I snagged a couple of business class mileage award tickets to Paris in February. They sure make it harder than it used to be but that's another topic. We have been to Paris twice and love it but are considering visiting other places as well. I was thinking Brussels (new to us) and/or London (was there in 2000). Too ambitious? There are a few itineraries we are considering and would love to get your feedback.
1. Arrive CDG early morning. Connect to a TGV to Brussels for 2 nights, then to London for 4 or 5 nights and then back to Paris for the remainder of the time.
2. Stay in Paris for a few days on each end of the above journey.
3. Skip Brussels altogether but do London.
4. Skip London altogether but do Brussels.
5. Stay in Paris the entire time but do day trips to outlying areas (we've been to Versailles so wouldn't repeat that but haven't been to Chartres or Giverny for instance).

Too many choices! Please keep in mind that this is in February. All feedback is most welcome, as well as alternatives that we haven't considered. The only constraint is flying into CDG on Feb. 5 and leaving on Feb. 19. Thank you!

Giverny is great - but perhaps not in February. (I saw it in May, probably the ideal time.)

Brussels is a pleasant city but I wouldn't exactly call it "charming." The Grand Place is really nice especially when all lit up at night. Otherwise - what would you want to see there? Any museums that grab you? I'd much prefer Bruges but I don't know what that's like in February, either - perhaps chilly but probably nicer than Brussels and maybe not as mobbed with tourists as usual!

There's always Amsterdam, too.

Budget airlines like easyJet make it so you needn't be limited to just easy train connections. I think they service a number of other European cities from Paris (probably from Orly airport). If you've been to Paris before (and also to London), two weeks is plenty of time to branch and see other places.

What about a couple of days in Prague? I see easyJet flies (certain days) between CDG and Prague. If you've never been, that's probably one I'd put on my list before Brussels. You could fly to Prague, train to Budapest (stop in Viena?), fly back direct to Paris, and use the remaining time in Paris. There are lots of possibilities.

Thanks for the quick replies. We are visiting Amsterdam this fall and have been to Prague. We were just interested in visiting a new city/country. I'll check out Bruges.

We had two weeks in Paris, and spent a week doing a loop north to Normandy and Britanny visiting Rouen, Caen, the D-Day Beaches, Mt. St. Michel, etc.

I would not focus on the countryside in Feb - it;s likely to be brown and crunchy.

You could do a couple of cities from Paris - Strasbourg, Dijon, Bruges etc - for 2 or 4 days each. Easy by train - and more reliable in potentially bad winter weather.

I would visit some of the areas close to Paris. Don't think Giverny is open in Feb but Reims, Chartres and others would be worth while. Maybe Strasbourg?

Your plan sounds ok, even two weeks of city strolling through the frozen capitals would be too much for me. That said, I would consider visiting some ski resort in the French Alps for couple of days. You can borrow everything on the spot and February would be perfect for it (even if you've never skied before - there is always time to try new things )