mark

My wife and I are travelling to Belgium( brussels) on March 9th and we are trying to decide where to go. We would like to see Amsterdam, Brugge, Maastricht and Ardennes and maybe France. Are we trying to see to much? And what other cities to you suggest.<BR>We will be using trains.<BR>Thanks for your help and Happy New Year!

bru

It is probably a bit much. It is easy enough to get to Brugge, Maastricht and Amsterdam by train from Brussels, but the Ardennes is a bit harder. You can take trains to some of the towns in the Ardennes, but to explore and see the countryside really requires a car. In any case, the weather in March is likely not to be very nice.<BR><BR>As for the others, Brugge and Maastricht can be done in a day, but you will probably need a bit more time for Amsterdam which is also a longer trip from Brussels (2:40 hours or 2:20 on the Thalys). If you want to spend a couple of days seeing Brussels then this is a lot already. If you have already spent time in Brussels or don't want to, then you might also consider Ghent or Antwerp both of which are short trips from Brussels and well-worth visiting.<BR><BR>If you want to go to France, Lille is the best bet. It is a very quick train trip from Brussels and quite a nice city with an excellent museum. Other parts of France (like Champagne) are further away from Brussels and harder to get to by train.

Robdaddy

Don't overlook Luxembourg. Lux. City is an easy one or one and a half hour train ride from Brussels, and the old town is great fun. (The ducal palace, nice cathedral, a pretty good art museum, and a tour of the casemates with those dramatic views across the gorge...) Plus, you can take a pleasant half hour train ride from Lux City to Vianden (a small village with one of the loveliest castles in Europe, IMO.)<BR><BR>And if you have the time, stay in Lux overnight then train to Trier, Germany. right on the Lux/Ger border. It's less than an hour away and. well worth a full days visit.<BR><BR>Have fun, let us know what you decide, and post a trip report when you return!

Joe

mark: There is always the temptation to cram as much as possible into a traveling vacation. Belgium is a beautiful Country and you could easily spend your six days there and see a good part of it. A day in each of Brussels, Brugge, Ghent and Antwerp and then two days in the Ardennes, e.g. As noted above, you would be better off doing the Ardennes by car. In the Ardennes, we liked Dinant, Namur, Durbuy and Bouillon the best. The Castles and citidals are phenominal. The countryside as you drive from village to village is spectacular. Go to a website entitled &quot;Jack's Inimitable Travel Guide&quot; at www.jack-travel.com. Jack is Belgian, writes with authority and good knowledge and has put up a free travel guide at the site. We wound up printing it off and using it for our trip. Not only good coverage of the country, but good recommendations for hotels and restaurants as well. Have a great trip.

Kevin Mathews

There is a high speed train from Brussels to Paris...90min each way.<BR><BR>If you know someone in Europe who can have the tickets mailed to them (and then forward them to you), you can get a &quot;mini-fare&quot;. This is a greatly discounted fare.<BR><BR>Also, I did a Belgium/Lux/Holland/Paris trip two years ago. Email me if you would like the trip report.<BR><BR>Kevin

Martine

I agree with Kevin. I am Belgian,live near Antwerp, and if I had the choise between a day in Holland or France,I would certainly choose France. You can take the Thalys in Brussels Midi to Paris and spend a whole day and evening there. <BR>

bru

Further to the post above, Lux City is not a one or one and a half hour trip by train from Brussels. It is 2:35 on the fastest possible train and most trains take almost 3 hours.

mark

Thanks for all the suggestions. We are not 100 % sold on going by trains and might instead rent a car. What are the roads like? Can we expect to see snow everywhere and with only six days, will using a car to be to slow.<BR>We do not plan on spending much time in Brussels.<BR>What are the WWII sites like are there nice places to stay and eat.<BR>Thanks again!!

Martine

Don't worry about snow. You won't see any. The weather is generally not so good in March (lots of rain or maybe not,sometimes below 10°C , sometimes warmer... very inpredictable)<BR>To rent a car is a very good idea, but the roads can be pretty crowded during the peak hours. Yet, I am convinced that traveling by train (except for the Thalys)is in general slower than by car.<BR>About the WWII sites in Belgium: the Bastogne historical center (Ardennes) is open every day in March.<BR>Another very interesting museum (the great war): In Flanders Fields in Ypres.<BR><BR>But, for the &quot;big stuff&quot;, you'll have to go to Normandy!<BR><BR>Have a nice trip!<BR>

Joyce

We took a 6-day trip to Belgium/France about 5 years ago, flew into Brussels, saw the Grande Place and surrounding area, took a day trip to Brugge, then took the Thalys to Paris for 3 days. It was a full trip, but we were able to see most of what we had planned and had a terrific time!

garybear

I was recently in Belgium as well as Maastricht on business trip. Maastricht is a nice city but I think there are more interesting places to see closer to Brussels. (already mentioned here)<BR><BR>The motorways in Belgium are very good, the regular roads are congested and be aware that at unmarked intersections, the person on the right has the right of way, even if it is a country lane and you are on a primary road.

Flying Dutchman

Mark - I would spend only a day in Brussels - If you must - but I think Brugge would be a more ideal place. <BR><BR>Maastricht was one of my favorite Netherlands cities - and worth a visit. I would wait to travel to France when you have more time and it's better weather. The low countries can be bone chilling in early March. Delft is a good place to visit in March because it's virtually empty of the swarming crowds you'll see in summer.<BR><BR>Happy trails.

bettyturner

Question for Joe re Jacks Travel Guide.<BR>Part of the info says it was last updated 2001; have you used it recently and are the restaurant suggestions still current in your opinion. I was disappointed that the information is 2 yrs old. Leaving 27 March.<BR>Thanks