Paris → Brussels → Amsterdam
In 60 seconds
The route in 60 seconds
Three of Europe's great cities, linked by the same high-speed line: Paris for museums and cafés, Brussels for the Grand-Place, Art Nouveau and beer, Amsterdam for canals and Dutch painting. The trains are quick, central and reserved, so you lose almost no time to travel.
Stops
Where you sleep
Day by day
How the days fall
The order we would follow, with the transfers already in the right place.
Day 1
ParisThe islands and the Left Bank.
- Morning
Île de la Cité
Sainte-Chapelle at opening.
- Afternoon
Musée d'Orsay
Book a timed slot.
Day 2
ParisThe Marais and Montmartre.
- Morning
The Marais
Place des Vosges and the lanes around it.
- Evening
Montmartre
Up the hill for the view at dusk.
Day 3
Paris → BrusselsNorth by Eurostar.
- Morning
Train to Brussels
About an hour and a half from Gare du Nord.
- Evening
The Grand-Place
Then a beer at À la Mort Subite.
Day 4
BrusselsArt Nouveau and the Flemish masters.
- Morning
Horta Museum
Book ahead; Saint-Gilles has more Art Nouveau around it.
- Afternoon
Royal Museums of Fine Arts
Bruegel and the Magritte Museum.
Day 5
Brussels → AmsterdamOn to Amsterdam.
- Morning
Train to Amsterdam
About two hours to Centraal.
- Afternoon
The canal ring
Walk the Herengracht and the Jordaan.
Day 6
AmsterdamDutch painting and the canals.
- Morning
Rijksmuseum
Rembrandt's Night Watch first.
- Afternoon
A canal boat
An hour on the water.
Day 7
AmsterdamA slower last day.
- Morning
A market
The Noordermarkt on Saturday, or the Albert Cuyp on weekdays.
Transport
Between destinations
- Paris → BrusselsTrainAbout 1 h 22
Eurostar from Paris-Nord to Bruxelles-Midi; most departures take between 1 h 22 and 1 h 37. Seats are reserved.
- Brussels → AmsterdamTrainAbout 1 h 52
Eurostar from Bruxelles-Midi to Amsterdam Centraal; the EuroCity Direct takes about 2 h 08 and needs no reservation.
Highlights
Key experiences
If the trip is cut short, these are the four to protect.
Orsay under the station clock
Impressionists in a former railway station; book a timed entry.
The Grand-Place at night
The guildhalls lit up after the day crowds have gone.
A lambic at Cantillon
Brussels's last working gueuze brewery, open for visits.
The canal ring by boat
Amsterdam's 17th-century canals seen from the water.
Stay
Where to stay
- Paris
- The Marais or Saint-Germain to walk everywhere; near Gare du Nord only for convenience.
- Brussels
- Around the Grand-Place or Sainte-Catherine, both a short walk from Bruxelles-Central.
- Amsterdam
- The canal ring or the Jordaan; book early, rooms are scarce and expensive.