Paris, Belgium Itinerary - Last Minute Advice?
 

Hi everyone, I'll be in France & Belgium from Dec 26 and would really appreciate if you could take a look at my itinerary.

26: I arrive at 11:30 -- will meet my friend at airport and we'll take the metro in, get settled in apartment -- any tips on what we should do? We are staying near Rue Mouffetard. I'll be exhausted but my friend will feel rested since she arrived the night before.
27: Paris: Louvre, Eiffel Tower; going to try to see Swan Lake at night so will line up 30 minutes before the show to get last minute tickets
28: Paris
29: (my birthday!) Chartres for the day
30: something in Paris
31-1: Disneyland; will be in Brussels by 6 PM on Jan 1. I was thinking about finding a Le Pain Quotidien to eat at for dinner. We're staying near Grand Place.
2: Bruges
3: Sight-see in Brussels
4: Ghent
5: flight out at 8 AM

Does this look OK?

Also does anyone think going to see the Metz Christmas market (on Dec 27) is worth it, or should we stay in Paris?

Also does anyone have any advice on dealing with the snow & cold? I'm going to bring boots (with a small heel - but they're waterproof and comfortable) and a 3/4 length wool coat. any tips on sightseeing in the cold? is there anything we should skip because of the weather?

any restaurant recommendations are appreciated too :) Thanks!

Hi, just a couple of things. We used to regularly visit Le Pain when we lived in the UK and have been to a couple in Brussels. There is one about 5 mins walk from the Grand Place, you'd need to look up the website for the address and check where it is on a map but it's not far to go. Also, I don't know that they are open for dinner, I think only breakfast and lunch. There are quite a few nice restaurants near Place Sainte Catherine.

On your first day I would suggest having a decent walk, either round where you are staying or along the Seine or somewhere but nothing too strenuous. Also have a nice cafe lunch or early dinner and have a really early night. That way you should feel OK the next day.

When dressing for the cold, you definitely want a warm (wool) scarf wrapped around your neck - not so tight you are being strangled but snug enough that it doesn't let in any cold air. Also warm gloves and a few layers under your coat. Be wary of wearing thermals because if you go inside somewhere, it will be heated and you will cook. Better to have layers like a coat that you can easily take off.

Your last few days need to be swapped around, Ghent is between Brugge and Brussels, so no point in going to Brussels from Brugge, then back to Ghent.

Have a lovely trip.
Kay

Thanks for the tips! We'll go to Le Pain for breakfast then, very exciting actually !

Do you know if restaurants will be closed on New Year's Day in Brussels?

And actually we'll be staying at a hotel in Brussels the whole time -- so I was thinking it didn't matter which came first. Would it be reasonable to try to do both cities in 1 day?

I haven't been to Metz, but I would recommend staying in Paris, especially if you haven't been there before. There's plenty to see. Take your time.

Visiting Bruges and Ghent might be a bit too much for one day. I would advise you to take your time in both cities. It's easy to reach both cities by train from Brussels, although there might be some delays if the wheather is really bad. Your train will pass through Ghent when going to Bruges, but I wouldn't recommend seeing both cities in one day.

When in Ghent, don't miss the famous 'Lam Gods' painting (1434) in the St Baafs Cathedral. Even if you are not really into medieval art, it won't fail to fascinate you.

In Bruges, you could take a carriage tour. Awfully touristy, but fun and entertaining if you have a good guide.

Do try a couple of Belgian beers. Famous beer bars (with hundreds of beers on their menu): Brugs Beertje (Bruges), Bierhuis aan de waterkant (Ghent, close to the famous Gravensteen Castle), Delirium Cafe (Brussels, close to the not to be missed Grote Markt). Don't stick to the things you might know (Stella...) but ask the bar tender to serve you a beer from a small brewery.
If you like chocolate, try a little shop called The Chocolate Line in Bruges. It is owned by one of Belgium's best chocolatiers.

Don't worry about the wheather too much. You'll be fine with a good coat and good shoes (comfortable boots or walking shoes). In the cities, the snow (if there is any) will be cleared from the pavements.

I nearly forgot: another great place to have a drink in Brussels is 'A la mort subite' http://alamortsubite.com/. The place has a great interior and the atmosphere is very typical. Brussels at its best. If you're there (and if you are into tasting new things), order a beer style called Oude Geuze. It's a speciality of the region around Brussels (and sometimes called the mother of all beers). And yes... it is meant to be sour...

Brussels and Belgium as a whole has fantastic food , I'd certainly skip Le Pain. Is there a reason for going to Disney?

Le Pain Quotidien is great for breakfast or lunch. It's a Belgian chain. I've never thought of it for dinner, and don't know if they are open.
Don't do Gent and Brugge in one day, you will not do justice to either place.
It's very cold here in Belgium, more snow expected today. Beware that sidewalks may be icy; waterproof boots with a good grip would be best. Some towns have now run out of salt for the roads.
Gloves, scarves, warm waterproof coat (though at the moment it's more cold than wet).
Have a great time!

Le Pain is a chain in other places around the world too. The breakfast is OK - but not worth going around the world for. The definitely only do light meals - not dinner,

IMHO the food in Belgium is the best in europe - but do go to a real restaurants for dinner - so you get an idea of how good it is.

We have Le Pain Quotidien right here - ho, hum. I can't imagine being in Belgium and heading there, when it's got the best food in all of Europe. For breakfast, fine, but don't make it your go-to place for a good meal. Especially in Belgium!

Just returned from Brussels and Paris last month, and we had a fabulous time. I'd been to both before, but they never cease to amaze me. I agree about Le Pain Q...that would be like searching out a Starbucks IMO. The places that Oudegeus brings up are great; I've been to all of them.

Some restaurant and other bar recs include:

Den Dyver (restaurant)- Bruges
Bierbrasserie Cambrinus (bar)- Bruges
Tollhouse Bar (bar)- Ghent
L'Imaige de Nostre Dame (bar)- Brussels
A La Becasse (bar)- Brussels
Switch (restaurant)- Brussels
Bonsoir Clara (restaurant)- Brussels
Fish La Boissonerie(restaurant)- Paris

Agree with StCirq regarding Belgium having the best food in Europe. It won't disappoint.

If you're staying near Rue Mouffetard, you're likely close to the Jardins du Luxembourg...wonderful place for a stroll on your first day to beat back jetlag.

thank you everyone, I will make a note of all of this!

Avalon -- my friend really wants to spend New Year's at Disney -- so we're doing that. I was the one who wanted to go to Belgium so I guess it's a compromise...!

Kyliebaby, would you say most of those restaurants have good vegetarian options too?

oh and oudegeus thank you for the great list of places to go! I will keep that all in mind!

Going to same places in end of March. Please write a travel report when you return. I would love to hear your adventure.
Andrea

I just remember Le Pain Quotidien from when it first openened here; it is Belgian, and started in Brussels. The fact that it's now a worldwide chain, doesn't mean it's not Belgian food. If I want breakfast, I would always go to Le Pain. A belgian breakfast is good bread, cheese, chocolate spread, jam, pain au chocolat; the sort of thing on offer at Le Pain. It sounds strange to me that because they were so succesful in franchising this, you would not eat there when you're in Brussels.


But it's hard to eat badly in Belgium; even simple places usually offer good food. Try 'garnalenkroketten'; prawn croquettes. With fries and mayonaise on the side.
Belga Queen in Brussels is nice if you are looking for a special place to dine.

By the way, the original PQ is in Dansaertstraat, incidentally also the nicest shopping street in Brussels, with lots of interesting little boutiques.

Instead of Le Pain Quotidien, I would go to Arcadi (on rue Arenberg, 5 min. off Grand Place). Expect it to be very busy but their breakfast/lunch and especially their pastry - is excellent. Never been there for dinner.

My favorite dinner was at Georges, on top of the Centre Pompidou. If you walk by on your first day, stop there and make a reservation. You won't regret it! The food is amazing - best foie gras I've ever had! - and the view is even better: as you sit eating in the beautiful space, you enjoy the view of the Eiffel Tower all lit up and changing colors! You will love it.

My favorite lunch (best sandwich of my life, I was daydreaming about it this morning, no joke) was in Le Marais at a small Jewish sandwich shop which I think is famous, it was in my guidebook. I'll try to find the name . . . I used TimeOut Paris.

You know, as a carnivore, I wasn't paying much attention to the veggie options on the menus :-/ I would do a Google search though as some of them may have websites with menus there. The good news is, Europe is light years ahead of us in America (where I am) with regard to fresh food, veggies, etc..., so it seems like they show up more regularly on menus anyway. I don't think you'll be disappointed!

Wanted to say thanks SO much everybody, your recommendations were a great help and the trip was fantastic. I'll post a trip report some time soon.