sedaa91

Is it possible to see Paris-Brussels-Amsterdam in 7 days? We can eliminate Brussels because we would rather spend more time in Paris and Amsterdam if needed. We are 3 adults in our 20s.

FrenchMystiqueTours

If you drop Brussels you are still trying to squeeze Paris and Amsterdam together. If the 7 days includes your arrival and departure days then even Paris and Amsterdam is too much and I would just do Paris.

robertcoon

We went to Paris a few years ago - actually starting in Brussels. We spent about a day and a half in Brussels and felt it sufficient. obviously you could stay longer and theres more to do, but you can get the highlights in that much time. Paris requires longer - i'd say minimum 3-4 days. Haven't been to Amsterdam in a long while, but it probably needs 3 days too. Id go Amsterdam and Paris, and skip Brussels if it were me.

PalenQ

Take the train Paris to Brussels put bags in station locker go see the little peeing boy statue *Mannequin Pis) and the Grand' Place - one of the grandest town squares in Europe - then a few hours later go back and take the train to Amsterdam - 2 hours is about what the average traveler needs in Brussels (not that Brussels can't be a fascinating place to spend days but beauty wise it is the pits overall - spend three full days in Paris and 3 in Amsterdam and one going between them.

www.thalys.com for Paris to Brussels tickets and Brussels to Amsterdam - need two separate tickets unless taking direct Paris to Amsterdam trains (3.5 hours all told) - for lots of great info on European trains I always spotlight these IMO superb sites - www.seat61.com; www.budgeteuropetravel.com and www.ricksteves.com.

early birds get the proverbial worm on Thalys trains - deep discounts available if you book months in advance - just show up and pay full fare could mean more than $100 more each than the cheapest discounted tickets.

Again I was being a bit facetious about Brussels but a quick look is possible but I would not take a day away from either Paris or Amsterdam for a day there as your time is limited.

janisj

Do you have 7 days 'on the ground' (meaning 9 or 10 days in all), or 7 days total?
If 7 days total you really only have about 4.5 days free time, so one city or one city plus one day/night in another.

Can you 'see' all three in 7 days - yes. Will you see much in any of them - nope.

sedaa91

We will have 7 days on ground as we are traveling there from a nearby country and it's only about a 4 hour flight.

janisj

Even w/ a 4 hour flight, your arrival day is more than half gone before you get to the hotel.

spaarne

Ditto PalenQ's remarks on Brussels. For your time frame it could be a pit stop just to satisfy your curiosity. You'll have much more to do night and day in Paris and Amsterdam. For more info on trains have a look at http://tinyurl.com/eym5b. Note that the Thalys train stops only at station Midi/Zuid in Brussels. You'll want to hop another train for the two minute ride to Centraal/Centrale. The neighborhood around Midi/Zuid is not what you went to Bruxelles/Brussel to see. Brussels is officially bi-lingual but it seems that the language choice of most of the locals is French over Dutch. For a Belgian city my preference is Antwerp over Brussels. The train station there is a masterwork. I'm not sure if the Thalys stops there or not.

PalenQ

The train station there is a masterwork. I'm not sure if the Thalys stops there or not>

Yup i t does at Antwerp Centraal - yes an Art Nouveau masterpiece redolent of Grand Central Station in NYC to me - a new tunnel takes Thalys trains under Antwerp, stopping in the central station before beelining for Holland - formerly Thalys trains only stopped at Antwerp Berchem station and not Central Station.

sedaa91

@Janisj our flight gets in at 12:30 in the afternoon on the 5th and leaves at 23:00 the following Saturday.

PalenQ

As much as I love Amsterdam I guess I would give a day more to Paris perhaps than Amsterdam given your limited time - the essence of Amsterdam can be seen in a few days - to me the real lure of that place is how uniquely beautiful it is with the canals, etc - some world-famous art museums that can take a day and the Anne Frank House but otherwise Paris has a lot lot more of varied interest for the first-time tourist.

Since you are leaving 11 pm you can sleep in Amsterdam 2 nights and still have three days there.

IMDonehere

yes an Art Nouveau masterpiece redolent of Grand Central Station in NYC to me
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And they have tried to clean up the smells at Grand Central.
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The ceiling in the Great Hall at Grand Central is a testimony to the romance of Belle Epoque. The constellations are not only during the day but they are backwards. This is often attributed to the fact that the artist wanted to them be seen from god's perspective.

kja

It can be done; whether it would be worth doing depends on your interests and your preferred travel pace. A reasonable first visit to Paris can easily be 5 to 8 days, and IMO, Amsterdam easily merits 3 to 4 days.

PalenQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-XZ8FAy2E3E

catch the grandeur of Gent Central Station in this now famous YouTube Flash Mob recording of the most famous song from the Sound of Music - doe, a deer, a female deer...

PalenQ

I'm sorry that train station is Antwerpen Centraal - had a brain fart when I wrote Gent Central. Anstwerp's train station is a marvel no to be missed.

jjude

Ha! Loved the flash mob scene!

justineparis

I would skip Brussels.. I wasted two days there in my twenties that I will never get back and I still resent it.. lol.. boring . ( sorry, it just was a bore as*sing place to me then.. perhaps in my middle age I would appreciate it now much more.. but with only 7 days and in your age group.. drop it like a hot potato!lol

Depending on your interests I would do 3 days Amsterdam and 4 in Paris,, but I admit to a bias.. I much prefer Paris.. but then I don't know if you want to enjoy the coffee house scene in Amsterdam or not.

StCirq

But Brussels has some of the best food on the planet. I can put up with the rest of it for a meal or two.

PalenQ

do they serve Brussels Sprouts in Brussels? except for a possible meal of a lifetime most folks will find Brussels like justinparis did - boring after seeing the Little Boy Peeing and the Grand' Place - there is a lot of interesting stuff to ferret out in Brussels but you must do just that - the city's glory is not apparent at first glance.

spaarne

<i>PalenQ on Dec 29, 13 at 8:38am
do they serve Brussels Sprouts in Brussels?</i>

Only if they would serve French fries in France. In NL spruitjes is the Dutch word for Brussels sprouts. They are a very popular vegetable.