Soumil

I am planning a trip to Netherlands, Belgium, and France. I am aiming for around 3 weeks but am not sure how to divide the time up.

Here is my itinerary:
1) Amsterdam, Netherlands
2) Lisse, Netherlands (To see the tulips)
3) The Hague, Netherlands
4) Rotterdam/Kinderdijk, Netherlands
5) Brussels, Belgium(Take a day tour to Ghent and Bruges, a Day Flanders/Ypres tour and, a Day Bastogne and Luxembourg tour *All tours end up back in Brussels)
6) Paris, France
7) Chenonceaux, France
8) Lyon, France
9) Les Baux-de-Provence, France
10) Marseille, France
11) Cassis, France
12) Nice, France

Could you suggest some ideas on how to divy up the nights and also tell me if I am missing some important destinations?

pariswat

3 weeks means 21 days.
Less travel and jet lag recovery
then count usually half a day to move from one place to the next.
Check out, going to airport/station
Waiting for train/airport
going from airport/station to hotel
Check in

You have 12 destination = 6 days of travel.

21 - 2 - 6 = 13 days 'on the ground'.

You nention Bxl :
one day to Brugge
one day to Bastogne
one day to Gent
one day to Flanders
You may want one day for Bruxelles itself
Total : 5 days

Paris : 5 days
Amsterdam : 3 days
Lyon : 3 days
Marseille : 2 days
Nice : 2days
Cassis , Baux, Lisse, Den Haag, Rotterdam : one day each.

Your project is about 25 days on the gournd + 2 fays jet lag/travel and 6 days internal travel = 33 days

You need 33 days, you have 21 days.
Cherchez l'erreur.

nytraveler

Not sure if you will be traveling by car or train - but either way you have way too many places for the time that you actually have on the ground. And you have so many day trips listed that you have next to no time in any of the cities with major sights.

You need to lay this out day by day, starting with the half day you have when you arrive (but jet-lagged) and the day before you fly home (won;t have time to do anything but pack and get to the airport 3 hours before your flight).

When laying this our list for each day where you will wake up, any travel or tour that you do that day and where you will sleep. And remember that it will take 1/2 on average to get from one hotel to the next, and that 2 nights in a city gives you one full day of sightseeing.

Once you have done this I think you will have an idea of how much you can actually cover. Which specific places will be most important for you will depend on your interests. (For me I would need 4 nights in Amsterdam - no day trips - and 5 nights in Paris - no day trips.)

As for time of year, since you mention looking at tulips I assume you will be starting the trip in April but you need to confirm that.

Soumil

the Ghent and Bruges day trip is combined into one. So is the Bastogne and Luxembourg trip.

janisj

How many days is the total trip? Do you mean 3 weeks exactly (like 21 days home to home) or is that a 'squishy' 3 weeks?

>>the Ghent and Bruges day trip is combined into one. So is the Bastogne and Luxembourg trip.>tell me if I am missing some important destinations?>Could you suggest some ideas on how to divy up the nights

Soumil

>>As for time of year, since you mention looking at tulips I assume you will be starting the trip in April but you need to confirm that.

Soumil

I don't have to stay the night at all 12 of the places. I was hoping to see the attractions there and then to drive to another city where I would stay the night.

Soumil

The 3 weeks is flexible. It can go anywhere from 3-4 weeks

Soumil

Ok I have changed a bunch of stuff in France and eliminated The Hague. I am also considering removing rotterdam/kinderdijk. What do you guys think?

1) Amsterdam, Netherlands
2) Lisse, Netherlands (To see the tulips)(Don't stay the night)
3) Rotterdam/Kinderdijk, Netherlands
4) Brussels, Belgium(Take a day tour to Ghent and Bruges, a Day Flanders/Ypres tour and, a Day Bastogne and Luxembourg tour *All Tours end up back in Brussels)
5) Paris, France
6) Lyon, France
7) Annecy, France (I don't stay the night)
8) Chamonix, France
9) Avignon, France
10) Marseille, France
11) Nice, France

janisj

>>As for time of year, since you mention looking at tulips I assume you will be starting the trip in April but you need to confirm that.>Actually I am starting the trip around the end of May.

Soumil

Sorry for constantly changing my mind. I am considering re adding the Hague and removing Rotterdam/Kinderdijk.

Soumil

Since You guys are saying late may is too late for tulips I guess I will eliminiate Lisse which will also save some time. Here is my new itinerary:

1) Amsterdam, Netherlands
2) The Hague, Netherlands
3) Brussels, Belgium(Take a day tour to Ghent and Bruges, a Day Flanders/Ypres tour and, a Day Bastogne and Luxembourg tour *All Tours end up back in Brussels)
4) Paris, France
5) Lyon, France
6) Annecy, France (I don't stay the night)
7) Chamonix, France
8) Avignon, France
9) Marseille, France
10) Nice, France

Has anyone been to Annecy? Is it worth a day stop?

pariswat

Annecy is very beautiful.

janisj

>>3) Brussels, Belgium(Take a day tour to Ghent and Bruges, a Day Flanders/Ypres tour and, a Day Bastogne and Luxembourg tour *All Tours end up back in Brussels)

Soumil

>>3) Brussels, Belgium(Take a day tour to Ghent and Bruges, a Day Flanders/Ypres tour and, a Day Bastogne and Luxembourg tour *All Tours end up back in Brussels)>IMO this is close to insanity. On consecutive days you will be on a coach 10 hours, 13 hours, and 12 hours respectively (and each could take longer).

Soumil

This looks like my final itinerary but please tell me if it needs any changes:

1) Amsterdam, Netherlands : 4 nights
2) The Hague, Netherlands: 1 Night
3) Flanders/Antwerp/Ypres, Belgium: 2 Nights
4) Brussels, Belgium(Take a day tour to Ghent/Bruges, a Day Bastogne/Luxembourg tour *All Tours end up back in Brussels): 4 Nights
5) Paris, France: 4 Nights
6) Lyon, France: 2 Nights
7) Annecy, France (I don't stay the night)
8) Chamonix, France: 2 Nights
9) Marseille, France: 2 Nights
10) Nice, France: 3 Nights

Total 24 nights + The Flight in

pariswat

I would do Gent OR Brugge
Bastogne OR Luxembourg (which imho is not really appealing).
Hence my previous post about A day for each destination.

Gent + Brugge means you see hardly nothing of both.

KMacK_ca

I agree with all of the comments regarding Ghent/Bruges and Bastogne/Luxembourg. These all merit a day on their own respectively except would take a pass on Luxembourg as there is not all that much to see.

Antwerp and Ypres are lovely. Flanders is a province so if you want to 'see it' you will need either a car or a tour.

I LOVE Ghent and it is only an hour or so from downtown Brussels. I find Bruges way too touristy and crammed with people. I also love Bastogne and the entire Ardennes region. And Brussels is a great quirky city that deserves some time. (I am an expat living in Brussels).

Just my .02. I hope you have a great trip. You have picked a great time of year

dwdvagamundo

Your initial itinerary looked fine to me until France. You are still trying to see too much of France in too short a time.

I'd omit Nice and Marseilles if it were my trip, and substitute Burgundy. That would make a more compact trip and eliminate some of the rushing around.

Annecy is beautiful and well worth a look.

Von Voyage!

Aramis

>>>>IMO this is close to insanity.

A very thoughtful criticism

>>>>On consecutive days you will be on a coach 10 >>>>hours, 13 hours, and 12 >>>>hours respectively (and each could take longer).

Some interesting math;

Driving times;
Brussels to Ghent 1:00
Ghent to Brugge 0:50
Brugge to Brussels 1:50
______________________
Total 3:40

Can you walk us through the calculations used to come up whichever of the 10, 13, or 12 hour ( or longer!) days spent "on a coach" you matched up for this day-trip? Surely you didn't mean to suggest that that tour operator would not permit guests to leave the coach in Ghent or Brugge?

I could total up the other two trips actual time in the bus on the road, but what is the point.

I think I spent more than 10 hours on my feet, most days, on my last trip. I will have to stop wasting my time like that.