monsoon99

We (couple and our 8 year old) are going by train from London to Brussels and onto Amsterdam. We are planning to be in Amsterdam for about 3 days and another 3 days in the Belgium and returning to London. This trip is in August.

In Belgium, we are staying in Brugges and making day trips. I guess in Amsterdam we stay put (I have not done enough research to find must-do day trips)

Can anyone suggest how we should do this in the most economical way. Is there a weeklong pass we can buy to travel between these 3 countries? If not is there a pass we can purchase for multiple travel in Belgium? Same for Netherlands.

Does the Eurostar from London stop in Brugges? The website seemed to say it does not. So we are thinking of traveling from London to Amsterdam via Brussels in one day and working our way back into Belgium. Does this make sense?

Finally, do we need to reserve train seats in advance for travel in teh month of August?

You help would be very appreciated.

Nonconformist

The Eurostar stops in Brussels, and you can change to a local train to Bruges there. I'm pretty sure the price from London to Brussels includes one onward trip to any other twon in Belgium.

PalenQ

Yes the ABS All Belgian Stations fare lets you go from or to the Eurostar train in Brussels on any train except Thalys to any station in Belgium within 48 hours.

There is no pass good for UK Belge and Holland though there is a Benelux Railpass good for Belgium, Netherlands and Luxembourg though you may have to be traveling a bit more than you are to make it pay off.

Benelux Pass: 5 days unlimited travel in a 1-month period - 2nd cl $201 first $305, under 26 2nd cl youth $154

But this pass does give you a passholder fare on Eurostar trains in case you can't find a cheap ticket so could possibly be viable.

But if you book early enough you can get return fares Lon-Brussels cheaper than two one-way passholder fares - pass fare however can be changed once in Europe without penalty whilst other cheapies are non-refundable non-changeable.

But booking as early as possible on Eurostar means saving big bucks often - as cheaper tickets in rather small allotments on many trains if Eurostar can sell them at higher prices. Check fares in euros for Brussels departure at www.eurostar.com or in US i always advise calling BETS (800-441-9413) for passes and Eurostars and have a manual search done for the best fare - they work thur RailEurope (www.raileurope.com) but there's actually someone to talk to who's expert on this - and they don't charge some of RE's mailing fees. But you may find better fares at www.eurostar.com - but not always so check both ends.

PalenQ

For schedules between any two cities i find the www.bahn.de site the best and easiest to use

Simply put in Bruges and Amsterdam and the date and you'll get all the trains with lots of other info.

Belgian and Nederland rail sites are good too but i find the bahn.de site Wunderbar.

hetismij

With an 8 year old you could consider a trip to the Hague to see Madurodam, or maybe to De Efteling theme park near Tilburg as a day away from Amsterdam. Artis zoo is in the centre of Amsterdam, but is a rather sad city zoo. Blijdorp in Rotterdam is better and others away from the big cities better still.
And the beach is easy to reach too.

PalenQ

Madame Tussaud's in Amsterdam is pricey but kid could like it - actually one of most popular attractions in Amsterdam - i think i'd keep kid away from the Torture, Sex and Hash museums however.

monsoon99

Thank you everyone especially PalenQ for the information. I will check out the websites you have recommended. There seems to be lots of availability, should we make advance reservations for mid August? Thanks again.

PalenQ

If you're talking about Eurostar yes - cheaper fares quickly can disappear - if sure book a low fare now.

other trains won't make any difference and just buy locally when arrive. Even Belgian specials i believe can be booked at the station.

monsoon99

Thanks PalenQ. I just booked the non-flexible fare on the eurostar for $74 per person one way, London to Brussels.
A followup question: Since we are staying in Bruges, to go Amsterdam, we would probably have to go antwerp on a domestic train and then change there to another train to Amsterdam. Does this sound right?

Thanks very much for your help.

MyriamC

Monsoon, you will indeed have to change trains in Antwerpen Berchem. Once there, make sure to take the InterCity that goes directly to Amsterdam instead of having to change once again in Roosendaal (just across the B/D border).
Check the timetable here: http://plannerint.b-rail.be

MyriamC

Me again ... when you search the website I mentioned, fill in Brugge in the 'from' box and Amsterdam Centraal in the 'to' box.

PalenQ

<PalenQ. I just booked the non-flexible fare on the eurostar for $74 per person one way, London to Brussels.>

details on this fare - which site? seems like a great deal so must have been on eurostar.com and in pounds?

do you print the ticket, retrieve it or get it mailed? thanks

monsoon99

Thanks Miriam for the info on the specific train stations.

PalenQ, I purchased the tickets on Eurostar website. Paid with credit card and will pick up at the train station per instructions. Do you know if the train stops in Bruges enroute to Brussels or do we go to Brussels and back up to Bruges again. Thanks again.

PalenQ

No Eurostar does not go via Bruges - you could get off at Lille Europa and walk the .5 mile or so to Lille Flandres station for trains from there to Bruges. Would i think, even with the walk, be quicker than going to Brussels Midi then back to Bruges.

That said Eurostar tickets, at least those sold in the US, have an ABS fare - All Belgian Stations like i said before thus if those on eurostar.com also have it you could go free to and from Brussels (but not Lille, in France) and thus would be the way to save some bucks and just about as fast really. Ask about the ABS fare when you check in in Waterloo.

PalenQ

It's my belief that ABS fares online if price is in euros would require you to perhaps pay a few euros more but not sure.

PalenQ

monsoon - i think that's a great fare and i'm rather surprised that it was available this close in. But perhaps it's because it's Brussels, a route much less in demand than Eurostar to Paris where i doubt you would have got such a deal on relatively short notice.