Derwood

I'll be in Holland in a few weeks for a wedding, with 3 days to take side trips. One day will be spent in Amsterdam, but I'm looking at possibly doing an overnight somewhere else. I'm on a fairly limited budget.

My dream would be to do 36 hours in Paris. Not nearly enough time, I know, but I've never been. I can take a train from Roosendaal to Brussels, then to Paris, and get there in under 4 hours (for around $200US round trip). Youth Hostels in Paris range around $30 a night.

I'm getting an iamsterdam card for Amsterdam and was wondering if Paris offered something similar?

I read in the other Europe Vacation thread that people love Brussels, but my old college roommate had a 6 month internship there and didn't reccomend it. Some other options are Lille, France or maybe some towns in Germany.

Any reccomendations?

http://www.scantours.com/paris_visite_card.htm

I found that. Not nearly as good a deal as the amsterdam card. There is also a $39 museum pass which seems like a better bargain.

__________________
"You can't shoot a country until it becomes a democracy." - Willravel

snowy

The trip from Roosendaal to Brussels and onto Paris is actually a trip I've made. It's not a bad trip. The train from Brussels to Paris is the Thalys, a high-speed train that originates in Amsterdam. It's a nice train, but it is going to eat up over half your day, especially if your trip does not originate in Roosendaal.

You don't have to leave the Netherlands to see cool things. There are a lot of really interesting towns. When I was there I really liked the dichotomy of s'Hertogenbosch and Eindhoven. They are relatively close together, yet one still has its medieval city walls as well as a beautiful Gothic church (was a cathedral before the church started shrinking in the Netherlands) and the other is a modern urban center (mostly because it was heavily bombed in WWII). In s'Hertogenbosch there is also a little boat tour through town on the river that has been rerouted through canals. It's very interesting.

Here is a site about Den Bosch: http://www.binnendieze.nl/ Click on the British flag for the English-language site.

Also, if you get tired of Amsterdam while you're there, catch the train out to Haarlem. It's a little more authentically Dutch. If you want to go even further, the train runs out to Zandvoort, which is the beach all the urbanites flock to in summer. It's very windy, though, and cold!

__________________
If I am not better, at least I am different. --Jean-Jacques Rousseau

amonkie

I spent 3 days in Paris and 2 days in Brussels - Brussels itself is worth a stop. I was traveling by car and going from paris-Brussels - Amsterdam, and it was a days drive to Brussels, and a half day to Amsterdam.

In Brussels, we went to the major square, and the Atomium - definitely one of the neater places I have gone. Also the Parlimantary house and nearby gardens.

__________________
Calling from deep in the heart, from where the eyes can't see and the ears can't hear, from where the mountain trails end and only love can go... ~~~ Three Rivers Hare Krishna

Derwood

I've been to Holland 3 times already, so I've seen about all there is to see.

The Thalys takes up half the day? According to the schedules on the Eurorail website, the trip from Roosendal to Brussels was about 80 minutes, and from Brussels to Paris another 90 or so....

__________________
"You can't shoot a country until it becomes a democracy." - Willravel

snowy

Well, between waiting in Roosendaal for the train that was late, we barely made it to the platform on time to catch the Thalys, since it was (naturally) on time. We got out of the station about 2 hours after leaving Brussels, and then it was another half an hour or so on the Metro and walking to get to our hotel (rush hour). So if you can avoid the Metro or stay close to the Gare du Nord, do so. It did eat up our day, but I'm betting they've improved service a lot since 2000.

Paris isn't really a city to do overnight, and I think you're crazy to try, but it is a wonderful place to see. Personally, I'd go back even if I could only spend an afternoon there. My can't-miss from Paris is the Sainte-Chapelle. What a beautiful Gothic chapel: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sainte_Chapelle Notably, it's right around the corner from Notre Dame and the Latin Quarter, and not a far walk from the Louvre.

__________________
If I am not better, at least I am different. --Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Derwood

Oh, I know that Paris can't be done overnight, but I'm planning a very specific (and very simple) itinerary that won't have me going all over the city. I'm sure I'll be back for a longer period of time in the future. Just want to whet my appetite

__________________
"You can't shoot a country until it becomes a democracy." - Willravel

Derwood

Can someone tell me which train station in Paris the Thalys from Brussels arrives in?

__________________
"You can't shoot a country until it becomes a democracy." - Willravel

snowy

The Gare du Nord--same as the Eurostar.

__________________
If I am not better, at least I am different. --Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Derwood

you rock, thank you very much. Where is that in relation to the Louvre? What's my best route? I see the #4 line leaves Gare du Nord, but do I need to transfer somewhere to get to the area with the Louvre?

Also, does anyone have experience with hostels? Are dorm-style hostels safe? The best rate I've found has 4 beds in one room (sharing a bathroom). I'm only staying one night, so I don't have to worry about a lot of luggage or anything. Suggestions? (the private rooms are expensive for a single traveller, as they usually have a double bed, meaning they charge you for 2 people)

__________________
"You can't shoot a country until it becomes a democracy." - Willravel

Derwood

I booked the Hostel (just $29!!).

I also just sold an item on eBay for about $550, so now I'm looking for reccomendations for a good restaurant in either the Louvre area or Montmartre. I want a good meal!

__________________
"You can't shoot a country until it becomes a democracy." - Willravel

Derwood

I had a wonderful time! Didn't do Amsterdam, but Paris was just awesome.

__________________
"You can't shoot a country until it becomes a democracy." - Willravel