ravella00

My family and I are going on a trip to Europe at the end of September. My mom (72) , 2 young daughters (8 &11) and I are going to spend 2 nights in London, 1 night in Amsterdam and 3 nights in Paris. We need to be very close to a train station as all of our departures from each city are around 6:00 a.m. I also would like to easily walk to a restaurant/fast food place from the hotel. What areas would be the best place to get a hotel in London, Amsterdam and Paris? Thanks.

MmePerdu

Which train stations?

fuzzbucket

I agree - it depends on which train stations you will be departing from.
And a budget would be helpful, too. You might need two rooms.

janisj

Absolutely which stations in London and Paris? Also your Budget?

Also -- is this the full extent of your trip? (2 nights/1 night/3 nights)? If so, why bother w/ Amsterdam? With one night after traveling from London and a 0600 departure the next morning you will have less than half a day free in the city.

MmePerdu

Yes, if it becomes just Paris & London, we know the stations already.

Where do you fly in & out? In London, for instance, and out Paris? Or in & out of London, returning from Paris? That can make a difference, too.

ravella00

I'm from the Atlanta, Georgia (US), so because I'm with my family and I'm not sure when we would be traveling again to Europe any time soon, I would like for us to see as much as possible. My plan is to do a hop-on-hop off bus in each location so that we can see the main sights. My goal is to arrive at each city early (around 9:00 a.m.) enough to see the main sights. Instead of making the cities day trips and having to endure a train ride back at the end of the evening, I opted to just stay the night and head to a new city the following morning. We're flying in and out of London. As far as budget, I'm prepared to spend $200-300 per night. However, safety and mobility is my priority so I would be willing to spend more if I just absolutely had to.

We're flying into LONDON. (2 days stay) - accommodations NEEDED

From London Heathrow fly to BRUSSELS (1 day stay - accommodations secured)

From Brussels (Thalysis) train to AMSTERDAM (1 day): Amsterdam Cs train station - accommodations NEEDED

From Amsterdam (Thalysis) train to PARIS (3 days): Paris Nord train station - accommodations NEEDED

From Paris (Eurostar) train back to London: (1 day - accommodations secured)

PalenQ

Why fly London-Brussels? Eurostar 'Chunnel' trains take only 2 hours city center to city center and can be cheaper than air travel if you book far in advance. Don't pay full fare for trains or you'll pay literally hundreds more than by booking discounted tickets if done far enough in advance:

www.eurostar.com for Chunnel trains London-Brussels and Paris-London; www.thalys.com for others. For lots on trains check www.seat61.com -great advice on discounted tickets; www.budgeteuropetravel.com and www.ricksteves.com.

Amsterdam you can book the IBIS (like a Holiday Inn) that adjoins Amsterdam C.S. www.accorhotels.com

My plan is to do a hop-on-hop off bus in each location so that we can see the main sights.>

Not in Amsterdam I think but there is a hop on hop off boat tour.

hetismij2

It would have made more sense to fly to Amsterdam, then go to Brussels on your way to Paris.
Unless you are totally set on Amsterdam perhaps you can add a night to Brussels and visit Brugge instead.

Whathello

Paris.
Gate du Nord.
Hotel mercure. Smack accrois the street in front of the station. I had 2 friends robbed or attempted.
Hor on Lafayette. 2 min. Between 2 sex shops. A little noisy.
Mademoiselle rue des petits hôtels. My favorite in the area. 6 min walk.

Have fun.

MmePerdu

A nice small hotel, a real bargain in a good neighborhood on a quiet side street between Gare du Nord & Canal Saint-Martin, Hotel Soft. http://hotelsoftparis.com/ (I'm going to stop posting it or the rates will go up and it'll be full next time I want to stay!)

lavandula

For Amsterdam try Hotel Victoria, right at Amsterdam Centraal Station and the Damrak.

https://www.parkplaza.com/amsterdam-...1012lg/netamst

You can't get much closer, and this is a pretty nice hotel.

Lavandula

lavandula

Actually ... since you are travelling with children, I would also recommend to you a pancake restaurant. I think there is one not far from the area where the canal boats leave, diagonally opposite the hotel, but I can't remember the name of it (Pancakes Amsterdam????), so I will suggest The Pancake Bakery on Prinsengracht (a very nice area to explore). In the Netherlands pancakes are not just a sweet dish or a dessert, there are savoury varieties too. I am pretty sure your kids will find something to eat there.

Lavandula

PalenQ

Also -- is this the full extent of your trip? (2 nights/1 night/3 nights)? If so, why bother w/ Amsterdam? With one night after traveling from London and a 0600 departure the next morning you will have less than half a day free in the city.>

They just want time to do a Hop On Hop Off bus ride in each place and move on.

This will be a blurlwind tour of Europe- suggest dropping Brussels - by far least visually appealing of the three on a quick look and putting another day in Amsterdam. Visiting Brussels because it's the only city you've heard of in Belgium? Well take suggestion of nearby Bruges being one of Europe's most dreamy cities- suggest there instead of blah-looking Brussels.

Bruges: https://www.google.com/search?q=brug...w=1745&bih=864

Take one of their boat tours thru the ancient canals.

lavandula

I have to agree to an extent with Pal - drop a city (maybe Brussels) and do another night in Amsterdam. You won't have enough time to see anything, even if you are doing the HOHO bus or canal boat. Brussels is OK in my book - the Grand' Place is spectacular - but save it for another trip, and fly into Amsterdam instead. If you are committed to Brussels because of the air ticket, skip Amsterdam and add on Bruges. And watch the area around train stations in Brussels - Central is OK but Bruxelles Nord and Bruxelles Midi are a bit dodgy.

Lavandula

ravella00

Thanks for the input everyone. It is very helpful.

janisj

>>I would like for us to see as much as possible. My plan is to do a hop-on-hop off bus in each location so that we can see the main sights. <<

You have virtually guaranteed that you will see very VERY little. H-o-H-o buses (ESPECIALLY in London) are slow, expensive and often stuck in traffic. HUGE waste of time and money. And because you are flying you will (no exaggeration at all) spend more time traveling than being anywhere. All London airports (except for London City) are MILES out of the city, you will spend an hour or more traveling from your hotel to any of them, then you have to be at the airport 1.5 to 2 hours ahead of time (More if you are using discount airlines). Then the flight (losing an hour because of the time zones) then travel in to the next city.

Just bad planning all around

You can take a train from central London to the Continent much faster.

PalenQ

Most important thing if not booked scrub flying Heathrow to Brussels for reasons janis says above and take Eurostar ("Chunnel Trains" to many Americans but really called Eurostar trains) to Brussels in 2 hours - but if stuck with air ticket you will be wasting lots of precious time of which you have very little.

Whathello

Bruxelles is considered by some as a hellhole under shariah law.
Fir me the world's most beautiful grand place.
Plus sablon plus galeries royales plus Horta houses. Chocolate beer etc.

Tulips

I have to agree that this is far from a relaxing trip, but if you've booked the flights already probably not much you can do now.

Travel with handluggage only. This will help you enormously at the airports and especially the trains, and will save you time.

In London stay somewhere on the Piccadilly Line that goes straight to Heathrow (assuming you arrive at LHR too?) Though if your flight to Brussel leaves at 6 am better book a car service for that (try 'just airports'). Somewhere near Gloucester Road tube station or near South Kensington station. These areas have good transport, and plenty of restaurants. Try Bailey's or Millennium near Gloucester Rd. Don't know if they'll have a room that fits 4.

So you get to London early on day 1. Get to your hotel mid-morning. Jetlagged day of sightseeing. Spend one night in a hotel. Day 2 spend all day in London. Day 3 leave very early (if your flight is a 7 am that means leaving your hotel 4.30 am at the latest, if you have your boarding passes and handluggage only). You will still be jetlagged, so that will feel even worse. You will be dead tired when you get to Brussel.

Have you booked your flights and trains already? Otherwise fly to Amsterdam from London - skip Brussel and take the train directly from Amsterdam to Paris.

PalenQ

Brussel has yeh some neat places but overall is no London, Paris or Amsterdam where IMO OP (original poster) should spend that extra day and make this trip a bit less a mad dash - Amsterdam demands a full day even to experience city tours.