yentravel

Hello, I am going to Europe in September for 10 days 9/7-9/17. I will arrive in Paris on Thursday for 4 nights. I will head to Brussel and stay at Radisson bruseel midi across Brussel midi station. I already bought train tickets. I will arrive about 10:40. Thinking of spending a few hours at grand place then head to Brugges for 4 hours in the evening and get back to brussel at 9 pm? I that too short of time? In morning I want to go early to London and get there by 9 am? Spend day and heat back by 7 pm to brussel midi? I that feasible? Thanks

janisj

I can't look up the train times right now, but no your plans aren't really feasible.

And re London . . . There is a one hour time difference, so to be back in Brussels by 7 PM you would have leave wherever you are sightseeing by about 3M to get to st Pancras station 30+ minutes before the train departure. So you wouldn't have almost any free time IN London.

janisj

That's weird, my post did not 'top' the thread.

sofarsogood

Yes it's feasible

book ASAP http://www.eurostar.com/uk-en

you won't see everything but no one ever does.

sofarsogood

I read it to head back to St Pancras by 7pm for the last train

janisj

Well, if you meant to be on the Eurostar by 7:00 then you'd have to leave from wherever in London to get to St Pancras by 6PM or a little before.

Sort about the unintended emoticon in my first post . . . Should have said 3 PM

Whathello

Radissonhotel is ok as hotel but the location can't really be worse in Brussels. Better to stay say at Novotel de la tour noire close to grand place. Head there drop luggage and go straight to Brugge then visit la grand place on way back.
From Bruxelles midi to Bruxelles central count 5 min of train and about 10 min waiting time.

Kathie

Sounds awful to me. You'll spend a lot of time on trains, not so much time being the the places you have chosen. You are spending no time in Brussels and almost no time in Bruges, and you'll have so little time in London, I don't think it is worth what you will pay for the train. Choose the places you want o see, then spend some time in each place. Four nights in Paris - which gives you thee full days - is enough to give you a taste of Paris. Give yourself enough time to get a taste of the other places as well.

mjs

I agree with Kathie. We have done short stops in the past and our experience is that no one remembers much about them in a few years. If I read your time table correctly you leave home on the 7th and return home on the 17th? If so that does not give you 10 full days in Europe, it gives you 8. Four nights in Paris is barely enough time to just get a taste of Paris and I would add another night if you wanted to see Versailles. Adding London would be reasonable if you were open jawing it and were only doing those two cities but not in addition to Belgium. London is a huge city with a lot of things to experience and I would leave it for another trip when you had adequate time. You could consider Amsterdam instead of Bruges. Are you flying home from Paris or Brussels?

yentravel

So seems like London is not feasible. Maybe I could head to Brussel. Check in hotel go to Grand palace for a few hours. Then head to Bruges and spend a night. In morning spent time there then head to Ghent and get back to hotel later in the evening. Or I could spent evening in Bruges and head back at 10 pm and get to midi station by 11 pm. I'm just worrie about safety at that hour around that time at midi station. My hotel Parkinn midi is across street. THen next mornin head to ghent for the day. Or first day spend time at grand place and head to ghent and back to hotel in evening. Next day go to bruges and get back at night. Which should I do . I'm so overwhelm THanks for all the reply.

Whathello

So you want to stay there. Ok.
Safety - as physical integrity- is not really an issue at Gare du midi.
Just avoid 'help' (I was told the old trick of the at tyre - and oh sir we will help you) and don't display a fat wallet.
The area is ugly but I feel quite safe. I am there every week. Usually around 8 or 9 pm inc winter time.
If you are a young lady you'll attract attention but it will also stop there.

Tulips

You can go to London by Eurostar in the morning, back in the evening. I've done it a few times, it's not a problem. It's a long day, but perfectly feasible. First train gets to london by 9 am, last train back at 7.30 pm, for 89 euros if you book well in advance.

But there's plenty to see and do in Belgium too, which will require less time on a train, and will be cheaper.

RM67

If it were me I would do Bruges, Paris and London. 4 days each in the two larger cities and 2 in Bruges (though admittedly that will all have to include travel time). They are so close together it will not even take half a day to transit which is a slight positive.

One thing though - and it doesn't just apply to the OP - it's so important to think about your route when hopping from place to place over a relatively short period. You should always try to fly open jaw to avoid backtracking, and arrange your destinations as far as possible in a line going from one to another and not returning to anywhere.

I would do this as Paris - Bruges - London. Or the reverse. Not as day trips from a central base. Day trips from a central base work better when all the destinations are in one country. Nb London will work as a day trip from Paris and vice versa, but I'd not want to stick Belgium in there as well if I were doing that already. I'm willing to bet you've got return flights booked into and out of Paris though, which will eat into your time and make the prospect of multi-city more difficult. So in short it can work, but depending very much on how you configure it.

yentravel

SO I guess I would skip London for another trip. I will be in Belgium for 2 days. So was thinking of arriving at 10:40 am in Brussel and check in hotel across from Midi station. Then take train to Antwerp then head back to brussel around 7pm. Next day get up early and head to Bruges head to ghent at 1:30 and then back to brussel at 8:30? Is this feasible? I really want to see all these cities. Otherwise, I have to take one out. Any suggestion. Thanks