We want to depart from London and visit Bruges, Luxembourg and Paris, with a side trip to Strasbourg. I think I've read enough to discover that visiting Strasbourg is better this way. Actually, my head is in a spin in respect to all the different rail systems - the system in Australia is very simple 
We enjoy walking and river tours - suggestions for the amount of days at each place would be appreciated. We have visited Paris previously so I think 4 days will be sufficient to do what was missed before and include the day trip to Strasbourg (if this is preferable).
Would a Eurorail ticket be cost effective? Can you purchase a Eurostar ticket that would take us from London/Paris/Bruges?
Is a further place in France, suggestions pls, a good idea - even a break en route. We have two weeks.
All advice greatly appreciated.
Rail itinerary help, pls
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From which city will you be flying home?
You could also do Strasboorg between Luxembourg and Paris. Leave in the morning from Luxembourg, store your luggage at the Strasbourg station, spend the day in Strasbourg, and aarive at night in Paris.
I think for Luxembourg, one of two days would be enough. Maybe one day more if you also want to visit the countryside (Vianden castle, for example).
You can buy eurostar tickets from London to Bruges via Brussels (you need to transfer here to a Belgian local train but the price is included in the price of the eurostar). I think it took us just over 3 hours travel time.
You can also buy eurostar tickets London to Paris. But not London to Bruges to Paris. From Bruges to Paris I believe you would need to get back to Brussels and then take the Thalys train to Paris. www.thalys.com
Hope this helps!
One possible itinerary Is Belgium - Luxembourg - Strasbourg - Paris.
Here is a link to various schedules to and from Luxembourg. The Eurostar connections are on page 10 and the schedules to/from Bruges about page 6: http://www.cfl.lu/NR/rdonlyres/632A4935-582A-4E93-A1AC-9C8D11133E3C/0/intl_be.pdf
You can take the train between Luxembourg and Strasbourg without going back to Paris; there are several direct trains that take about 2 hours, or you could make a connections in Nancy, Metz, etc.
I like sbb.ch or bahn.de for figuring out train trips between European countries. Then I go to the website of the operator (Thalys, SNCF, etc.) for fares.
Here's the link to the schedules from Luxembourg to Strasbourg (page 3):
http://www.cfl.lu/NR/rdonlyres/E92396A2-C8A7-444E-AF2D-0C2DE1FA1E72/0/intl_fr.pdf
If you search for the Eurostar site from Australia chances are you'll get the page where you'll have to nominate a place of residence - and 'Australia' isn't an option. Presumably a ploy to have you go to the Rail Europe Australia site which is now pushing Eurostar bookings and where London/Brussels fares are about the same as the Eurostar site on a couple of dates I have just checked for March, but which doesn't give the option of checking 'Any Belgian Station' which will give you the Brussels/Brugge leg in the same ticket. Would assume you could always nominate 'UK' on the Eurostar site, but to save any potential complications would be inclined to go to the connection provided here -
http://www.seat61.com/Belgium.htm
and take in all the good advice besides.
[Last year I travelled London/Brussels which I'd booked on the Rail Europe Australia site at a competitive rate with Eurostar and then bought a Brussels/Brugge ticket (€13.10). FWIW I was very pleased with my Brugge hotel, the Loreto, conveniently located between the station and the Markt.]