Traveling through Europe - First timer
Jul 31st, 2010, 07:30 PM
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Traveling through Europe - First timer
Hello everyone -
I was hoping to get some advice for my upcoming travels at the end of August. The 4 of us will meet in London (wembley) and check out what London has to offer and then move on.
We want to see Belgium & Amsterdam, so a few different choices friends suggested to me.
1 . We can take the EuroRail from London to Amesterdam and take the local trains.
2. Rent a car from London to Dover, take the ferry to Calai ( France ), then drive to Belgium, and drive to Amesterdam, and do the same on the way back.
3. Take the Eurorail from London to Netherlands, and do the drive one way.
It would be wonderful to see all the cities in between since we only have 1 week to do all this. It's totally doable cause the one way driving is only 14 hours from London to Amesterdam.
We also want to be very cost effective, and do our travels really cheap so we can wine and dine in the cities we stop at.
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated, car rentals places, routes, places to see on the way, cost of train or cars, restaurants to eat at, places to stay.
Thank you in advance!
I was hoping to get some advice for my upcoming travels at the end of August. The 4 of us will meet in London (wembley) and check out what London has to offer and then move on.
We want to see Belgium & Amsterdam, so a few different choices friends suggested to me.
1 . We can take the EuroRail from London to Amesterdam and take the local trains.
2. Rent a car from London to Dover, take the ferry to Calai ( France ), then drive to Belgium, and drive to Amesterdam, and do the same on the way back.
3. Take the Eurorail from London to Netherlands, and do the drive one way.
It would be wonderful to see all the cities in between since we only have 1 week to do all this. It's totally doable cause the one way driving is only 14 hours from London to Amesterdam.
We also want to be very cost effective, and do our travels really cheap so we can wine and dine in the cities we stop at.
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated, car rentals places, routes, places to see on the way, cost of train or cars, restaurants to eat at, places to stay.
Thank you in advance!
Jul 31st, 2010, 08:02 PM
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You write you want to see Beligium and Amsterdam, the former is a country the later a city. Which makes your post confusing, do you want to see several places in Belgium and only see Amsterdam in the Netherlands? Just a thought.
First, the train is the Eurostar, not the Eurorail and it does NOT go to Amsterdam, you can take it from London's St Pancras stn to Brussels. If you buy a ticket for Brussels it is valid (or at least was valid) to any Beligian rail stn, so you can travel to Brugge on the same ticket. Brugge is much more interesting than Brussels.
Don't know the specifics of trains between Beligium and the Netherlands and can't help there. Brussels and Amsterdam both have good public transport and a car won't be needed, and will be more of a burden when in the city.
Are you suggesting you visit London, Amsterdam and Belgium (I write the name of the country since this is how you refer to the places in your op in a week? If so, there's no way this is feasible.
First, the train is the Eurostar, not the Eurorail and it does NOT go to Amsterdam, you can take it from London's St Pancras stn to Brussels. If you buy a ticket for Brussels it is valid (or at least was valid) to any Beligian rail stn, so you can travel to Brugge on the same ticket. Brugge is much more interesting than Brussels.
Don't know the specifics of trains between Beligium and the Netherlands and can't help there. Brussels and Amsterdam both have good public transport and a car won't be needed, and will be more of a burden when in the city.
Are you suggesting you visit London, Amsterdam and Belgium (I write the name of the country since this is how you refer to the places in your op in a week? If so, there's no way this is feasible.
Jul 31st, 2010, 08:09 PM
#3
What justshootme said - plus: How much of your time is set for London? (and why do you specifically mention Wembley - is that where you are staying?)
If your week is for the Belgium/Amsterdam- great. But if your week is for everything - London/Belgium/Amsterdam - not so great.
(trains are much more efficient for what you want to do - cars are next to useless in Brussels, Brugge, A'dam and London.)
If your week is for the Belgium/Amsterdam- great. But if your week is for everything - London/Belgium/Amsterdam - not so great.
(trains are much more efficient for what you want to do - cars are next to useless in Brussels, Brugge, A'dam and London.)
Jul 31st, 2010, 08:23 PM
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Sorry, trying to do too many things at the same time and Belgium wrong three times, that's not good. At I spelt it correctly once!
Also, Wembley maybe in London, but it is far from the tourist sights, if you are staying at a hotel I'd consider one nearer the centre of London, you'll waste too much time on the tube travelling around if staying in Wembley.
Also, Wembley maybe in London, but it is far from the tourist sights, if you are staying at a hotel I'd consider one nearer the centre of London, you'll waste too much time on the tube travelling around if staying in Wembley.
Jul 31st, 2010, 09:20 PM
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Original post reads like you have a week to drive from London to Amsterdam, which is doable if you've already done your London stuff first. A week to do it all including London is not so doable.
Years ago we took a car across from Southampton to Cherbourg and drove up French coast, across Belgium, and finished in Amsterdam. Memorable highlights along the way included Honfleur, Abbeville, De Paane, Brugge, and a few nights at Zandvoort (a beachside town out of Amsterdam) at the end. We easily did it within a week. Doing something similar from London via Calais (cutting the whole French coast part off) would be even easier.
Years ago we took a car across from Southampton to Cherbourg and drove up French coast, across Belgium, and finished in Amsterdam. Memorable highlights along the way included Honfleur, Abbeville, De Paane, Brugge, and a few nights at Zandvoort (a beachside town out of Amsterdam) at the end. We easily did it within a week. Doing something similar from London via Calais (cutting the whole French coast part off) would be even easier.
Aug 1st, 2010, 12:06 AM
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Do not leave the hire car in another country. It will cost you a lot of money.
If you hire a car in the UK you have to tell them you are taking it to Europe. They may or may not allow it, and may or may not charge extra.
The easiest way to take a car would be to take a ferry to Hoek van Holland or to Belgium, cutting France out all together. Failing that the ferry to Dunkerque is the closest in France.
What do you plan on seeing in Belgium? Why only Amsterdam in the Netherlands?
If you only want to do Brussels/Brugge/Amsterdam then take the Eurostar to Brussels, train to Brugge and train to Amsterdam (Thalys or intercity - Thalys you must book in advance).
Parking in Brussels, Brugge and especially Amsterdam is expensive and hard to find.
If you hire a car in the UK you have to tell them you are taking it to Europe. They may or may not allow it, and may or may not charge extra.
The easiest way to take a car would be to take a ferry to Hoek van Holland or to Belgium, cutting France out all together. Failing that the ferry to Dunkerque is the closest in France.
What do you plan on seeing in Belgium? Why only Amsterdam in the Netherlands?
If you only want to do Brussels/Brugge/Amsterdam then take the Eurostar to Brussels, train to Brugge and train to Amsterdam (Thalys or intercity - Thalys you must book in advance).
Parking in Brussels, Brugge and especially Amsterdam is expensive and hard to find.
