train itinerary help

Hi,

We need some help planning the Belgium leg of our trip.

This is the criteria we have to work on so far:

-We will be travelling in May.

-Total travel time is 28 days (inc. travel from Australia)

-Planning an open jaw itinerary starting either from Paris or Zurich (either direction)

-Prefer to use train travel - although open to the idea of motorcycle day trips within a city.

This is the order we want to do the trip in:

Belgium %26gt; Netherlands %26gt; Germany %26gt; Czech Republic %26gt; Austria %26gt; Switzerland.

It is easy enough to look at a map and plot a logical sequence of cities to go through - however I%26#39;m unsure of how much time to dedicate to each place and what towns are worth seeing and which ones to skip.

I realise this is a lot to cover in 4 weeks and that such a plan will only afford about 4 days per country.

Feel free to suggest a more limited route if you think I%26#39;d be better off spending more time in a particular place.

Basically I%26#39;m just asking what places would you stop off at if you were doing this route by train.

We%26#39;re mainly interested in scenery, local food/ culture and places with charm and something to offer.

Any ideas please throw them out there. :)

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If you were starting in Zurich, and going clockwise, the next country after Switzerland that is on your list would be Belgium. From Zurich, you would reach Brussels via either Paris or Cologne, from Basel or Geneva, normally through Paris (arriving at Gare de l%26#39;Est which is within walking distance of Gare du Nord from where you would leave for Brussels).

From Paris, the North-South railway line goes through Brussels, Antwerp and Amsterdam. You can only take Thalys (advance reservations required) for the Paris-Brussels leg, which takes 1h22; however, the high-speed track is not yet in operation for the rest of that line, and it would be better to change in Brussels and take InterCity from there on.

The normal touristic route would be Brussels-Brugge, then Brugge-Amsterdam via Antwerp, where you may or may not want to stop off as well. I think that should be enough for the Belgian leg of your trip given all the other countries in your list.

As to how long you spend in each place, that is up to you based on your interests and what you want to see and do here. In the forum for each city, you will find on the left a list of %26quot;Things to Do%26quot;, which results from TA members%26#39; recommendations.

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