Brugge to Amiens then Bayeux....best way?
Jan 26th, 2012, 01:50 PM
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Brugge to Amiens then Bayeux....best way?
After visiting Belgium. Most likely Eurostar from London to Brussels, then on to Brugge.
We will then move on to Normandy but would like to stop in Amiens and tour the WW1 sites (probably by an organised tour).
Trying to decide which is the best way to do this. Do we catch a train to Amiens do a tour and hire a car to drive to Bayeux (thinking of using it as a base for maybe 5/6 days).
We plan to have a car in Normandy but if we hire a car in Belgium we will most likely have high fees dropping off in another country. Looking for suggestions for best options.
We will then move on to Normandy but would like to stop in Amiens and tour the WW1 sites (probably by an organised tour).
Trying to decide which is the best way to do this. Do we catch a train to Amiens do a tour and hire a car to drive to Bayeux (thinking of using it as a base for maybe 5/6 days).
We plan to have a car in Normandy but if we hire a car in Belgium we will most likely have high fees dropping off in another country. Looking for suggestions for best options.
Jan 26th, 2012, 06:02 PM
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Is there a reason why you're baulking at catching a train from Brugge to Amiens? I'm assuming you're spending at least the night in Amiens in order to do the tour, so it makes sense to train it to Amiens and then hire a car there. The train from Brugge will likely go through Lille, so you could also hire your car there and drive on to Amiens. The train journey all up will be around 3hrs Brugge-Amiens. If you hire a car in Lille, and are interested, you could also visit Vimy Ridge memorial (if it's not on the tour) and other parts of the Somme not in your tour.
By car, it should only be around 3ish hours Amiens-Bayeux anyway, so you could start your sightseeing before you reach Bayeux (eg Rouen, Dieppe,etc ) then base yourselves there for the rest of the time.
By car, it should only be around 3ish hours Amiens-Bayeux anyway, so you could start your sightseeing before you reach Bayeux (eg Rouen, Dieppe,etc ) then base yourselves there for the rest of the time.
Jan 27th, 2012, 02:17 AM
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Its not that I was baulking at catching a train to Amiens I was just trying to look at the best options knowing that we would be eventually hiring a car for the Normandy part. When looking at trains I noticed that the trains from Brussels goes via Paris. I am tossing up using Brugge as a base or Brussels. Any recommendations?
I thought doing a tour from Amiens would give us much more valuable insight than doing our own tour.
Yes Rouen does look like a worthwhile stop along the way to Bayeux.
I thought doing a tour from Amiens would give us much more valuable insight than doing our own tour.
Yes Rouen does look like a worthwhile stop along the way to Bayeux.
Jan 27th, 2012, 04:33 PM
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I looked at trains from Brugge to Amiens which all go via Lille, so no need to go via Paris if you don't want to.
As for a base in Belgium - totally depends on what else you want to see. I'm a fan of a day or two in Brussels, but you also need to get out to see other parts of the country, and Brugge is a good start, especially if you're looking to tour the WWI battlefields. Not sure how much time you have in Belgium, but look at a day trip to Ghent at some point too, pretty and compact and worth a visit.
No issue with a tour from Amiens, just thought you might like to consider a little more of the Somme on your way through (hence the suggestion of hiring the car in Lille). Check into what is covered by the Amiens-based tour and then you can fill in the blanks yourselves, or just do the tour, either way I'm sure you'll see what you want of the area.
As for a base in Belgium - totally depends on what else you want to see. I'm a fan of a day or two in Brussels, but you also need to get out to see other parts of the country, and Brugge is a good start, especially if you're looking to tour the WWI battlefields. Not sure how much time you have in Belgium, but look at a day trip to Ghent at some point too, pretty and compact and worth a visit.
No issue with a tour from Amiens, just thought you might like to consider a little more of the Somme on your way through (hence the suggestion of hiring the car in Lille). Check into what is covered by the Amiens-based tour and then you can fill in the blanks yourselves, or just do the tour, either way I'm sure you'll see what you want of the area.
Jan 27th, 2012, 05:16 PM
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If you are Australian WWI buffs you might consider Ieper / Ypres, which has the spectacular Menin Gate with all the names of the fallen Commonwealth soldiers. The last post at the Menin Gate is very moving. There is a Flanders Fields tour there which is supposed to be very good, although I've never done it, and also a good war museum (ditto). However, I have been to Passendale and the Tyne Cot cemetery, which are meaningful sites for Australians in Belgium. Tyne Cot has row after row of white graves - peaceful but so sad. It's not hard to do all of these yourself but a car would be necessary if you didn't do a tour. There is usually some sort of formal function around Anzac Day in Ieper which you might consider attending - ask the Australian Embassy in Brussels if you can't google some info on it.
Do try to squeeze in a short visit to Brussels if you can, the Grand' Place is really worthwhile, entirely up to you if you want to make it a base and slip in some more sightseeing. Train travel in Belgium is pretty awesome from most places so whether you choose Bruges or Brussels makes not a lot of difference.
Lavandula
Do try to squeeze in a short visit to Brussels if you can, the Grand' Place is really worthwhile, entirely up to you if you want to make it a base and slip in some more sightseeing. Train travel in Belgium is pretty awesome from most places so whether you choose Bruges or Brussels makes not a lot of difference.
Lavandula
Jan 27th, 2012, 05:34 PM
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Further on the Anzac Day ceremony at Zonnebeke and Ieper:
http://www.lastpost.be/en/x/1148
Lavandula
http://www.lastpost.be/en/x/1148
Lavandula
Jan 28th, 2012, 04:58 PM
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Thank you for your suggestions.
We will probably have 4/5 days in Belgium. Was not sure whether to split time in 2 paces e.g. 2 nights Brussels, 3 Brugge. We are big fans of using 1 base rather than packing up often and moving. I did note that train travel between Brussels and Brugge ia about an hour. So if we base 5 nights in say Brugge would we be missing out by only day tripping to Brussels.
Yes I had looked into doing a day trip to Ghent.
I have looked at visiting Leper/Ypres. But then it would complicate the car hire cross country rental. Yes car hire from Lille is another good option. Unfortunately our travel will not co-inside with Anzac Day. We will be in Belgium in September.
We will probably have 4/5 days in Belgium. Was not sure whether to split time in 2 paces e.g. 2 nights Brussels, 3 Brugge. We are big fans of using 1 base rather than packing up often and moving. I did note that train travel between Brussels and Brugge ia about an hour. So if we base 5 nights in say Brugge would we be missing out by only day tripping to Brussels.
Yes I had looked into doing a day trip to Ghent.
I have looked at visiting Leper/Ypres. But then it would complicate the car hire cross country rental. Yes car hire from Lille is another good option. Unfortunately our travel will not co-inside with Anzac Day. We will be in Belgium in September.
