Eurostar only, where to go?

[Looby]

I wouldn't do it in mid-July, but I assume you have reasons for wanting to do it then. Peak heat, peak tourists, peak prices.

It’s our wedding anniversary.

 

[LDC]

Paris! But plan for the accommodation to be very expensive.

The catacombs.
Wander about finding nice bars and small restaurants.
Shakespeare and company bookshop.
Memorial to the Holocaust deported.

 

[Bahnhof Strasse]

Eurostar tickets to Brussels used to include onward travel to any Belgian station, they don't now, but can do for a modest supplement; do that and go to Antwerp (cocaine capital of Europe, no less), Ghent or better still a smaller yet still interesting town such a Leuven. Beer, moules, steak, chips, chocolate. It's all there...

 

[Dr. Furface]

Antwerp or Ghent would be top of my list. Both have interesting museums, great bars and neither feel too overwhelming in the way Bruges or Amsterdam do. Though i do like those as choices too.

I'm going to Antwerp in May - it looks great and it's really well placed for trips to Amsterdam, Ghent and Bruges. I'd never really thought of it before but I'm going to meet up with a friend who lives on the coast near Rotterdam and it's easy for her to get there.

 

[Looby]

Thanks everyone. I do fancy Paris but equally didn’t want to go for the most obvious and predictable option without checking out other places as well as we could miss out on something lovely elsewhere.

Any recommendations on areas/hotels/restaurants in Paris or other cities recommended would be brilliant. Paris seems to be a bit of a minefield with every travel blogger preferring a different district.
The Marais and Latin Quarter have come up a few times.
I don’t need a fancy area with views of the Eiffel Tower or anything but do want a nice hotel.

We’re not loaded so it will be on a budget which is why I’m starting to plan now as last minute stuff won’t work.

 

[metalguru]

I think if its 5 days and you don't want to do more than one destination, then Paris or Amsterdam would be your best bet. As noted above, the cost of accommodation for Amsterdam is eye-wateringly high. Personally, I'm a bit of an Amsterdam sceptic. It's a beautiful city no doubt - but just so touristified and not very good value for money as a short break.

If you were prepared to mix it up: Antwerp, Bruges and Ghent would be a good combination. I did that in 2019 and enjoyed it a lot. On their own though, none of these destinations would provide enough for 5 days though.

 

[Bahnhof Strasse]

Leuven: Flight-free travel: Leuven is easy to get to and a cycling paradise


Pigalle is the trendy place to stay in Paris right now. Booking.com is your friend.

 

[Looby]

I think if its 5 days and you don't want to do more than one destination, then Paris or Amsterdam would be your best bet. As noted above, the cost of accommodation for Amsterdam is eye-wateringly high. Personally, I'm a bit of an Amsterdam sceptic. It's a beautiful city no doubt - but just so touristified and not very good value for money as a short break.

If you were prepared to mix it up: Antwerp, Bruges and Ghent would be a good combination. I did that in 2019 and enjoyed it a lot. On their own though, none of these destinations would provide enough for 5 days though.

I think we’d do longer ideally but money, transport and paying a dog sitter rules it out.

Also with multi destination trips it feels more pressured to make the most of it rather than just pootle about, have some wine, do a boat trip, iyswim. I’d like it to be fun but chilled.

 

[spitfire]

I wrote this nearly 10 years ago on another thread and it looks like most of it stands current.

I can't remember what the bus suggestion was though...

moar: Good stuff in Paris?

I don't want to put a downer on the bus suggestion because it looks very cool but I've just spent 6 months living and working in the areas that bus runs through and I never saw one in that style. They may have finished the service. Definitely worth checking before planning.

On a more positive note, go to Harrys Bar on Rue D'Anou just down from Opera Garnier for a drink, amazing interior, been there for ever. Hemingway drank there.

I had planned to go on the guided tour of the Opera Garnier and when i saw the scale model in the Musee D'Orsay I realised the mistake I'd made, it looks well worth the visit.

There is a tiny museum opposite the Musee D'Orsay all about the Legion D'Honneur, which is presented to people from all walks of life, not just military. Free to get in and ignored by the vast majority.

If you are staying near the Gare du Nord then there is a covered market near Gare de l'Est Marché couvert Saint-Quentin that has some lovely food stalls.

Whilst on the subject of food there is a cluster of shops at the bottom of Rue des Martyrs at the junction of Rue Lamartine. Cheese, fruit and veg, rotisserie, more cheese and many other things. Depending on where you are in relation to the Gare du Nord then it may be within striking difference. If you could say I may have some more specific suggestions.

Also on Rue Lamartine at No. 7 is an amazing Turkish/Greek/Persian/Moroccan style deli/market thingy. You won't get dinner there but you will pick up some nice pastries, sweet and savoury. Baskets full of nuts and spices and all sorts.

Finally at the top of the Musee De L'Armee in the attic are a load of huge relief maps that Napoleon had made for his various campaigns, really detailed, very large. Some of them are bigger than flats I've lived in.

These are my recommendations, there may be better but this is from my personal experience and I like them.

Finally, the best bread I have ever eaten is from a bakery at the top of Rue d'Athenes near the junction of Rue d'Amsterdam. they sell a thing called "Crockys" and if you like your bread crusty, light and just on the right side of burnt you will die happy.

Extra finally, don't go to the aquarium, it's shit.

 

[Callie]

Looby Lille has a dog cafe Le Waf Café Chiens, situé à Lille

I like Lille, its french, has french food and drink but close to Belgium so plenty of beer and chocolate too. I guess it's like a less hectic mini Paris. Theres a big shopping centre near the Eurostar station. I've found it easy to get around on foot.

With Eurostar if you don't fancy a eurostarred town you can plan an onward train journey and go elsewhere and your covered if delays etc make you make SS your onward train.

We recently eurostarred to Brussels then went on an Xmas market expedition to a few places in Germany (Cologne v easy from Brussels).

If you want to adventure further than a eurostarred city check the maninseat61 website as he has lots of good advice.

My OH is contemplating using Eurostar as the start to get to Norway. More leave days than sense imo

 

[JTG]

Looby Lille has a dog cafe Le Waf Café Chiens, situé à Lille

I like Lille, its french, has french food and drink but close to Belgium so plenty of beer and chocolate too. I guess it's like a less hectic mini Paris. Theres a big shopping centre near the Eurostar station. I've found it easy to get around on foot.

With Eurostar if you don't fancy a eurostarred town you can plan an onward train journey and go elsewhere and your covered if delays etc make you make SS your onward train.

We recently eurostarred to Brussels then went on an Xmas market expedition to a few places in Germany (Cologne v easy from Brussels).

If you want to adventure further than a eurostarred city check the maninseat61 website as he has lots of good advice.

My OH is contemplating using Eurostar as the start to get to Norway. More leave days than sense imo

Yes, I Eurostared to Brussels and onto Cologne last summer (for an Iron Maiden gig obvs). V easy and Cologne is a delight, especially as I'd unwittingly landed there on Pride weekend so that was fun.

Brussels is rubbish but hey ho

I did look at going to Norway by ferry btw but was enraged to discover that I'd missed the last one from Newcastle by several years

 

[Numbers]

Amsterdam (which I love) has become stupendously expensive for accommodation.

When I was there in November I stayed out of town for the first time (Ibis Budget Amsterdam City South) and it was very reasonable (£185 for 2 nights with breakfast). The tram took about 20/25 mins to get into Leidseplein or a little longer into the heart of the Jordaan and was quite a regular service.

 

[Sasaferrato]

Amsterdam (which I love) has become stupendously expensive for accommodation.

Better staying a bit further out. I use the Bastion at Overamstel.

 

[scifisam]

I think if its 5 days and you don't want to do more than one destination, then Paris or Amsterdam would be your best bet. As noted above, the cost of accommodation for Amsterdam is eye-wateringly high. Personally, I'm a bit of an Amsterdam sceptic. It's a beautiful city no doubt - but just so touristified and not very good value for money as a short break.

If you were prepared to mix it up: Antwerp, Bruges and Ghent would be a good combination. I did that in 2019 and enjoyed it a lot. On their own though, none of these destinations would provide enough for 5 days though.

I'm the same about Amsterdam. Especially if you're not going to be smoking, I don't really know why people recommend it so much over Paris.

 

[Bahnhof Strasse]

I'm the same about Amsterdam. Especially if you're not going to be smoking, I don't really know why people recommend it so much over Paris.

If you want some Dutchness, Uttrecht is well worth a visit, it's actually properly Dutch rather than the playground that Amsterdam has become.

 

[ouirdeaux]

If you want even more Dutchness, you can visit Leeuwarden, where surprisingly few Dutch people from other areas seem to have been. More German than anglophone tourists, and not even all that many of those. Although the best way to get there is probably the Harwich-Hoek van Holland ferry, as a rail ticket from London Liverpool street is vaild for any Dutch station.

 

[dessiato]

I’d go to Belgium, it’s one of my favourite destinations, although I’ve not been for a while. I’d avoid Brussels, there’s not enough there to make it worth the trip. I also like Lille too.

 

[oryx]

Another vote for Ghent. We went there in September for three days/three nights and wished we'd had a bit longer.

 

[friendofdorothy]

Bruges is lovely. Easy to walk everywhere. Fab food and lovely beers, lots of cosy bars. Horse drawn carriage rides are romantic if you like that sort of thing.

 

[hash tag]

We went to Avignon, when you could get a direct Eurostar from London. I think you have to go via Paris now, so could do a day there then head south? Avignon was pretty good, with a couple of day trips out of the town itself.

Yep we did Arles on the same trip, on the same day as a tour of the Camargue, which was good. Pont du Gard and Chateau Neuf du Pape also within striking distance. Easiest and cheapest day out we did was a bus ride over the river to Villeneuve les Avignon. Avignon itself was doable in a couple of days (at most).

My immediate thought when seeing this thread was Avignon.
We did one of the first trips down there and I suspect we left from Waterloo. It was miserable when we boarded in London and absolutely glorious when we stepped of in Avignon.
I think we stayed down there for 2 weeks. Amongst other things, we went to Marseille to catch a stage of Le Tour.
Next time I would like to head down to Lyon.

 

[hash tag]

I'm the same about Amsterdam. Especially if you're not going to be smoking, I don't really know why people recommend it so much over Paris.

Not keen on Parisians who can be a bit xenophobic and racist and Paris is a big city.
With Amsterdam, everything is pretty much walkable, everyone speaks English, food is good and it has some of the best art anywhere; who doesn't like a Rembrandt?

 

[Sue]

Not really getting all the Avignon love. I mean it's okay but if you're only going for five days, adding an extra what four hours(?) each way from Paris seems not that great a use of the time available.

 

[hash tag]

Not really getting all the Avignon love. I mean it's okay but if you're only going for five days, adding an extra what four hours(?) each way from Paris seems not that great a use of the time available.

It is warmer, sunnier and friendlier than Paris and has more personality, oh, and a song

 

[Sue]

It is warmer, sunnier and friendlier than Paris and has more personality, oh, and a song

Paris is much more interesting. And in July, Paris will be pretty sunny/hot too.

 

[hash tag]

Paris is much more interesting. And in July, Paris will be pretty sunny/hot too.

Sorry Sue I have no love for Paris and don't find it friendly. I honeymooned there, have had holidays there, done day trips even, but no.

PS. Paris in July - The Tour De France finishes in Paris on Sunday, 23rd July, probably late afternoon. Paris will be heaving and many roads closed.

 

[Sue]

Sorry Sue I have no love for Paris and don't find it friendly. I honeymooned there, have had holidays there, done day trips even, but no.

PS. Paris in July - The Tour De France finishes in Paris on Sunday, 23rd July, probably late afternoon. Paris will be heaving and many roads closed.

I used to live in Paris and it's a great place.

 

[StoneRoad]

Oh, and avoid Bastille Day - 14th July - as it seems like the whole of France closes down for the Public Holiday.

I once made the mistake of arriving off the ferry on that day. Luckily, we had some supplies with us.

 

[Dr. Furface]

Oh, and avoid Bastille Day - 14th July - as it seems like the whole of France closes down for the Public Holiday.

I went to Paris for Bastille weekend once and had a great time, didn't seem closed down at all to me. That was 20 years ago though, so maybe it's different now?

It's a great city, but not recommended if you're on a tight budget.

 

[Flavour]

another vote for avignon if the train runs that far south in May

 

[hash tag]

Not really getting all the Avignon love. I mean it's okay but if you're only going for five days, adding an extra what four hours(?) each way from Paris seems not that great a use of the time available.

Sorry Sue Avignon could be winning.