Jill

We are trying to figure out if it would be wiser to take the train than rent
cars in each country? We are always trying to avoid the drop off charges.
How's the weather late April early May also?
Thanks for your help.

PalenQ

I doubt there may be a drop-off charge for those within Benelux? Seems in many ways Belgium, Netherlands and Luxembourg cooperate in many areas?

But if going to cities then cars are a hassle - Amsterdam very hard to drive in - cars given the boot many places and parking costs over $30/day last time I was there.

Trains are fantastic - two an hour or more everywhere.

If training a lot investigate the Benelux Railpass.

Sites with loads of great info on Benelux trains IMO - http://www.budgeteuropetravel.com/ - www.seat61.com and www.ricksteves.com. Check www.bahn.de - the German Railways online English schedule page for schedules of all trains in Europe - easiest for me to use anyway. Or for Holland www.ns.nl or Belgium I believe www.b-tourrail.com.

basingstoke2

I would use a car in Luxembourg where its beauty is in the countryside and can best be seen that way. Belgium I would tend towards a train, and use a train in the Netherlands.

Rastaguytoday

Due to some extended business in the Netherlands, I spent about 8 weeks, 2-3 weeks at a time, a few years ago.

I had a great time driving to all the small towns on the weekend, and just loved it.

Don't forget that the Keukenhof is this year until May.
http://www.keukenhof.nl/

To get there, I took the back roads in NL, up to N206 and then drove South. I was pretty much alone, with hundreds of tulip fields in bloom on both sides of the road. Easy parking at the Keukenhof, and the the main road back to Amsterdam. Main road was a 3 mile long traffic jam, with bus after bus after bus of, seemingly, German Tourist buses, all heading to the Keukenhof.

Take the back way, a wonderful way to spend a half day.

hetismij2

Pal: Of course there are likely to be drop off fees within Benelux. They are three different countries, with three very different vehicle registration and taxation systems. You might as well say there are no drop off fees within the whole EU.

A lot depends on what you want to see in each country, and how long you have. If you only want only cities and major towns then train is the logical way to go.
If you want to explore the countryside, villages etc then cars are better.
Plenty of tulip fields away from the crowds around Lisse too, up near Alkmaar and over in the Noordoostpolder for example - in fact there are more tulips grown there than in the traditional bulb growing area - but a car is essential for those.

Can't predict the weather I'm afraid. It could be really warm and lovely or it could equally be wet, cold and or just plain miserable. Not North Pole (or even Northern US cold) but could definitely be on the cool side. Pack layers, and a waterproof.

Yostwl

We used a rental car. We wanted to go to a lot of smaller places and would have lost too much vacation time using train and bus transport. For a variety of reasons, we did a circle route from/to Amsterdam. Our last stop was Amsterdam and we dropped the car there when we arrived as it would not have been practical (or even useful at all) to keep it in the city.

I did give some Japanese tourists in a canal tour boat a thrill as I see-sawed to parallel-park our car in a tight space along the canal on a fairly narrow street. There wasn't any guard rail between the edge of the parking spot and the canal. But they were denied the excitement of seeing me and the car getting wet--one of my finer European driving moments.

Jill

Thanks for all your help. I think using the train (s) and renting a car would work out well for my cousin and me. We generally wing the trip. We have the first nights booked and the last night book. We have somewhat of a plan that allows us to change pending on what we encounter.
Have a great week, thanks again.
Jill

PalenQ

Pal: Of course there are likely to be drop off fees within Benelux. They are three different countries, with three very different vehicle registration and taxation systems.>

Yeh it were stoooopid of me to think there may not be in such small - such tiny countries but European Unity has a long long way to go - heck Belgians cannot even soon buy cannabis legally in Dutch coffeeshops as foreigners can do right now!

I hear Belgium is going to ban Dutch residents from their Patats Frites stands!

Vttraveler

Last fall my husband and I spent 11 days in Brussels taking mostly day trips by train and a few day trips with our friends by car. As others have noted, public transportation is really easy between the cities but if you want to be out in the country, a car gives much more flexibility.

PalenQ

I would use a car in Luxembourg where its beauty is in the countryside>

Yes indeedy - the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg has bucolic countryside hotted with castles - I have biked extensively around it - neat back roads - picture postcard villages - but if you do not have a car there is a surprisingly dense bus and train system taking you all around.

nytraveler

We took a trip involving eastern Belgium, Luxembourg and then on ito Germany - by car.

there are a ton of small towns, castles in the countryside and random museum in the oddest places - and I think upi really need a car to see most of this. Going by train youwouldn;t even know much of it existed.

We picked up in Brussels and dropped off n Frankfurt with no drop of charge. But you would have to check details with your rental agency.