judy

I've just been invited to go with a friend to visit her daughter in Maastricht for 12 days at the end of March. We know we'll be in Amsterdam and Bruges a couple of days, but is it easily doable to go to either London or Paris for a couple of nights? I've been to both, but they haven't and would like to briefly experience them (and we realize this is all too brief)! I've looked in the forum archives, etc., and have gotten some suggestions on other places of fun and interest in Benelux, but I welcome more. We would be riding the train, not renting a car. <BR>Thanks for your help. I'm sure I'll be asking more questions.

MHS

Just looked this up for someone else! The high speed train from Amsterdam to Paris takes about 1.5 hours and costs (2nd class which is fine) @$75 but there are lots of discounts available (senior citizen/2 traveling together, etc.) check out website raileurope.

Meg

We will be in Amsterdam in a few weeks and are taking the train to Paris for two nights. I think the train ride is closer to 5 hours - unless those high speed trains are now even faster.

s.fowler

The research I did for our March trip shows the Thalys train [that runs Paris/Amsterdam] to take 4 hours.

s.fowler

Okay if you are in Amsterdam you can stake the Thalys to Brussels I gues, then the Eurostar to London. The Amsterdam/Brussels should be considerably shorter than 4 hrs -- looks like about 2 andf a quarter hours.

Ben Haines

Fodors <BR> <BR>For an overnight trip you need to go further. Suitable destinations are Copenhagen, Berlin, Prague, Vienna, Munich, Zurich, and Interlaken. You'd book couchettes or sleepers from Cologne or Namur. <BR> <BR>Local trips depend on taste. I like Haarlem, Leyden, Gent, Cologne, and both banks of the Rhine from just south of Koblenz to Mainz. You can find detail if you use http://www.yahoo.co.uk, and enter "Leyden travel", "Mainz travel", and so on. <BR> <BR>Please write if I can help further. <BR> <BR>Ben Haines, London <BR>[email protected] <BR> <BR>

judy

Thanks for your responses. I've never "discovered" The Netherlands until researching this week for this trip, and I'm excited about it. I received some great help from this forum a couple of years ago on my travels, and I knew you'd come through again. I'd love to hear about any special times and places you've experienced in this area, including reasonably priced hotels or guesthouses. Thanks again... <BR>