My boyfriend and I are preparing for a whirlwind of a trip this month. We'll be travelling for his work, putting us in London from Oct. 29-31, and then in Brussels for a Nov. 3 event (6 PM) and Amsterdam for Nov. 4.

The question is... Where to go on our "time off" Nov. 1 (morning) to Nov. 3 (afternoon). We have spent over a month in London before, so we do not care to stay there. We went to Paris for only 2 days a few years ago. We didn't care for it, but part of that was the weather and the time constraints... But also just didn't fall in love with the city like we expected we would. So, some other options I have thought about...

Lille (convenient by train)
Brussels (just get there early and have 3 days instead of 1)
Venice (fly there... neither of us have been to Italy)
Paris (by train, give it another shot)
Luxembourg (by train)

We'd rather travel by train, and yes we are prepared for a fast paced adventure. I have been reading these forums for a while now and I know that most people insist that you must spend more than 2-3 days in a city to see it all and generally - I agree. But we don't have time for that on this trip. Not to mention, we are pretty fast travelers. We like to do the main sights, take some pretty photos, buy some souvenirs and get another stamp on the passport.

So please - advice - where should we go for the two extra days? My favorite things to do in a city... Photography & shopping. So it should be picturesque and friendly, preferably.

Thanks in advance!

I would say to try Paris again. Keep in mind though that 1 November is a national holiday and it is rainy.

Although I grumble about Paris it is because I live here, my visitors always love it. What was the trouble before?

Consider Brugge. Will you be traveling on the morning of Nov 1? If so, you'll probably arrive in Brussels in the afternoon, and you could take a train to Brugge, spending the nights of Nov 1 and 2 there, a perfect spot to enjoy a couple of days, IMO. Save Venice for another trip when you can savor Italy. Brussels doesn't warrant three days.

Hi M,

> We went to Paris for only 2 days a few years ago. ....just didn't fall in love with the city like we expected we would. <


Did you fall in love with BF in 2 days?

Brugges without question.

If both of you went to Paris for that same time before and didn't care for it, I wouldn't risk spending more time in a place you don't care for, although it's certainly a possibility. Given your logistics, I'd pick Bruges. Some other folks don't like Brussels, but I did and would think you could enjoy more time in Brussels than just the meeting -- You could do Bruges for 2 days, and then Brussels for most of the 3rd.

For photography, Brugge or Venice. Different temperaments; you choose. J.

Usually I jump at any excuse to get to Venice. But it seems like it would take an awful lot of time and expense for such a short stay. I'd pick something closer to your other locations. And if you didn't like Paris before, I don't think such a whirl-wind stay would make a better impression this time. I'd save both (Venice and Paris) for when you have more time to do them justice.

Thanks for the advice. Brugges sounds like it might be our best bet. Now some transport suggestions...

Best way to get to Brugges from London.
Best way to get to Haarlem from Brussels.

Best way = quickest. We are on a tight schedule.

So no one recommends Luxembourg or Lille? I know virtually nothing about Luxembourg other than a few paragraphs I've read in travel guides... Just seems like a neat place. And Lille I know is convenient by train.

Thanks again.

..London to brussels by plane- train to Brugges (just over an hr)..train back to brussells for your meeting then to Amsterdam- again I think train...One way cheap flights are available from Easy Jet and Ryan air but if you are on business perhaps cost is not an issue.

If you are in central London, then take the Eurostar to Brussels and connect to a train to Brugge. You won't have to deal with the hassles of getting to the airport and checking in; your Eurostar train ticket will get you a free ride to Brugge; you depart from the same Brussels train station the Eurostar arrives in; the trip to Brugge from Brussels Gare du Midi is only 50 minutes and there are at least 2 trains per hour from early in the morning until late at night.

Brugge is sometimes clogged with day trippers, but after sunset, when most have left, it's simply gorgeous.
I am a fan of Brussels (we still live there part time and I will be there for a good chunk of October) but I think two days in Brugge would be the best break.
Lots of hotels in Brugge to pick from. If you need someplace where you can do some work online, the Sofitel is nice. Otherwise, consider the Number 11 B & B
www.number11.be

I think you should give Paris another try, but not when you are so rushed.

travelbunny & btilke... Thanks so much for the helpful replies!!!

Love the look of the B&B, and plan on booking it.

I have been looking over the Eurostar trains to Brussels, and will probably take the 8 or 10 AM train to Brussels. I'm wondering if it connects through Lille, and if so, could we take about 3-4 hours and walk around in Lille before making our way to Brugge? Is that possible? If it's convenient, we'd like to do that, but if not... We'll live. We pack light, and we could put our bags in a locker in the Lille station, if there is one. That is, if the train event connects through Lille, but I imagine it does.

So, I think we have our answer - definitely Brugge. Just working through the logistics of transport now.

We will have to figure out the best way to get to Amsterdam (Haarlem actually) by 4-ish on Friday (Nov. 4) afternoon.

You shouldn't have any problems going to Lille but remember, you will then have to pay for your ticket to Brugge (you'd have to go to Brussels to get the free ride to any Belgian station) and there are far fewer direct trains to Brugge from Lille...you are likely to have to change trains at least once, possibly twice. You can't take the Eurostar from Lille to Brussels, in case you were thinking of that option.
On Nov. 1, you'd have the option of the 7:09 train, arriving Lille 9:56 or the 8:39 arriving 11:26.
Check whether a round trip ticket might be cheaper for you than one way (it usually is)...you can throw away the return.

Right, nobody recommends Lille or Luxemburg - for very good reasosn. It is either Paris or Brugges or Antwerp.

Misty - we loved Brugge this summer. Very photogenic!I would recommend Hotel Prinsenhof if you are still shopping. Lovely folks & great location. Betsy

Not to slam Lille, but dare I say that if Paris didn't capture you, you'll be downright morose in Lille. I'd say Brugge. Venice is magical, but a long way to go for two days, even if you fly.

Hi, I would definately go to Venice. It is one of the most amazing unique cities i have been to. It is also a great time of year to go. You will miss the crowds and it is usually really sunny although cold. Great for photography and shopping and eating! Ryanair.com has great deals on flights to venice treviso now - free and only pay the tax. They are budget but ok. Easy to get to the centre from the airport too. I will try to remember the name of the hotel we stayed in as it was a bargain - lovely and great location right of the main piazza.

I agree that Belgium fits best between your other plans. But I disagree with other posters re Brussels v. Brugge. To me Brussels has a lot more going for it and deserves at least 3 days, whereas Brugge is a very small sleepy place which can be seen in a couple of hours (& is mainly popular with OAPs).

The OP is already in Brussels for the meeting.

For shopping Brussels does have its share, not much else I can say good about it, although the dining can also be quite good. Brugges is the answer merely because of its close proximity + it is a good destination for a short stay. I like Luxembourg myself as it is interesting, but certainly not worth the time to get there w/the short amount of time you have available. I also like Oostende when the weather is a bit warmer, but would happily go there just to have a bucket of mussels & a plate of frites.