Well you'll be in Prague the same time as my wife and me. We are arriving there on the 6th by bus from Nuremburg after spending a few days in Bamberg, Germany (my other home away from home in addition to Westport Co. Mayo). We're in Prague from the 6th to the 10th. I've really come to love Prague. Naturally I would since I'm such a beer lover and Prague has a legitimate claim to be one of the best beer cities in the world. I have also done that flight from Prague to Dublin on the way back home. I found it very convenient and Prague airport pretty easy to deal with.

Prague is not the easiest city to get to in Europe but well worth it. Even from Munich you cannot really get a good train connection to there. I've found the best way to get there (if you're not renting a car - and even if you are it's not the easiest city to drive into) is to fly directly in (as you are planning to do) or if you happen to be in southern Germany you can take a fairly long but direct bus ride (3 hours 45 minutes) from Nuremburg or Munich. But it always does require some planning.

I've never been to Auschwitz but would love to some day since WWII history is one of my other passions.

If the ladies do love a good beer they should be very happy with Prague. There are so many great places to choose from. The trouble is knowing what places are the real tourist traps with just average beer vs. the really good places. Here is a very good and accurate guide written by someone who is a friend of mine and really knows what he's talking about. He also has written a similar guide for Dublin btw. The thing I like about these guides are: he keeps them up to date, they're free, and they are nicely organized by neighborhood.

www.beerguideprg.com/browse.php

Illegal Beer Bar is a nice little place. Fairly new. I went there around the time it first opened up a couple of years ago. Definitely more of a small craft beer bar rather than a traditional Czech type place. So if anyone is hankering for an IPA it's a good stop although they will always have one traditional style Czech lager on tap too. But it's a nice place to stop for a beer away from the crowds. And yes there are a lot of other great places nearby. In fact you're in walking distance of my favorite neighborhood in Prague (Vinohrady) where there are a slew of nice parks and scenery, great pubs and restaurants including my favorite brewery (and good restaurant too) in the city called Vinohradsky Pivovar: www.vinohradskypivovar.cz/. Anyhow such a great city to explore.

In some ways I find the beer culture similar to Dublin in the sense that it amazing how well it blends the new age brewing with tradition. Just like in Dublin you've got your classic, old school pubs that serve the traditional beers (Pilsener Urguell, Budvar, etc.) such as U Fleku, U Zlateho Tygra, U Hrocha, U Rotundy, etc. but then there are a slew of modern craft breweries and bars that have popped up over the past 10 years and some of those new breweries are doing an amazing job of brewing traditional styles that tasted even better than what the older mainstays are producing. Vinhoradsky Pivovar is one example of this.

And I implore you to keep an eye out for beers from this brewery: www.unetickypivovar.cz/en/. The brewery is well outside the city but they are available on tap in many places including a restaurant in walking distance from you called Putica where they not only have it on tap but they are the only outlet in the city that I know of that has it served from the Tankova system. It's the finest lager I think I've ever had.

I can't really help with Brussels or Brugge. Haven't been there yet. But you could just go to the Rate Beer site to see what pubs it recommends. I've found that a decent place to start for info: www.ratebeer.com/places/city/brugge/0/23/

Sounds like a really nice trip you have planned. In Prague we're staying at a hotel in the Old Town square because last time we were there my wife spotted it and made me pinky swear we'd stay there the next time. Normally I'd stay a bit more outside the center like you are doing but I had a moment of weakness. But we'll be wandering around quite a bit. Definitely will head over to Vinohrady at some point and high on my list of priorities is to check out this new brewery in Karlin neighborhood: www.facebook.com/dva.kohouti/ and visit Bar Napalme since they are an outlet for the aformentioned Uneticky beers: www.facebook.com/barnapalme/

Are you looking for lodging info for Brugge? We were there post river cruise back in November.

We stayed at the Hotel The Peellaert for 3 nights, very nice, great breakfast and location in old town. There is a canal behind the building, beautiful for night time and early morning wandering before the tourists roll in.

The hot chocolate on a spoon is worth the Euro's. As is the canal boat ride.

Northern Ireland: Have you visited The Gobbins yet? I haven't, but definitely on my list.

Mussenden Temple is also very cool, hanging onto the cliffside as it does. We stopped here after visiting Giant's Causeway and Dunluce Castle. We parked by Castlerock Holiday Park, cutting through woods, not really sure what was here (I had focused on the first 2 stops, and kinda messed up finding this place, not much research, but it was one our map as a 'special attraction' so let's check it out...) To then see the Temple, with not much signage to say what it was, was quite a neat experience, as is the view to the beach below. Along with my 24 year old daughter falling off a log into the mud, with me having slime on my pants from a slip myself...a great day. All 3 convenient to visit from Derry, which I also enjoyed.

Have a great trip.

I've booked a Hyundai Tucson manual (or similar) from Europcar / Irish Car Rentals from 9 AM, 12 May until 9AM, 18 May at the Dublin Airport -- HOPEFULLY 'Waiving the insurances using my Chase Sapphire VISA card (see:  https://ireland.activeboard.com/t29313409/warning-car-rental-rip-offs-some-require-2000-15000-deposit-/   ).  

Price was 109.86 Euro with an initial deposit of 68.92 Euro and balance due of 45.94 Euro -- plus 5,000 Euro 'Hold' and Initial Fuel.  There is also a 30 Euro Fee for traveling in Northern Ireland, but we are re-thinking that portion of the trip and may not need that . . .