PhillyFan

We did the Bruges to Paris train on a Sunday night. We thought it was a nice ride. The train was nicer than the regular trains we took from the Hague to Ghent, which looked a little worn down and did not have Wi-Fi. Thayls did, and so did our train from Amsterdam to The Hague.

We stayed in the 6th arr. at the best Western Trianon Rive Gauche. It was really convenient to a lot of different things. Paris is very walkable, but the sites can be exhausting. (The Louvre is huge!)

MyriamC

I love the 7th in Paris. It's not overly touristy with many Parisians actually living there. Hotel Muguet is my favourite in Paris.

StCirq

I would choose Antwerp over Bruges any day. Bruges is fine, but it's Tourist Central these days. And I would definitely visit Brussels, which has the best food in all of Europe, IMO. I'd add a day onto Paris for sure. And I wouldn't stay right near the Gare du Nord - it's not unsafe, but it's sure not pretty. A short cab or métro ride will get you to any number of more attractive places.

PhillyFan

We were just in brugge, on a weekend, and while there were tourists there, it wasn't so packed you couldn't move. No lines for the museums or waits to eat lunch.

Paris is even more tourist central, but I wouldn't recommend Antwerp over Paris, either.

olgap

Thanks everyone! We're going to be traveling in November so I'm not too worried about it being overrun with tourists. Will take not staying near Gare du Nord under advice. Right now, it looks like we'll have 3 full days in Paris and maybe a half day on day of departure. Hope that's enough!

PalenQ

The any Belgain Stations fare talked about above I guess is not free but you pay 5 euros or so - anyway much much cheaper than buying a regular ticket say Antwerp to Bruges.

PalenQ

And the time period in which you have to take your ABS fare train is I guess 48 hours, not 24 as I said. So in theory one could stay in Antwerp two days and then use the ABS fare to go onto any other Belgian station within 48 hours of their Thalys arrival time.

olgap

Thanks PalenQ!

PalenQ

https://www.thalys.com/be/en/offers-...elgian-station

all the dope on ABS fares!

PalenQ

Just spend some time playing around on www.thaly.com for fares both in ner future and about two months out - and yes savings are immense if you can lock yourself in stone that far out.

Ten days out from today there were some 78 euro fares but most trains were more - up to 168 on some - two months out there were lots of 50 euro ticket and even 79 euros in 1st class

(This was for Amsterdam to Paris) - so by booking way ahead you can get a first-class ticket cheaper than if you don't book that far ahead - and first-class besides having larger seats also gives I believe a full meal with lots of wine, etc at your seat.)

So be flexible on the times you want to travel - by going a few hours later than you'd like you may find a lot lower fares - be flexible and search thoroughly - maybe even put the cart in front of the horse and see which days you can get the cheapest tickets and then plan your itinerary around that!

debragartin

We just returned from Europe a month ago. We have a friend that we stayed with in Place Flagy right outside of Brussels. Of course having a native to take you around is always wonderful. We enjoyed it. We also took the bus to Paris for half the cost of the train. 3 hours trip and views of more of the countryside than on the train. Very easy, comfortable trip. The bus station connects with the Metro, Paris has the best Metro system. I would also recommend the Hop on Hop off tours bus to get an overview of all of Paris. The cost is 32 euros per person for a 2 day pass. It will take you to most of the favorite sites. And a history lesson of the city. We enjoyed it very much.

olgap

Thanks PalenQ, definitely will do.

Debragartin, do you remember what the bus is called from Brussels to Paris? I remember looking up buses between Belgium and Paris but the travel time was somewhere between 5 and 6 hours and the cost was only about 4 euros less than Thalys.

spaarne

<i> 12 days The Hague, Amsterdam, Belgium, Paris Itinerary Advice
Posted by: olgap on Jul 9, 14 at 2:12pm</i>

I've been to all those places but it's difficult to give itinerary advice. My favorites are Paris (where I lived for a while) and Amsterdam (I lived in Haarlem).

Yup, the weather can be raw in November. It will probably be in the 40s and 50s with a constant drizzle and a now and then hard blow. You can deal with it. Dress in layers with a good waterproof shell and some wool under it. When you get a chill stop in any of the cozy cafes for a beverage. You'll probably have new friends in minutes. Cafes are ubiquitous in Holland.

While your husband is struggling to comprehend the Dutch way of doing business, you can have a great time riding a bicycle around town. The Hague is much more bicycle friendly than Amsterdam, where I wouldn't consider pedaling. Also, make sure you see Madurodam.

Brussels is a turn off, except for the food. It is home to the European Commission and snoots. Antwerp mussels are also excellent, and it is a more interesting and friendlier city. The tourist season should be over in Brugge, unless you happen to hit a weekend with a holiday in any adjoining country. Otherwise be ready to stand in line.

Pickpockets are everywhere in Europe, especially where travelers pass. Keep your passport, money, and credit cards on your person in an inner pocket. Only put stuff in your purse or luggage that you want to have stolen. Amsterdam is one of the worse cities in northern Europe for pickpockets, luggage thieves, and panhandlers. Ignore anybody who approaches you for any reason in Paris, Amsterdam, etc. The Gare du Nord in Paris has a colony of gypsies outside. Centraal Station in Amsterdam is often patrolled by a platoon of uniformed police. If you lose something it is gone, period.

For an illustrated introduction to trains in Holland and Europe see http://tinyurl.com/eym5b. Unfortunately the NS Dutch Railways has changed their ticketing system. The new design appears to have been created by a xenophobic idiot. In other words, it ain't easy for foreigners, even Belgians. To get the official story on how to buy a train ticket see http://www.ns.nl/en/travellers/home. For an attempt at explaining it all see this blog, http://tinyurl.com/kf7sdxn, apparently written by a Romanian visitor.

It seems like you haven't tried the Fodor's search box above for a hotel in Paris. Just type in 'paris hotel' and you'll get hundreds of links to zillions of places to stay. As cautioned by others, the Gare du Nord area is not where you want to be. When your train arrives get on a Metro and get yourself over to the 5th or 6th. I really advise against lolling about in Antwerp until 19h00 to go to Paris. I suggest that you be in Paris and checked in by 18h00. Then go out for a great meal. Remember, this is Paris and you are going to spend some serious money. You might make another post here and ask for restaurant suggestions.

Have fun.

olgap

Thanks spaarne! Tat last website you linked to is great.

I agree that traveling earlier in the day is better than traveling later BUT am a little loathe to cut my time in Amsterdam or Belgium short. Figure if it gets dark around 16:00/16:30 in November, we can retrieve our bags from the hotel, be on a train by 17:00/17:30 (I booked hotels close to the central train stations in Amsterdam and Antwerp) and arrive in the new city around 18:30/19:00. Our hotel in Antwerp is literally two steps from the train, which gives us a little more flexibility in terms of arrival.

I definitely don't feel comfortable traveling at night in a city I've never been in before. Generally, I'll shoot to arrive by 19:00.

There were a lot of gypsies in Rome when I was there but they didn't give us any trouble. Our plan is to just b-line out of the station. All this talk about thieves and pick-pockets makes me a little nervous though. We plan to travel light but will have 1 small and 1 bigger suitcase with us. My main concern is getting from Gare du Norde to our hotel in Paris. It's in the 9th arr. about a 15 minute walk from the station but if we feel unsafe, maybe we will cab it?

PalenQ

there is no unusual security problems in the Gare du Nord area - I have walked around there many many times even at night - do not worry about that - broad well-lit streets.

olgap

Thanks, PalenQ! That is definitely good to hear.

PalenQ

there are pickpockets inside the station however I believe - so just be wary of anyone coming up to you - don't accept help trying to use automatic metro ticketing machines, etc or folks who ask you questions, often working in paris - these things are rare but can happen in crowded stations and metro stations, etc.

olgap

We'll keep an eye out. As long as no one tries to grab our suitcases out of our hands and run, I think we should be OK.

Tabernash2

I would add another day to Paris. Take a day or two from The Hague.

Two days in Amsterdam is barely enough, and I'd stay in town to explore it, rather than day-trip. We liked the Hotel Residence le Coin there.

In Paris, try the Hotel St Jacques, in the Latin Quarter. It's a young, lively, friendly part of Paris, and you can easily walk from there to many sites.

olgap

Unfortunately, my husband will be in The Hague on business so time there isn't negotiable. It looks like 3.5 days in Paris and 2 days in Amsterdam will have to do.