more than I did, but if you have a large budget for entertainment and activities, then don’t hesitate to visit museums, see shows, etc. to your heart’s content.

Shopping

I spent $106.59 on souvenirs, which included a couple of mugs and a couple of Christmas tree ornaments, plus some chocolate to take home to my family.

If you want to spend less on Shopping…

Easy: don’t buy anything!

If you’re Willing to Spend More on Shopping…

Easy: shop more!
In all seriousness, there’s no shortage of places to spend your money while traveling, including (of course) in expensive countries like Belgium and the Netherlands. If you want to come home with even more souvenirs than I did, it will not be hard to do.

Other

I stopped in Antwerp for a few hours on the way from Brussels to Amsterdam, and spent $11.81 to store my suitcase in Antwerp’s incredibly gorgeous train station while I explored the city.

Grand Total

Transportation	$298.38
Accommodations	$788.39
Food & Drink	$533.62
Activities	$272.41
Shopping	$106.59
Other	$11.81
TOTAL:	$2,011.20

In total, I spent $2,011.20, or $201.12 per day.

Whether that sounds like a lot or a little to you will of course depend on your own perceptions of how much travel should cost. To me, it sounds like a lot (given that I didn’t pay cash for my flights), but it reflects a trip where, other my accommodations, I didn’t put much effort into saving money.

If you want to visit the same destinations but spend less than I did, it would not be hard to do so. You could spend hundreds less than I did just by taking fewer day trips, eating at sit-down restaurants only for dinner, and buying fewer souvenirs. If you also stayed in hostels and did a little less sightseeing than me (or focused on mostly free activities), I think it would be very possible to spend half of what I did, or at least something close to that.