I want to go from Berlin to Amsterdam by road and/or train, and visit cities and towns along the way. What route should I take, going through Hamburg or through Hannover?

I would actually prefer the northern route, finding time, if possible, to stop in Luebeck, the home of Thomas Mann and a perfect northern European mid-sized city, and Buxtehude, famous, of course, as the setting for the Grimm fairy tale the Hare and the Hedgehog.  Bremen is a fantastic place to spend a night or two, with a meal in the Ratskeller one of the "requirements."

The first thing I would do is look up the UNESCO world heritage sites along the route. There are over a dozen such sites. Which will fancy your interests is a really personal choice. http://whc.unesco.org/en/interactive-map/ Luebeck is very interesting. So is Straslund and Lueneburg. Berlin and Amsterdam are both heavily frequented cities by tourists. They are "on the tourist circuit", i.e. cities that are usually on the "let's do Europe" list of places, meaning that it can be difficult to not be surrounded by tourists at all times, and you have to dig a bit. However Hamburg is actually one of the largest non-capital cities in Europe. I moved here 18 months ago and I find it an extremely fascinating place to live in. Like Berlin, I have found that it takes over a week to actually get into the rhythm of the place and to get into it. Its heart is its harbour, and its mindset is that of a Free City -- never a capital, never an imperial city -- and virtually everything about the city revolves around those two themes. It's a very liberating place to be living in, do whatever you want whenever you want however which way you want and nobody cares as long as you don't disturb anyone else. I suggest picking an itinerary and let your travels guide you along the way. Between Berlin and Amsterdam you can choose to: - go along the Baltic Sea and North Sea coast, visiting along the way the various Hanseatic cities, most of which are beautifully conserved. Straslund, Luebeck, Hamburg, Bremen, Sylt, etc. - take a more southerly route through some beautiful castles in Göttingen, Wolfsburg, Aachen, and Neanderthal (not a castle, just where the Neanderthal race of human was discovered) - depending on how much time you have, you could also choose to spend your entire time in Berlin and Amsterdam. Both take at least a week or two to really get to know. Berlin especially is huge, and like any proper major European capital there is much to see in and around Berlin.

Definitely take the train going through Hamburg. Berlin and Amsterdam are two big cities where you will have a lot to see . Make the most of your time there.