lyb

I'm planning my next trip to Europe in late May of next year, and would like input from people who know the distances between the cities. I've already been looking at maps and guide books and I think I'm on the right track, but would like input from people who may have already traveled between and in the following cities. Here goes:

Saturday - Fly into Amsterdam, arriving Sunday morning

Sunday, Monday, Tuesday - Amsterdam
Wednesday morning - Amsterdam to Brussels by train
Wednesday & Thursday - Brussels
Friday Morning - Brussels to Bruges by train
Friday & Saturday - Bruges
Saturday Morning - leaving Bruges by rental going to Normandy
Saturday, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday & maybe Wednesday - driving through Normandy, doing the beaches, visiting Rouen, Caen and I would like to go to St Michel.
Wednesday late morning/Thursday late morning - train to Paris (Normandy city is in question, what might be the best city/town to drive to from St Michel to take the train from to Paris, Alencon? LeMans, Chartres?)
Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday - Paris
Monday - Fly back home.

My other question as you might have guessed by the "Saturday, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday & maybe Wednesday - driving through Normandy" Do you think I should allow myself Saturday through Wednesday or Thursday to drive through Normandy? I don't want to rush but I also want as many days as possible in Paris.

I know that given only 4 days in Paris, I won't probably get to see everything I would like to see, but I've got just so much vacation time. :'(

I'm at the beginning of the planning stages, so any and all input is welcomed!

Thanks in advance.

ira

Hi Lyb,

You can getting driving directions, maps, times and distances at www.viamichelin.com or www.mappy.com.

Are you sure you want to pick up a car in Belgium and drop it off in France?

lyb

Ira,

I was only thinking of renting in Bruges and dropping it off in somewhere in France because of the driving across Normandy. Do you think that it would be better if I took a train into the nearest city in France that I could pick up a car? I've never rented a car in Europe, does dropping off the car in a different country get more complicated and/or more expensive?

ira

Hi lyb,

There is usually a hefty drop-off charge for changing countries.

I think that Lille-Flandres is the closest French town to Bruges by train.

It's a pretty quick trip from Bruge to Paris by train. You can go through Lille-Flandres so that you don't have to go back ti Belgium, if you wish.

Why not get the car in Paris and go to Normandy from there?

wren

Hi Ira, trying to pass the hurricane time on Fodor's before we lose power!!! We too are planning a trip which begins in Ams., then to Bruges. We were planning on taking a train to Rouen and pick up a car there. Is Lille a better pick up place? Is it a nice drive to Normandy from Lille, or would it be better to stick with Rouen?

lyb

Wren,
That was my original plan to take a train to Rouen, but from the train schedules that I've checkend on the internet, there's no direct trains from Bruges to Rouen, you have to go to Paris to connect. Because of that connection, I changed my plans because it didn't make sense to me since I'll be going back to Paris to fly back home. From what I've been checking on the internet today, Lille seems to be the most logical and nearest location to pick up a car.

Ira,

I did think of starting in Paris and that's still an option. The main reason why I was thinking of driving the Normandy coast from the North/East down the coast is that whenever I drive on a coast, I prefer to be to drive on the ocean side because I think you get a better view. For example, if you're familiar with Hwy 1 in California, I think it's somewhat nicer to drive down Hwy 1 going South than it is going North. That's just a little quirk of mine.

wren

Good to know that, lyb. I will keep that in mind when reserving a car, and checking in to the train.
We are looking at 3 days in AMS, 2 in Bruges, 4 in Normandy, perhaps 2 in Brittany, then on to visit friends in the Pays de Loire, then to Versailles before coming home. At least that is the first rendition of our trip 2005. I will be curious to follow your plans to see what you end up doing!

shellio

In 2001 we rented a car to drive from Bruges to Normandy. I wouldn't do it again. It's quite a long drive along the coast and we thought not particularly interesting until we reached Etretat.

Next time I'd take the train through Paris to Rouen and rent a car there. Takes less time and you're not so tired on arrival.

shellio

Forgot to say that rather than spending three days in Brussels, I'd suggest you fit in a day for Antwerp, which turned out, to our surprise, to be one of our favorite cities.

wren

OK, now I am confused. To take a train from Bruges to Rouen, or to Lille and pick up a car. That is the question. What makes the most sense? Timewise and Scenery-wise.

lyb

I second Wren's question...wondering minds want to know?

lyb

Ira,

Thank you for the link to Michelin.com I've been playing with it today for directions. It's great since it gives you times and so much more info! Thank you very much!

cmeyer54

extremely quick hint - call the 800 number for raileurope about train schedules, etc. I've found that the website doesn't list all options whether for time, routing, departures, etc.

lyb

Any ideas on how much time I should allow for Normandy? Mainly the coast, Caen,Mont St-Michel...and of course, you may all know of areas that I should see that I don't know about yet. Are my oroginal 4 days enough/too much?

cmeyer54

Four days should be adequate. You can spend most of one day at the peace museum in Caen; 1-2 days in the D-Day beaches, cemeteries, museums, etc (do use a guide if possible) and 1 day driving to and from the Mont. Even at that, you'll miss the Bayeux tapestry and cathedral.

lyb

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