Trip idea please! (Europe)

[basfordlad]

Hello looking for trip ideas starting in london and using eurostar to brussels/paris/lille
4 Nights
Any ideas appreciated

 

[D6130]

Hello looking for trip ideas starting in london and using eurostar to brussels/paris/lille
4 Nights

Day 1: London-Paris-Milano.
Day 2: Milano-Roma-Pescara-Bologna.
Day 3: Bologna-Verona-Innsbruck-Muenchen.
Day 4: Muenchen-Frankfurt-Koeln-Brussel/Bruxelles.
Day 5: Brussel/Bruxelles-London.

A wide range of different scenery and interesting cities in which to overnight.

 

[bspahh]

Hello looking for trip ideas starting in london and using eurostar to brussels/paris/lille
4 Nights
Any ideas appreciated

What do you want? Views, places, traction, countryside, cities? Do you want to book tickets in advance, or have an Interrail ticket and be flexible?

Sleepers are fun, but you don't see the views if its dark and you're asleep.

 

[basfordlad]

What do you want? Views, places, traction, countryside, cities? Do you want to book tickets in advance, or have an Interrail ticket and be flexible?

Sleepers are fun, but you don't see the views if its dark and you're asleep.

Tbf just want a bit of train travel . I know that sounds vague. Daytime only. Book in advance. I like covering a bit of distance through countryside and visit a few nice cities

 

[bspahh]

Tbf just want a bit of train travel . I know that sounds vague. Daytime only. Book in advance. I like covering a bit of distance through countryside and visit a few nice cities

The TGV from Lille to Avignon is fast and you can do it for a reasonable price with advanced tickets. Avignon TGV has trains in lots of directions. I stayed in a hotel near there and carried on to a work meeting in Nice, which ends up trundling along the coast. Its pretty, but not fast. Avignon is a nice city to visit. From Avignon Centre station, you could also get the slow trains to Barcelona.

You could also try some of the routes in France and Italy in this thread. You could also get a cheap ticket from Brussels to the Czech Republic.

 

[Techniquest]

Have you considered the Eurostar to Amsterdam? There's some nice places to visit in the Netherlands, but it's also worth noting their trains are pretty cool too. You can always bail out at Rotterdam and go exploring from there, places like Maastricht are available to explore for just one example.

Maybe you would find a Benelux InterRail useful. I had great fun using one to just do trains some years ago, and if I can recommend one journey out of all of them to do on that pass I would go for Liege to Luxembourg. I don't know if it still runs with CFL Class 3000 locos and coaches, but it is a scenic route and one I'd love to go back and do.

Quite, if one wanted to, they could make a beast of a plan with London-Paris on the Eurostar, then Paris to Luxembourg on a TGV (I've not done that bit myself, but I'd imagine it's a good ride), then up the Luxembourg-Liege line. Stop off there for a look at the magnificent station, if time allows, then go one of two ways:

1) Liege to Maastricht, then across to Rotterdam and Eurostar back to London;

2) Liege to Brussels then Eurostar to London.

Note, though, the Benelux InterRail is only valid in Luxembourg, Belgium and The Netherlands. So the above suggestion would be better suited to booking Advances etc. The above suggestion also doesn't specify places to stop and explore, I did them when I was more interested in just the trains and not the places I was visiting. I saw a little bit of Maastricht, not enough to make recommendations but I'd go back for a thorough explore.

Same for Luxembourg, I barely saw the city which I do regret, the same applies to a lot of places I've been to! I will just have to go back I guess, I'll not have so many trains to distract me at least!

I haven't been to Gent in Belgium yet, but it's supposed to be good. Bruges I did when it was still French Francs for the currency in France, so it's too long ago to give you any recommendations but a very vague memory suggests it would be worth an explore.

Sticking with Belgium, you could try out the coastal tram route which runs through places like Oostende. I forget right now where it runs and from, but it's a really long line and one that was on my trains list to do. I've clearly forgot about that over the years, but I must say this thread has stirred up a desire to go and have a full-on explore of Belgium and The Netherlands!

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

Don't go to Arlon. What an awful, awful place. Reminds me of Slough, but without the shops.

Kusttram I did in full and it gets extremely tedious but it's certainly something to say you've done.

I do like Bruges, and I could spend a considerable amount of time in Brussels which I do love. Am I weird to think Bruges looks in a way like (a far, far prettier version of) Guildford somehow? I said that to my dad when we were there and he thought I was hilariously off the mark.

Day 1: London-Paris-Milano.
Day 2: Milano-Roma-Pescara-Bologna.
Day 3: Bologna-Verona-Innsbruck-Muenchen.
Day 4: Muenchen-Frankfurt-Koeln-Brussel/Bruxelles.
Day 5: Brussel/Bruxelles-London.

A wide range of different scenery and interesting cities in which to overnight.

Milan - I'm not going to be pretentious and add the "o" as I'm speaking English currently - is very nice indeed.
Verona is lovely but I think people think there's more to do there then there actually is, so I wouldn't leave yourself too long there.
Cologne is particularly good if you want to do a bit of ICE bashing, short cheap hops to Bonn will do that - Bonn is worth a trip for a few hours shopping in a pretty town if you do Cologne btw.

Boulogne is supposed to be very popular and is obviously close to Lille, but we were very disappointed when we went with how empty and run-down it seemed, albeit that might have been our fault as we went to the part close to Boulogne-Tintelleries station, whereas Boulogne-Ville is the main station so it may have been around there that is the nice part. I'm not sure.

Tbf just want a bit of train travel . I know that sounds vague. Daytime only. Book in advance. I like covering a bit of distance through countryside and visit a few nice cities

We did four nights using Eurostar to Brussels in this way:

Day 1: Eurostar to Brussels, local SNCB train to Bruges, evening in Bruges
Day 2: Breakfast in Bruges, local SNCB train to Knokke, famous Kusttram to De Panne, SNCB train to Brussels via Ghent, Thalys to Dortmund
Day 3: ICE 2 to Cologne, ICE-T to Köblenz, scenic CNF train to Luxembourg (wouldn't advise being there for long it's dead), while in Luxembourg popped to Thionville and back just over the border to try out a TGV (£7 each way first class), SNCB back to Brussels
Day 4: Full day in Brussels and late Eurostar back

Was a satisfying mixture of sightseeing and rail travel.
I wish you a very enjoyable trip.

 

[NorthWestRover]

I haven't been to Gent in Belgium yet, but it's supposed to be good.

It is lovely.

 

[Techniquest]

It is lovely.

Excellent, I was having doubts with my memory earlier. I think I will have to hurry up and organise this InterRail trip you know, this thread has really got the metaphorical 'itchy feet' going on!

 

[Ken H]

I would look at smaller places. Most are interesting for a few hours. Vlissingen and Roosendaal in NL. Niewpoort and Namur in BE. Brandenburg and Wuppertal in DE. Lucca in IT. Chalons sur Champagne in FR. Must be loads more...

 

[basfordlad]

Thanks everyone some good ideas
Think i am going to stay within france

 

[peterblue]

Hi, within France only, I would recommend the following train lines:

1) Toulouse-LaTour de Carol
2) La Petit Train Jaune (LaTour-Villefrance), you can then connect to Perpignan via local train.
3) Anything along the southern coast (the scenery bezier-montpelier is nice, as is anything east of Marseille).
4) The main line Paris-Lyon-Avignon (and on to other cities) is also scenic in the southern section


If you haven't been to Paris before, I would definitely spend some time there to explore around, and also to sample the Metro/RER. One top tip is to take Metro line 6 southbound and you will have a great view of the city and the Eiffel Tower.

 

[PTR 444]

We did four nights using Eurostar to Brussels in this way:

Day 1: Eurostar to Brussels, local SNCB train to Bruges, evening in Bruges
Day 2: Breakfast in Bruges, local SNCB train to Knokke, famous Kusttram to De Panne, SNCB train to Brussels via Ghent, Thalys to Dortmund
Day 3: ICE 2 to Cologne, ICE-T to Köblenz, scenic CNF train to Luxembourg (wouldn't advise being there for long it's dead), while in Luxembourg popped to Thionville and back just over the border to try out a TGV (£7 each way first class), SNCB back to Brussels
Day 4: Full day in Brussels and late Eurostar back

Was a satisfying mixture of sightseeing and rail travel.
I wish you a very enjoyable trip.

As someone else currently planning a 4-night trip to this area at the end of August (Further discussion here), I’ve just happened to stumble across this post of yours. The itinerary of yours above is very similar to mine in terms of cities visited, however I am planning to stay in Brussels throughout and do day trips to different cities. My plan is as follows:

Day 1: SWR from Poole to London, Eurostar to Brussels, evening in Brussels
Day 2: Early morning SNCB to Bruges, lunch in Bruges, afternoon SNCB to Blankenberge followed by Kusttram to Ostend and SNCB back to Brussels
Day 3: Morning ICE to Cologne, evening ICE back to Brussels
Day 4: Morning SNCB to Luxembourg, evening SNCB back to Brussels. Might go onward to Metz or break journey in Namur if there is time.
Day 5: Morning and lunch in Brussels. Afternoon Eurostar back to London and SWR onwards to Poole

I intend to do this on a 5-day Interrail pass although the above plan is subject to change. @TT-ONR-NRN, have you got any recommendations for things to do and places to visit within the cities in my itinerary?

 

[TravellingPhil]

Dusseldorf and Wuppertal. Just one change (or 2 if using ICE) from the Eurostar.

Dusseldorf for the breweries.

Wuppertal for the Schewebebahn.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

As someone else currently planning a 4-night trip to this area at the end of August (Further discussion here), I’ve just happened to stumble across this post of yours. The itinerary of yours above is very similar to mine in terms of cities visited, however I am planning to stay in Brussels throughout and do day trips to different cities. My plan is as follows:

Day 1: SWR from Poole to London, Eurostar to Brussels, evening in Brussels
Day 2: Early morning SNCB to Bruges, lunch in Bruges, afternoon SNCB to Blankenberge followed by Kusttram to Ostend and SNCB back to Brussels
Day 3: Morning ICE to Cologne, evening ICE back to Brussels
Day 4: Morning SNCB to Luxembourg, evening SNCB back to Brussels. Might go onward to Metz or break journey in Namur if there is time.
Day 5: Morning and lunch in Brussels. Afternoon Eurostar back to London and SWR onwards to Poole

I intend to do this on a 5-day Interrail pass although the above plan is subject to change. @TT-ONR-NRN, have you got any recommendations for things to do and places to visit within the cities in my itinerary?

With pleasure

Bruges is perfect for somewhere to have lunch, I’d recommend by the river, but be sure to try out one of the gondala tours. They’re very reasonably priced and really rather interesting and picturesque.

I only passed through Blankenberge as I did the Kusttram in its entirety from Knokke to De Panne, Ostend certainly looked rather busy.

Brussels is wonderful and I wish I’d spent more time there. Please allow me to recommend lunch at Le Perroquet, which does the most incredible authentic Belgian croques and sandwiches with beautiful outdoor seating. The trams - incredibly luxurious for a tram if you get the most modern ones, with soft brown leather seating - and the slightly knackered metro will take you to the famous stadium that had the disaster if you’re interested in seeing that, and next to there is a tower with a wonderful view.

Luxembourg I wasn’t a fan of and my dad said it made him feel really rather depressed. He was there longer than me as I took the two-hourly TGV (First Class €9 each way) over the border to Thionville and back. There’s not a lot going on.

On return, him and I broke journey at Arlon and it was exceptionally run down and unattractive so I really wouldn’t recommend alighting there.

Cologne has to much to do, it’s probably the most plentiful of the destinations on your list when it comes to things to do. The famous Cathedral near to the HBF is very good. I’m not interested in churches in the slightest but the view from the tower is incredible and you can see all sorts of DB trains crossing the bridge. Bonn is only ten minutes away - and I think you can even take an ICE there - and is a beautifully picturesque shopping town where you could have lunch if you liked.

If you like, you could take Thalys Brussels Cologne and DB Cologne Brussels (or vice versa) and see which you liked better. I had a very cheap upgrade to First on Thalys and it was a really luxurious journey.

 

[PTR 444]

With pleasure

Bruges is perfect for somewhere to have lunch, I’d recommend by the river, but be sure to try out one of the gondala tours. They’re very reasonably priced and really rather interesting and picturesque.

I only passed through Blankenberge as I did the Kusttram in its entirety from Knokke to De Panne, Ostend certainly looked rather busy.

Brussels is wonderful and I wish I’d spent more time there. Please allow me to recommend lunch at Le Perroquet, which does the most incredible authentic Belgian croques and sandwiches with beautiful outdoor seating. The trams - incredibly luxurious for a tram if you get the most modern ones, with soft brown leather seating - and the slightly knackered metro will take you to the famous stadium that had the disaster if you’re interested in seeing that, and next to there is a tower with a wonderful view.

Luxembourg I wasn’t a fan of and my dad said it made him feel really rather depressed. He was there longer than me as I took the two-hourly TGV (First Class €9 each way) over the border to Thionville and back. There’s not a lot going on.

On return, him and I broke journey at Arlon and it was exceptionally run down and unattractive so I really wouldn’t recommend alighting there.

Cologne has to much to do, it’s probably the most plentiful of the destinations on your list when it comes to things to do. The famous Cathedral near to the HBF is very good. I’m not interested in churches in the slightest but the view from the tower is incredible and you can see all sorts of DB trains crossing the bridge. Bonn is only ten minutes away - and I think you can even take an ICE there - and is a beautifully picturesque shopping town where you could have lunch if you liked.

If you like, you could take Thalys Brussels Cologne and DB Cologne Brussels (or vice versa) and see which you liked better. I had a very cheap upgrade to First on Thalys and it was a really luxurious journey.

Thank you for the recommendations. I will definitely consider the gondola tour and the eateries you have suggested. I had considered doing the Kusttram all the way to De Panne but that would come at the expense of time spent in Bruges and Ostend which I would prefer to visit. I’m not sure if the tram from Ostend - De Panne is any more interesting than Blankenberge - Ostend but please feel free to correct me if i’m wrong.

As for Thalys, I believe the Interrail reservation is more expensive than it is on DB, so will probably take the ICE both ways.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

Thank you for the recommendations. I will definitely consider the gondola tour and the eateries you have suggested. I had considered doing the Kusttram all the way to De Panne but that would come at the expense of time spent in Bruges and Ostend which I would prefer to visit. I’m not sure if the tram from Ostend - De Panne is any more interesting than Blankenberge - Ostend but feel free to correct me if im wrong.

As for Thalys, I believe the Interrail reservation is more expensive than it is on DB, so will probably take the ICE both ways.

Being really honest I found Ostend is where it gets scenic, from then on is when it runs along the coast. Beforehand everything is blocked by hedges and buildings and you’re mainly running along the road.

 

[30907]

As for Thalys, I believe the Interrail reservation is more expensive than it is on DB, so will probably take the ICE both ways.

Thalys is a Passholder fare and they are not available on all services. ICE reservations are optional (but be prepared cancellations).

 

[bspahh]

There are some unofficial schematic maps of European rail networks at larstransportmaps.com. There are links to download them as PDF files.

https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/schematic-rail-maps-of-europe.251910 is a thread on them.

Avignon TGV is easy to get to in a day. I stayed at the nearby Mercure for a couple of nights, which was nice enough and had an outdoor pool.

Personally, I really like the big towns/small cities in Belgium and the Netherlands. For example, Delft, Breda, Antwerp, Mechelen and Ghent rather than Brussels/Rotterdam/Amsterdam. The bigger cities are more expensive for hotels in the nice bits.

 

[Ken H]

There are some unofficial schematic maps of European rail networks at larstransportmaps.com. There are links to download them as PDF files.

https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/schematic-rail-maps-of-europe.251910 is a thread on them.

Avignon TGV is easy to get to in a day. I stayed at the nearby Mercure for a couple of nights, which was nice enough and had an outdoor pool.

Personally, I really like the big towns/small cities in Belgium and the Netherlands. For example, Delft, Breda, Antwerp, Mechelen and Ghent rather than Brussels/Rotterdam/Amsterdam. The bigger cities are more expensive for hotels in the nice bits.

Roosendall in NL, and Niewpoort in BE. Leuvain/Leuven in BE in interesting, but the rail station is a long way from the centre. Namur and Dinant in BE worth a look too.