Paris, Amsterdam, Brussels trip
Notes for planning a combined trip to Paris, Amsterdam, and Brussels.
Here are some notes for my trip to Paris, Amsterdam, and Brussels.
TL;DR
- Amsterdam was by far our favorite city. Most "European" city and the most fun.
- Brussels was a bit of a letdown. Interesting to compare to Paris and Amsterdam, but could have skipped it.
- Paris was of course a great city, plenty to do, but not as fun as Amsterdam.
- Flying to Paris is much cheaper than flying to Amsterdam.
- Beginning of May is a great time to visit. Weather was perfect, long daylight hours, and not too crowded. All the tulips were in bloom 🌷
YouTube channels to get in the mood 📺
Here are some YouTube channels that got me excited for the trip and gave me ideas for places to visit.
- The Tim Traveller - Short videos about odd and interesting places around Europe.
- 🇫🇷 TTT Does France - Playlist about odd corners of France, from a village named "Y" to an abandoned hoverport.
- 🇳🇱 TTT Does The Netherlands - Playlist about Dutch oddities, including the Baarle enclaves and the highest point in Flevoland.
- 🇧🇪 TTT Does Belgium - Playlist about strange borders, unopened metro lines, and other Belgian oddities.
- What On Earth Is This? - Travel videos about nerdy places, many of them in Europe.
- 🇫🇷 Le Téléscaphe: France's Crazy Underwater Cable Car - The underwater cable car built near Marseille in the 1960s.
- 🇳🇱 The Netherlands Has DIY Ferries - So I Gave Them a Go - Self-service pull ferries across the Dutch canals.
- 🇧🇪 This Building Has Been Covered In Scaffolding For 42 Years - The Brussels Palace of Justice, made with The Tim Traveller.
Tickets to book in advance
- 🇫🇷 Notre-Dame - Free to enter, but you need a reservation to go inside the cathedral.
- 🇫🇷 Catacombs of Paris - Underground ossuary in Paris.
- 🇫🇷 Palace of Versailles - Former royal residence and gardens.
- 🇫🇷 Seine river cruise - Cool boat tour of the Seine river - video
- 🇫🇷 Louvre Museum - Famous museum in Paris. Book in advance to go into a shorter line.
- 🇳🇱 Anne Frank House - Museum of Anne Frank's life in the building where she lived in hiding during WWII.
- 🇳🇱 Keukenhof - Tulip garden in Lisse, Netherlands. Book in advance to go into a shorter line.
- 🇳🇱 Amsterdam canal cruise with Sebi Boat Tour - Small group boat tour of the Amsterdam canals.
- 🇫🇷🇳🇱🇧🇪 Eurostar - Train between Paris, Amsterdam, and Brussels. Book in advance for the best prices.
Dates 🗓️
| City | Notes | |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Paris | Landed in Paris |
| Day 2 | Paris | Catacomb |
| Day 3 | Paris | MUSÉE D'ORSAY |
| Day 4 | Paris → Amsterdam | 🚂 |
| Day 5 | Amsterdam | |
| Day 6 | Amsterdam | |
| Day 7 | Amsterdam | |
| Day 8 | Amsterdam → Brussels | 🚂 |
| Day 9 | Brussels | |
| Day 10 | Brussels | |
| Day 11 | Brussels → Paris | 🚂 |
| Day 12 | Paris | Palace of Versailles day |
| Day 13 | Paris | Louvre Museum day |
| Day 14 | Paris | Eiffel Tower day |
| Day 15 | Paris | River cruise |
| Day 16 | Paris | Flew out of Paris |
Paris 🇫🇷
Eiffel Tower day
- Espl. du Trocadéro (Good view of the tower)
- Eiffel Tower
- Pont Alexandre III (Bridge)
- Place du Tertre (Artistic plaza. Watch out for tourist traps)
- Arc de Triomphe
- Champs-Élysées
Palace of Versailles day
Louvre Museum day
- Louvre Museum
- Palais-Royal
- Tuileries Garden
- Le Marais (Jewish Quarter)
- Carette (Cafe)
Nearby:
- Covered passages
- Rue Montorgueil (Downtown street)
- Palais Garnier (Opera house)
- Jardin du Luxembourg
- Latin Quarter
- Notre-Dame Cathedral of Paris <need reservation?>
- Place de la Concorde (Past execution site)
River day
Seine river cruise with underground portion
- Option 1: Guided Cruise on the Seine and the Saint Martin Canal - Paris Canal
- Includes River Seine as far as Musée d'Orsay
- Option 2: wcanauxrama.com
- Cruise ends at Bassin de l'Arsenal
Walk along Seine river and visit:
- Coulée Verte René-Dumont Park
- Nearby: Crêperie Le Goéland d'Aligre
- Montmartre (Beautiful neighborhood)
- MAP - Marché aux Puces de Paris Saint-Ouen (Flea market)
- Catacombs of Paris (Creepy)
To eat:
- Patisserie
- Snails 🐌
- Boulangerie
- Crepe
- Au P'tit Grec
- Quiche
- Jambon beurre (ham, cheese, butter sandwich)
Shopping in Paris
- Souvenir: La Grande Épicerie de Paris
- Small chocolate
- Tea
Amsterdam 🇳🇱
Keukenhof day
- Keukenhof (Botanic garden with many tulips)
Downtown day
- Houseboat Museum (Very small)
- Albert Cuyp Market (Mon-Sat, 9:30-17:00)
- De Wallen (Red light district)
- The Dancing Houses
- Dam Square
- Jordaan (Cute neighborhood)
- Skinny Bridge
- OBA Library (For rooftop view)
- Begijnhof (Historical courtyard)
- De Pijp (Bohemian zone)
To do:
- Free Walking Tours Amsterdam
- NDSM (Street art neighborhood)
- Backup - The Hague
- Mauritshuis museum (The girl with the pearl earring)
- Haagse Market
To eat:
- Stroopwafels
- Van Stapele Koekmakerij (Chocolate cookies)
- Cheese
- Fromagerie Abraham Kef
- Pancakes
- Raw herring
- Apple pie
- Café Hegeraad
- Indonesian
- Long Pura
Brussels 🇧🇪
Downtown day
- Musical Instruments Museum
- Grand Place
- Royal Gallery (Old shopping mall)
- Manneken Pis statue
- Brussels Park
- Cinquantenaire park
- Place Royale (Cannot go inside)
- Palais du Coudenberg (Archaeological site)
- Mont des Arts (Hill)
Ghent day trip
- Castle of the Counts
- Saint Michael's Bridge
- Confiserie Temmerman (Old candy shop)
- Chocolaterie Luc Van Hoorebeke
To eat:
- Chocolate
- Fries
- Maison Antoine
- Frit Flagey
- Brussels waffle
- Liege waffle (round)
- Vol-au-vent