janisj

OK -- Now you probably see some of the problems.

Fly into Berlin – 4 nights = at most 3.5 days and jet lag. Fly to Amsterdam
Amsterdam – 2 nights = 1 day
Rotterdam – 3 nights = 2 days
Antwerp – 3 nights (with side trips to Ghent and Brussels). Hard to do two day trips when you are only there two days
Frankfurt – 1 night - Fly home

Still a LOT of moving around with an infant. Now, traveling with a 6 month old is easier than with a two year old.

Sassafrass

Sassafrass

bilboburgler

getting better ideas now. I don't want to add any more towns as you have a good range in the whole above. Frankfurt is not really worth time, it is ok but not at the same level as others mentioned. So if you fly back from some of the others, say Amsterdam it would be better.

menachem

I'd say, give 2 nights to Amsterdam and 1 night to Rotterdam, also because Rotterdam and Antwerp aren't very far apart by train. So any daytrips you might want to do from either Antwerp or Rotterdam can probably share a base.

Sue_xx_yy

I would consider taking the train from Berlin to Amsterdam. The time you will take to get to the airport, check in, wait, fly, get in from airport, will not be that much different and I would vote for train over plane for comfort with a baby. Train takes 6.5 hours..

Since either way travel takes most of the day for your first night in Amstedam, I'd add at least a night to that city for 2 days. Consider where you can make time to do laundry with a baby and have some downtime.

Consider deleting Brussels.

so we have Berlin 4 n
Amsterdam 3 n/7 n

Here is the tough part. What do you want to do in Rotterdam? Or would you prefer Delft or Antwerp for 1 n. /8 n subtotal Because I would stay only a night in any of those places. It's a matter of spacing out the journey times rather than the places per se.. If you arrive in the morning (not that long a train trip from Amsterdam) and leave in mid afternoon the following day for

Bruges 3 n/11 n, that gives you 1 full day Bruges, 1 full day Ghent.
Consider adding Cologne 1 n/12 n. (3 hrs to Cologne).
If you stay at a Frankfurt airport hotel, then you can have a leisurely day from Colonge to the airport. - 1 n.

PalenQ

Yes take train Amsterdam from Berlin - 6.5 hours and you see some of Europe's lay of the land and not just airports and tarmacs. Getting in from Amsterdam airport will take about an hour all told after landing or more.

MelMelieMelos

Hi everyone,

Thanks again for your comments. We've decided on the following:

Sept 11 - arrive in Berlin
Sept 12, 13, 14 - Stay in Berlin
Sept 15 - Take train from Berlin to Rotterdam
Sept 16, 17 & 18 - Stay in Rotterdam (optional day trip to Delft)
Sept 19 - Take train from Rotterdam to Antwerp
Sept 20, 21 - Stay in Antwerp (optional day trip to Bruges)
Sept 22 - Day trip to Brussels/Ghent
Sept 23 - Take train from Antwerp to Frankfurt
Sept 24 Spend day in Frankfurt and fly out from there

Muy further questions are: is there a railway pass that would be best to purchase for travels from Berlin to Rotterdam then within Belgium and from Antwerp to Frankfurt (instead of buying one way tickets)? Also, how many months/weeks in advance should I purchase my train tickets and which class or train line is recommended if I need to purchase individual one way tickets?

Thanks again and looking forward to your responses

PalenQ

the Germany-Benelux pass is the only one and with discounted fares especially not viable for your trips, many are short, For lots on trains check www.seat61.com; BETS-European Rail Experts and www.ricksteves.com. Book your tickets involving Germany a www,bahn.de/en.

Sept 16, 17 & 18 - Stay in Rotterdam (optional day trip to Delft)

One day in Rotterdam would be enough for me - or 2 nights including arrival night. Delft would be a must - Kinderdijk, Holland's largest collection of behemoth wooden windmills, by boat would be another nice day trip from Rotterdam

lavandula

>Sept 22 - Day trip to Brussels/Ghent
>Sept 23 - Take train from Antwerp to Frankfurt
>Sept 24 Spend day in Frankfurt and fly out from there


Just so you know - on the 23rd you will be retracing your steps to Brussels as it is the rail hub for trains to Germany (IC, ICE, Thalys). You would be changing trains at Bruxelles-Nord (the first station closest to Antwerp) or you could possibly go a stop further to Bruxelles-Central to grab a quick look at the old town. I don't know whether you would prefer to visit Ghent instead on the 22nd, or whether you could perhaps take your belongings to a locker at Central or Bruxelles-Nord on the morning of the 23rd and use the opportunity to have a quick look at the Lower Town (incl. the Grand' Place). Just trying to help you get the maximum out of your itinerary. Ghent you can visit directly from Antwerp, no passing through Brussels.

If you did that, not sure whether you would be better off getting two separate tickets. (i.e. Antwerp - Brussels Central and Brussels Central to Frankfurt) I know you can break your journey on the same ticket if you are taking the shortest route between destinations on a domestic ticket but international trains is a whole different matter, maybe someone else can chime in here. Also try and pick a train where you have no stops between Brussels and Frankfurt. There are a lot of connections where you have to change in Cologne and Mainz. Look out the window in Cologne to see the cathedral!

Bruxelles-Nord is a bit seedy. Perfectly safe for changing trains and grabbing a snack for the train but not nice to linger or stroll around. Tram (pre-metro) from Gare du Nord to De Brouckère, then from there a short walk to the centre, if you choose to alight there.

Lavandula

menachem

There are your three days.

MelMelieMelos

Thanks again for your response. We'll consider the "top over" in Brussels on 23.

Can anyone recommend a website where I can buy train tickets for travel within Belgium or can these tickets be purchased the day of? Is it better to purchase Belgium train tickets in advance for a faily of 3 adults and 1 infant?

Also, for travel from Antwerp to Frankfurt, which website should I use to purchase tickets?

​​​​​​​Thanks again!

Tulips

For belgian rail tickets use https://www.belgiantrain.be/en/
for local trains there is no advantage in buying in advance, price will be the same. You can buy your ticket online and print it or keep it on your phone. It's valid for any train that day on that route and there are no seat reservations.
The same site will give you various options for travel to Frankfurt too. On high speed international trains (ICE, Thalys), it's usually cheaper to buy in advance.

lavandula

Thalys is a really nice train - if you splurge for first class (and this is not a big outlay) then the train staff will bring you a hot meal in your seat for lunch. Worth investigating for the extra space - with a child booking a table is helpful but you should be able to do this in either train, any class.

ICE is good too though, no complaints here.

Lavandula

PalenQ

Also, for travel from Antwerp to Frankfurt, which website should I use to purchase tickets? Could try www.bahn.de/en too - German Railways run the IC to Frankfurt. Sometimes 1st class discounted tickets are not much more than remaining 2nd class fares. You don't want Thalys on this route because it doesn't go to Frankfurt but terminates at Cologne - requiring an additional ticket to go to Frankfurt. Cheapest IC has one change - oddly enough in Brussels-Nord, joining an IC train coming out of Brussels-Midi, the main station. Thus seat reservations may be a good idea since the train could be fairly full leaving Brussels-Midi.

lavandula

>You don't want Thalys on this route because it doesn't go to Frankfurt but terminates at Cologne - requiring an additional ticket to go to Frankfurt.

Oh good point - we changed at Cologne last year for the Thalys, coming from Mainz. Preferable to avoid that change. Also - we found the Thalys website showed their trains earlier, before they were on bahn.de, so we bought tickets through them. Never went back to see what was on bahn.de about the Thalys later on.

Yes to reservations - you need that seat!

Lavandula

PalenQ

Make reservations when buying ticket - it's an extra option I believe and ordinarily comes without. You can make it at departure stations as well.

MelMelieMelos

Thanks everyone. All major (inter country) tickets have been booked. All that's left to purchase and will probably be done on the day of travel is:
Amsterdam to Rotterdam - Sept 15
Travel within Belgium - various days