American women who travel are bound to visit the most famous museums. We are jet lagged, foggy, unused to minimum air conditioning in historic buildings and hungry at the wrong times. But we are determined to tick off the top ten museums and check off the biggies: Rembrandt, Van Gogh, Matisse and the Impressionists, Picasso, Da Vinci, Vermeer etc. There are ways to conquer this learning hill and come home ‘smart’.

Amsterdam

If you stay in central Amsterdam, you will likely walk to museum square for 1,2 or 3 of the top ten: the Rijksmuseum, Anne Frank House and Stedelijk Museum.  If you think your destination is a half mile away, it is not. Surrounded by canals, similar looking houses and swished by bicycles, you will wander much farther, while staring at the GPS on your phone.

In the Rijksmuseum, go directly to the rooms for Rembrandt. Stop at The Night Watch and self-portraits. A good way to appreciate a painting is to download the museum’s app or a video on your phone, then inch your way to the front of the crowd. Listen to the video/app while you work your eyes around the painting. You can steal a listen from a nearby tour guide but going at your own pace with your own eyes is more fulfilling. Given short times on tours, a few others to see in this museum are Vermeer, Goya, Hals, Steen etc. You will again get lost looking for them.

Anne Frank House, book as soon as the tickets open 6 weeks ahead, even if you have to go at night. The building is multi-floor with audio visual displays. Read the book!  Be prepared for a modern museum not the original house, which was more dramatic. Around the corner is the dock where you can jump on a canal cruise; there is an odd feeling matching up the sadness and horror of the Anne Frank house with the hopping nature of modern Amsterdam. Consider taking a Jewish tour to enhance your visit. We visited the 17th c UNESCO Heritage synagogue with Naomi Koopman, info@jewishamsterdamtour.com. She limits her tours to 10 guests, and you visit the synagogue, excellent history museum and Holocaust memorial.

My 16-year-old granddaughter commented: I thought 3 hours was long but am so glad we stayed until the end. Wow. We did a quick look at Rembrandt House; he did live, and paint there so enjoy the ambiance if not the many stairs.

Paris

The biggie is of course The Louvre. It is overwhelming to the tired tourist. We went to several other choice museums instead. (While you are in front of the I M Pei pyramid, squint into the distance to see two other arches, the last one way in the back in La Defense suburb).

We opted for The Orsay and L’Orangerie. When you plan your trip, immediately check special exhibits. Our special visit was the the Orsay 1874 Show. In 1874 the Impressionists had their first group show; the Orsay re-assembled 200 of the actual paintings from that exhibit. It felt as if we waded into time.

In the Orangerie we saw Monet’s Waterlilies and some of the collection which is privately owned. It is always interesting to note what individuals choose to collect. The Fondation Louis Vuitton visit was for the building itself. Note: take the Metro, not the shuttle bus or taxi. The walk from the Metro is through a lovely neighborhood, leafy and well sign posted- about 15 blocks. There is a taxi line outside the museum if you want a ride on the way home. Some drivers will demand no credit cards, get out and find the honest ones. In 4 days 3 museums are enough art for most amateurs.

London

This was our last stop, and crowded lines prevented our visit to the National Gallery. We chose the Portrait Gallery around the corner, and specifically the floors with the most recent portraits. You will know many people: Dame Judy Dench, Princess Catherine, William and Harry, Nelson Mandela, Anna Wintour, Amy Winehouse etc.  Too many tourists do not visit the Wallace Collection, a private mansion, top to bottom, with the best art, armory, furniture. Here you see famous art in a quiet and no line setting. Its courtyard is a restaurant with average food. Walk to Marylebone High Street from the Wallace for choicer eating. PS Major London museums are free.

We hope you learned a bit from a recent European jaunt; do ask us for tips and advice if planning a trip this year.