We are traveling to Paris and Amsterdam this summer. I want to explore two towns between these two cities.

Which two would you choose?

I have already been to: Antwerp, Brussels, Bruges and s'Hertogenbosch.

I am considering: Gent, Delft, and/or a return to brugge since my husband has never been there.

We are interested in picturesque exploration and wandering around, and I am very interested in museums with the Dutch Masters of the golden age, Bosch and Bruegel.

Lille would be one I would choose although I don't know much about it's museums. The old quarter is very nice to walk around.

How long do you plan to spend travelling between Amsterdam and Paris? Have you considered Reims? Ghent and Reims would be nice choices.

If you're interested in Dutch masters from the golden age, besides Delft ( for Vermeer ), you might want to check out Harlem for the Frans Hals museum. You can visit the former almshouse converted to Fran Hals museum where he spent his last years. On display are some of Hals' masterpieces as well as great works of other Dutch masters from the golden age, such as Claes et al.

Thanks, all.

Is Reims an easy day trip from Paris?

We are travelling by train, and am budgeting about 2-3 days for travel/sightseeing between Paris/Amsterdam.

The Hague is very close to Amsterdam and has a fabulous small museum, the Mauritshuis. Has some very famous works. But it may be closed for renovation, you would need to check... and the town itself is very charming, lots of Art Nouveau, canals, etc.

Ghent is really nice - probably even nicer in the summer vs. when I was there on a rainy May day - and you could go back to Bruges as an easy day trip - only about 30 min by direct train. Or vice versa.

Reims is a very easy day trip from Paris, by high speed train. I really liked it. It isn't a town, though, but a city.

I visited Delft and it was okay, just a day trip from Amsterdam. I don't remember that much about it, so I don't think it really wowed me but it was fine.

The Mauritshuis reopens on June 27th this year.

You may enjoy Breda.

http://www.louvre.fr/en/departments/louvre-lens

Lens between Lille and Arras and reachable by train has a branch of the Louvre! So-so towns as many in northern France are - rather grim in many ways but pleasant enough for this rust belt of France.

Drat, will miss the Mauritshuis! Did get to see some of their traveling paintings at the Frick - wonderful!

You may enjoy Breda.>

Been there many times on business - a brewery town or was - with the smell of fresh-brewed beer wafting thru town - an ordinary town but a nice ordinary town - something off the beaten path.