forams

Hello

I have visited Paris a couple of times and this time, I will be in Paris for a couple of days for work, then I have ten days off and want to hire a car and travel out of France and then back to Paris for my flight out. Can anyone please help me the destinations I have roughly thought of in my title? I have not been to any of those places, and on he map it looked like a triangle I could potentially complete. I'm not very sure of the travel time required and would appreciate tips on sightseeing as well

I definitely want to rent a car and travel, and will be doing so commencing the 20th of Sep for ten days. I was planning on coming back to Paris on the day before I fly out and just stay there that last night

Thanks, Foram

spaarne

For visiting major cities it is easier and cheaper to take the trains. Having a car in any city is a millstone around your neck.

ira

Hey for,

If you are visiting cities you should go by train.

By "Belgium" do you mean Bruges, Brussels...?

I'd return from Dusseldorf via Luxembourg City and Reims, Fr.

What is it that draws you to Antwerp and Dusseldorf?

You can plot your auto route on www.viamichelin.com or www.maps.google.com

nancicita

I would definitely go by train.

forams

Hello, thanks for your responses, I have a couple of people traveling with me and they want the car, so I don't have much choice in the matter there
Also, we have ten days and wanted to pick one route and thought going up to Antwerp and Amsterdam and come back via Dusseldorf will give us the chance to see some new places

Any thoughts on attractions, how long a stay is required in those places?

Thanks

ira

>thought going up to Antwerp and Amsterdam and come back via Dusseldorf will give us the chance to see some new places

Any thoughts on attractions, how long a stay is required in those places?<

Not visiting Bruges?

www.maps.google.com says total driving time is 13 hr. That's 2 days.

Allow 3 days for Amsterdam.

That leaves you with 5 days to visit Paris.

mamcalice

I have read this post and the other current post by the OP entitled "Extended Stay in Paris". I'm not sure how to respond as the posts have major inconsistencies. Are you spending 2 days in Paris for work and then setting out on a road trip or planning an extended stay in Paris and looking for work as an au pair?

StCirq

Your posts are so contradictory no one has any idea of your actual plans. In any case, there are countless websites that will tell you what the driving times are between the places you've listed, including the Michelin site and mappy.com.

forams

Hello all

Thanks for your responses and apologies for sounding confused about my plans
I didn't want to confuse the issue so made two separate posts, after my ten day trip I am planning to stay back for an extended period, but am unsure about that right now

I did want to visit Belgium and Bruges, and then move toward Antwerp and Amsterdam but am unsure if I will have time to visit Dusseldorf as well

Thanks, Foram

bardo1

I take a stab at this.

You have 10 days, starting and ending in Paris, will have already seen Paris. Correct so far?

OK. Don't get a car, you won't need it and it's a major hassle. Your city preferences are yours alone.

Take a train to Dusseldorf stay 2 nights.

Take a train to Amsterdam stay 4 nights - no day trips.

Take a train to Antwerp for 4 nights. From this major rail hub, you can very easily do day trips to Gent, Bruges, or Brussels if you choose.

Train back to Paris.

janisj

"<i>I have a couple of people traveling with me and they want the car, so I don't have much choice in the matter there</i>"

Do the other two have any ideas about driving/parking in those cities? It really doesn't matter if there is one of you, three of you, or a family of five, a car makes no sense in almost any of those places. Take trains.

PalenQ

Yes cars are useless in cities so you need to decide do you wish to visit mainly large cities or putz thru the countryside.

A nice drive would go south of Paris to Provence and thru Burgundy back to Paris for example - though I would take the TGV train south to say Avignon and pick up a car at the station and drive around Provence, head back north via Burgundy and drop the car off in Dijon and blast back into Paris by train.

There is a France Rail and Drive pass that gives you some days of car rental and some days of train travel - you take the train to a station, pick up the car, drive thru countryside and small villages, etc and go to another train station to return the car. And in France check out the Rail + Auto deals that give you train tickets to a station and have an AVIS car waiting for you - you can return it to any train station in France and blast back to Paris by train.

For lots of great dope on trains in those countries check out these fab IMO sites - www.seat61.com; www.budgeteuropetravel.com and www.ricksteves.com

Vliegendekok

I agree that going by car is not easy. Although you haver Park and Ride facilities in Amsterdam for only 8 Euro 24 hours. Check out http://www.iamsterdam.com/en/visitin.../park-and-ride. I guess P+R Zeeburg is most closest to Amsterdam citycentre, but this may not be the nearest depending on your accommoation.
Have a great stay!

PalenQ

Parking inside Amsterdam costs about 30 euros a day I believe. Those P&R lots are way way out so add some euros to get in from and back to the lots. I do enjoy taking the Ijs Tram howevver that goes to Zeeburg P&R I would think - nice views of harbor and new and old architecture en route.

PalenQ

"I have a couple of people traveling with me and they want the car, so I don't have much choice in the matter there"

Do the other two have any ideas about driving/parking in those cities? It really doesn't matter if there is one of you, three of you, or a family of five, a car makes no sense in almost any of those places. Take trains.>

janis as usual gives sage advice - Americans yes automatically want a car when traveling - its their mindset but this in the case of European cities is daft - if many American cities were off limits to cars and parking was hard to find and hotels did not routinely even offer parking, etc then Americans would gravitate like Europeans who travel between big cities to trains (or planes).

PalenQ

why Duesseldorf?

whilst not a bad town it is by far not the most romantic town in Germany since it was blitzed in WW2 and rebuilt in a largely modern fashion - but perhaps fashion is the reason you want to go there - Du'dorf being one of the world's fashion centers and the Ko (sp?) being one of Europe's most suave streets, being lined by swank fashion boutiques

but otherwise I can think of a zillion towns I would rather go than Duesseldorf, a town for business reasons I have spent many many days in!

PalenQ

If you do not want to go the Rhine or Mosel in Germany and only are stopping by Duesseldorf for a taste of Germany I'd say forget Germany at all - but the Mosel valley espcially is awesome and a good rail or road route to Luxembourg and Belgium, with stellar sights like Trier and Luxembourg City en route.

tom18

The poster left on 20 Sept.

PalenQ

Oh well maybe we will hear how they liked or did not like Dusseldorf!