Goose · Europe 2026

The trip wiki.

Everything for the run — tap to open, and keep opening: every city, topic, and spot drills down into deeper detail. For the day-by-day with checkboxes, see the plan.

# Overview

A 13-day run following Goose across Europe: into Brussels, down through Amsterdam and Cologne, ending in Paris, home June 4. Five shows, four cities, all by fast train.

The shape of the trip flights, dates, what's the same
  • Out: Sat May 23 — Denver→Newark (UA2381, 9:44a), Newark→Brussels (UA994, 6:30p), land 7:45a May 24.
  • Home: Thu June 4 — Paris (CDG)→Washington Dulles→Denver. Confirm flight numbers/times.
  • Shows: Brussels 5/25 · Amsterdam 5/27 + 5/28 · Cologne 5/30 · Paris 6/1.
  • Same in all four countries: euro (€), Type C/E/F plugs at 230V, contactless pay everywhere.
Why this routing
You enter at Brussels and exit at Paris, so the cities line up north-to-south on one rail spine — no backtracking. Berlin (6/3) and Aarhus (6/5) are real Goose dates but fall after your June 4 flight home.
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# Getting around

Between cities — trains 3 legs, all direct

Every hop is a fast, direct train. Book 1–2 weeks ahead for the cheapest fares and a reserved seat.

Brussels → Amsterdam · ~1h50
Eurostar (the former Thalys), Brussels-Midi → Amsterdam Centraal. Frequent departures; passport not checked (Schengen). Book on Eurostar or NS International.
Amsterdam → Cologne · ~2h45
Deutsche Bahn ICE direct, Amsterdam Centraal → Köln Hbf. Comfortable, power at seats. Book on DB.
Cologne → Paris · ~3h15
Eurostar direct, Köln Hbf → Paris Nord. The longest leg — grab seats on the upper deck. Reservations required.
Tickets & tips
Compare on Trainline. Fares rise as seats sell, so lock them in. Arrive ~20 min early; big stations have many platforms. Coaches have luggage racks — no checked bags.
Flights the long legs
In — the overnight to Brussels
UA994 Newark→Brussels is the Polaris widebody, departing 6:30p. Eat at Newark, then sleep — you land 7:45a and the day starts immediately.
Out — Paris home via Dulles
Paris (CDG)→Washington Dulles, clear US customs at IAD, then connect to Denver. CDG is large and slow at security — leave early. Confirm exact flight #s/times.
Within each city tap-and-go transit

All four centers are walkable. For transit, a contactless card or phone taps you onto trams/metro in Amsterdam (OVpay), Brussels, Cologne (KVB), and Paris. No pre-bought passes needed for a few days.

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# Brussels · May 24–26

Your landing city and the trip's bookend — compact, walkable, built for eating well between trains.

Getting in from BRU airport
  • Train: Brussels Airport → Bruxelles-Central, ~17 min, runs several times an hour.
  • Taxi/Uber: ~25–35 min to the center depending on traffic.
The show — La Madeleine May 25

Central downtown hall a short walk from Bruxelles-Central — easy to reach from any central hotel. See the venues section for show-night tips.

See & do 4 spots — drill in
Grand-Place
The UNESCO central square ringed by gilded 17th-c. guild houses and the Gothic Town Hall. Free, always open, best at night when it's lit. Your orientation point for the old center.
Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert
An 1847 glass-roofed shopping arcade — one of Europe's oldest — full of chocolatiers (Neuhaus was founded here). A dry, pretty shortcut on a rainy afternoon.
Magritte Museum
The world's largest René Magritte collection, by the Royal Museums near the Mont des Arts. Worth ~1.5 hrs for surrealism fans; book online to skip the line.
Atomium
The 1958 World's Fair landmark — a 102m iron crystal you can go up — north of center via metro line 6. A half-morning detour if you have a slow day.
Eat & drink frites, mussels, beer
Frites
From a friterie/fritkot, double-fried, served in a cone with mayo (not ketchup). The everyday national food — cheap and great.
Moules-frites
A pot of mussels with fries. Classic Belgian; quality varies by season — go where it's busy.
Beer
Two worlds: Trappist ales (Westmalle, Chimay, Orval — brewed at abbeys) and sour, funky lambic/gueuze (try Cantillon if you like sour). Find an old estaminet (traditional café).
Waffles
Two kinds: dense, caramelized Liège (eat plain, on the go) vs. light, rectangular Brussels (with toppings). Liège is the better street snack.
Good to know language, money
  • Languages: French & Dutch; English widely spoken.
  • Euro; tip by rounding up. Many small spots are cash-friendly.
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# Amsterdam · May 26–29

Two Melkweg nights, so you actually settle in. Bikes and canals beat taxis everywhere.

Getting in & around bikes, trams
From Centraal
Trains arrive Amsterdam Centraal, dead center. Trams fan out from the front of the station; most sights are 10–20 min away.
Bikes vs trams
Renting a bike is the real local move — flat city, dense lanes. Mind the tram rails (catch a wheel and you're down) and ring your bell. Prefer trams? Tap a contactless card (OVpay) on board.
The show — Melkweg 2 nights, 5/27 + 5/28

Legendary multi-room venue right on Leidseplein, a former dairy ("Milky Way"), open since 1970. Two nights means two different setlists. Pre-show food all around Leidseplein.

See & do museums + canals — book ahead
Rijksmuseum
The national museum — Rembrandt's Night Watch, Vermeer, Dutch Golden Age. Allow 2–3 hrs; book a timed slot. On Museumplein (trams 2/12).
Van Gogh Museum
The largest Van Gogh collection in the world, next to the Rijks. Timed entry only — book online; it sells out same-day.
Anne Frank House
Powerful and small. Timed tickets release online and sell out weeks ahead — if you want it, book now. No walk-up line.
Canals & Jordaan
The 17th-c. canal ring is UNESCO-listed. Wander the Jordaan (galleries, brown cafés), or take a small canal boat. Vondelpark for a green break.
Eat & drink stroopwafels, rijsttafel
Stroopwafel
Fresh off the iron at a market stall — two thin waffles glued with warm caramel. Best warm; don't settle for packaged.
Rijsttafel
An Indonesian "rice table" — a spread of many small dishes. The classic Amsterdam feast; go with a group.
Bites & cafés
Bitterballen (crispy beef croquettes) with a beer; broodjes (sandwiches) for lunch; Dutch cheese; and cozy "brown cafés" for a drink.
Good to know
  • English is near-universal.
  • Euro. Bike lanes are for bikes — don't stand in them, don't walk in them.
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# Cologne (Köln) · May 29–31

A one-night show stop with a giant cathedral right outside the station, then on to Paris.

Getting in & around

Köln Hauptbahnhof sits right beside the Dom — you'll see it the second you step out. Center is walkable; KVB trams/U-Bahn (tap contactless) otherwise.

The show — Bürgerhaus Stollwerck May 30

Community arts venue in the Südstadt, on the site of the old Stollwerck chocolate factory — a real neighborhood room, not a corporate hall.

See & do cathedral, river, art
Kölner Dom
The twin-spired Gothic cathedral, ~600 years in the making, a UNESCO site. Nave is free to enter; the south tower is ~533 steps for a Rhine view. Right by the Hbf.
Altstadt & the Rhine
The old town's painted houses, riverside promenade, and the Hohenzollern Bridge draped in love-locks (walkable from the Dom).
Museum Ludwig
World-class modern art beside the Dom — Picasso, Pop Art, German Expressionism. Good rainy-afternoon move.
Eat & drink the Kölsch ritual
Kölsch
The local beer, served in small 0.2L glasses by blue-aproned Köbes. They keep swapping full for empty and marking your coaster — to stop, lay the coaster on top of your glass.
Brauhaus food
Try Halve Hahn (a rye roll with Gouda — not chicken, despite the name) and Himmel un Ääd ("heaven and earth": black pudding with apple & mashed potato). Brauhäuser: Früh, Päffgen.
Good to know
  • German; English fine in the center.
  • Euro. Most shops closed Sundays.
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# Paris · May 31–June 4

The finale: one show plus two open days, then the flight home. Plenty of time to do Paris properly.

Getting in & around métro, RER
From Paris Nord
The Eurostar arrives Gare du Nord, central. The Métro is fastest — tap contactless or buy a Navigo Easy/Liberté+.
To CDG on June 4
RER B runs to the airport (~35 min), or book a car. Allow extra time — CDG is big and security is slow on the US departures.
The show — Élysée-Montmartre June 1

A historic hall (since 1807) in the 18th, just below Montmartre near Pigalle (métro Anvers/Pigalle). Beautifully restored after a 2011 fire.

See & do 6 spots — closures matter
Closure days: Louvre closed Tuesdays, Musée d'Orsay closed Mondays, Versailles closed Mondays. Plan around them.
Montmartre & Sacré-Cœur
The white basilica crowns the hill right above your venue — do it on show day. Funicular saves the steps; Place du Tertre has the artists. Mornings beat the crowds.
The Louvre
Vast — pick a wing, don't try to "do it all." Book timed entry; the Mona Lisa room is a crush, so see it first or skip it. Closed Tuesdays.
Musée d'Orsay
The Impressionists (Monet, Van Gogh, Degas) in a former railway station — many people's favorite Paris museum. Closed Mondays.
Eiffel Tower / Trocadéro
The best view of the tower is from the Trocadéro across the river — go at dusk for the hourly sparkle on the hour after dark.
Marais & Latin Quarter
The Marais (3rd/4th) for old streets, falafel on Rue des Rosiers, and small museums; the Latin Quarter (5th) for Notre-Dame views, Shakespeare & Co., and the Panthéon.
Versailles (day trip)
RER C to Versailles, ~45 min. Book palace tickets ahead; the gardens are the highlight in spring. Closed Mondays.
Eat & drink boulangerie to bistro
Boulangerie mornings
Croissant + café for breakfast; grab a baguette sandwich (jambon-beurre) for a cheap, perfect lunch.
The long bistro dinner
Steak-frites, duck confit, escargot if you're game; wine by the carafe. Don't rush — the table is yours for the night.
Café culture
Sitting at a café watching the street is the activity. Coffee standing at the bar is cheaper than seated.
Good to know
  • Open with "Bonjour" before any request — it changes the whole interaction.
  • Euro. Check museum closure days before you go.
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# The shows & venues

Goose typically plays two sets with a setbreak — a long, jam-forward night. Get there at doors for a spot; bring earplugs.

Your 5 shows tap each
Mon 5/25 — La Madeleine, Brussels
Central downtown hall near Bruxelles-Central. Standing room; arrive at doors.
Wed 5/27 + Thu 5/28 — Melkweg, Amsterdam
Leidseplein; the two-night stand, so setlists won't repeat. Multi-room venue — check which room your show's in.
Sat 5/30 — Bürgerhaus Stollwerck, Cologne
Südstadt neighborhood room, former chocolate factory. Smaller, intimate.
Mon 6/1 — Élysée-Montmartre, Paris
Historic 1807 hall below Montmartre. The trip's last show.
After your return: Goose also plays Berlin (June 3) and Aarhus/Northside (June 5) — both after your June 4 flight, so they're not on the plan.
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# Money & practical

The essentials money, power, data, safety
Currency & cards
Euro (€) in all four countries. Contactless works nearly everywhere; carry a little cash for friteries, markets, and coat checks.
Tipping
Service is included by law. Round up or leave ~5–10% for good table service — not US-style 20%.
Power & plugs
Type C/E/F plugs, 230V. Bring one Europe adapter; your US phone/laptop chargers handle the voltage.
Phone & data
An eSIM (Airalo, Holafly) or your carrier's international day-pass. One EU eSIM covers all four countries.
Safety
Very safe overall; the real risk is pickpockets on crowded transit and tourist squares. Front pockets, zipped bags, phone away in crowds.
Documents
Passport valid 6+ months; photo a copy to your phone and leave one at home. No visa for a short US-passport trip (Schengen).
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# Packing

What to bring May/June, four cities by train

Late May/early June is mild but changeable — highs ~62–70°F (17–21°C), cooler nights, rain likely somewhere on the run.

Clothing
Layers + a packable rain shell; a light sweater for cool nights and trains. Shoes you can stand in for a 3-hr show and walk all day.
For the shows
Good reusable earplugs, a slim wallet, and a zip pocket — venues are crowded.
Tech
Portable charger, EU adapter, charging cables, headphones for the trains.
Pack light
Four cities by train = one carry-on + a day bag makes every hop and station easy. You can do laundry on a longer stop.
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# Quick phrases

French Brussels + Paris
  • Hello — Bonjour · Please — S'il vous plaît · Thank you — Merci · Cheers — Santé · Two beers — Deux bières · Excuse me — Pardon
Dutch Amsterdam
  • Hello — Hallo · Please — Alstublieft · Thank you — Dank je · Cheers — Proost · Sorry — Sorry (yes, really)
German Cologne
  • Hello — Hallo / Guten Tag · Please — Bitte · Thank you — Danke · Cheers — Prost · A Kölsch, please — Ein Kölsch, bitte
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