12 Day Trip to Benelux/France
 

Hi everyone. I am currently planning a trip to Belgium, Amsterdam and France at the end of March/beginning of April. My wife will be in Antwerp umpiring a field hockey tournament and I plan to fly over at the end of the tournament so that we can spend twelve days traveling. I fly in to Antwerp and out of Paris.

My first stab at an itinerary looked like this: one night in Antwerp (since that's where I will meet up with my wife), rail to Amsterdam for three days/two nights, rail to Brussels for two days/two nights, and finally rail to Paris for the remainder. Neither of us have been to any of these cities before. I was also considering trying to spend one night in either Burgundy or the Rhone Valley after we arrive in Paris, hopefully at a hotel located at a vineyard, as I do love me some vino.

As I consider it further, it does seem like a fairly intense (and perhaps detrimental) itinerary. Does this seem doable if we travel between locations on the high speed rail network or should I maybe think about cutting out Brussels (which, of Amsterdam, Brussels and Paris, probably has the least appeal to me) and extend Amsterdam by a day and Paris by a couple? Does the idea of leaving Paris for just one night to head to either Burgundy or Rhone Valley make sense? I really would like to experience one of those wine regions, even if it is only for one day and night, and my view would be spending a night at a vineyard would make it worthwhile.

As far as what we like to do, as that may colour the responses, we do like museums, art galleries, etc., and my wife particularly will want to see the Louvre, etc. However, really we love to experience the culture when we travel, hang out in bistros, drink great wine and have great meals.

Any help would be very much appreciated.

Cheers
Greg

I think your plan is OK. I don't find Brussels all that appealing either, but you could go to Brugge instead if you want to have 3 destinations. Less is definitely more so don't add more cities or places than this. I think 3 cities in 12 days is fine, just like you described it - and Paris can easily occupy the entire time if you wanted to. (So I would not add Burgundy or whatever to this trip).

Sounds like a great plan to me. Enjoy the trip!

Thanks for the insight, JoeCal. We have now decided that we will spend the first 5 nights in Amsterdam and then head straight to Paris for the final six nights. Those are really the two cities we want to see on this trip, so we figured it was best to maximize the time there. In addition, as you have suggested, we decided against visiting wine country on this trip. I figure I can definitely get great wine sitting at a bistro in the Latin Quarter or on the Champs-Elysees.

You might want to consider spending one night in Brussels on the way from Amsterdam to Paris. You can see the highlights in 1-2 days, so you wouldn't need much time there. I'm not sure if you're planning to rent a car, but you can easily take the high-speed train from Amsterdam to Brussels (2 hours) and then on to Paris (1 1/2 hours). If you're into good food, Brussels is worth a stop (much better than Amsterday). There are a huge number of restaurants, and more affordable good cuisine than Paris. You can see here for some of my favorites - http://bestofbrusselsblog.com/category/food-drink/

I think a stop in Brussels is a good idea ... to see the Grand Place, have a few beers at the Delirium Cafe, awesome place with more than 2,00 beers in-house! Stroll thru the Galleries St Hubert, have another beer at Mort Subite and lets not forget the wonderful chocolate and waffles.
Lunch could be at the Spiderweb. And if you're into flea markets, the Jeu de Balle is every day and an easy walk from the city center.
May I also suggest when in Parisa dinner at Chartier... granted a bit touristy, but lots of history, some locals and good food for a reasonable cost.

Thanks everyone. Any thoughts on good beer establishments in Antwerp? I will be there for three nights at the beginning of the trip.

Cheers
Greg

I wouldn't miss Brussels - it has the best food in all of Europe, IMO. And is well worth a day or two.

I'd do some research on Chartier before I raced over there. It's not for everyone.