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The red-brick Gothic Revival facade of St Pancras station in London, with its spires and clock tower under a cloudy sky

Trip itinerary · Western Europe

Western Europe in two weeks by train: London, Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam

Fly into London, fly home from Amsterdam, and ride high-speed trains from one city center to the next: four places in 13 nights, with no airport transfers between them.

  • 14 days · 13 nights
  • By train
  • Best time: April to June, or September to October
  • London → Amsterdam
See the route
Photo: Elliott Brown from Birmingham, United Kingdom · CC BY-SA 2.0
  1. 1London4 nights
  2. About 2.5 hours
  3. 2Paris4 nights
  4. About 1.5 hours
  5. 3Brussels2 nights
  6. About 2 hours
  7. 4Amsterdam3 nights

Why this route

This route links four of Western Europe’s best-loved cities with short, comfortable train rides between them: London, Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam. Every move goes from one city-center station to the next, so there are no airport journeys between cities, and the longest ride takes about two and a half hours.

With four bases instead of five, you unpack less and see more of each place. London and Paris get four nights each, Brussels is a relaxed stop with Bruges and Ghent close by, and Amsterdam rounds the trip off at a slower pace. We only suggest ideas for each stop, so you decide how much to fit in.

The journey

London → Amsterdam

  1. London → ParisTrain · About 2.5 hours
  2. Paris → BrusselsTrain · About 1.5 hours
  3. Brussels → AmsterdamTrain · About 2 hours
Route map: London → Paris → Brussels → Amsterdam.1London4 nights2Paris4 nights3Brussels2 nights4Amsterdam3 nights
Schematic route; actual distances between cities vary. · Natural Earth
Big Ben’s clock tower lit against a deep blue dusk sky in London, with the Houses of Parliament in silhouette and streaks of traffic light below
Photo: Colin · CC BY-SA 4.0

Why it is on the route

Four nights lets you see the classic landmarks without rushing and still have time for a market, a show or a walk along the river. London is huge, so pick one or two areas for each day and use the Tube for the rest. It is also the easiest place to start, because the language is familiar and the train to Paris leaves from a central station, so moving on is easy.

Things you could do

  • Westminster: Big Ben, Parliament and Westminster Abbey
  • The Tower of London and Tower Bridge
  • The British Museum
  • A walk along the South Bank to Borough Market
  • A West End show
  • Buckingham Palace and St James’s Park

Day trips

  • Greenwich and its observatory, by river or train
  • Windsor Castle (check the opening days, as it is closed on some weekdays)
  • Oxford or Cambridge by train
Our itinerary · 5 daysFive days in London, with the Thames in the plan

Getting to Paris

London → ParisTrain · About 2.5 hours

Take a high-speed train from London St Pancras International to Paris Gare du Nord.

When to leave: Mid-morning after check-out, so you reach Paris in the early afternoon (it is an hour ahead of London) and can drop your bags before check-in; arrive at the station early to allow for passport checks.

  • Passport checks, for leaving the UK and entering France and the wider Schengen area, happen before you board in London, so leave plenty of time. The UK is outside the Schengen area and has its own entry rules, so check what you need before you travel.
  • International high-speed trains need a reserved seat, so book ahead in busy months.
The Eiffel Tower rising above the rooftops of Paris, with the Seine and its bridges below
Photo: ThePromenader · CC BY-SA 3.0

Why it is on the route

Paris has the most to choose from: great museums, famous landmarks and neighborhoods made for wandering. Four nights lets you pick a couple of big sights, leave space for a long lunch, and still see how Parisians live.

Things you could do

  • The Eiffel Tower and the Trocadéro viewpoint
  • The Louvre, if you pick a few rooms rather than try for all of it
  • Notre-Dame and Sainte-Chapelle on and around the Île de la Cité
  • The Musée d’Orsay and its Impressionists
  • Montmartre and Sacré-Cœur
  • A walk along the Seine and through the Marais

Day trips

  • The Palace of Versailles and its gardens (closed on Mondays)
  • Giverny, Monet’s garden, in the warmer months
Our itinerary · 3 daysThree days in Paris, without overstuffing it

Getting to Brussels

Paris → BrusselsTrain · About 1.5 hours

Take a high-speed train from Paris Gare du Nord to Brussels-Midi.

When to leave: Mid-morning after check-out, so you reach Brussels around lunchtime and have the afternoon free.

  • Seats are reserved when you buy, so book ahead in busy months. Brussels-Midi is the main international station, and the city center is a short metro ride or walk away.
The ornate gilded guildhalls on Brussels’ Grand-Place under a blue sky
Photo: Theedi · CC BY-SA 4.0

Why it is on the route

Brussels is a modest, easygoing capital, and two nights is enough for its famous square, a few museums and good food. It is also a handy base for medieval Bruges and Ghent, which are short train rides away, so decide whether you want a city day or a day trip.

Things you could do

  • The Grand-Place and its guildhalls
  • The Manneken Pis and the nearby old streets
  • The Royal Museums of Fine Arts (the Old Masters and the Magritte Museum)
  • The Atomium and the Heysel area
  • The Comic Strip Center and the city’s murals
  • The Sablon district and its chocolate shops

Day trips

  • Bruges, a medieval canal town, by train
  • Ghent, a lively university city and its castle

Getting to Amsterdam

Brussels → AmsterdamTrain · About 2 hours

Take a direct train from Brussels-Midi to Amsterdam Centraal.

When to leave: Mid-morning after check-out, so you reach Amsterdam around lunchtime and can drop your bags before check-in.

  • Two direct trains run this route in about two hours. The high-speed train goes to Amsterdam Centraal and comes with a reserved seat. The other, a slower direct train, arrives at Amsterdam Zuid, south of the center, and has no reserved seats, so check which station your booking shows.
  • Weekend engineering works sometimes change this route, so check the journey planner a week or so before you go.
Rows of tall brick canal houses along an Amsterdam canal, with a houseboat moored in front
Photo: Ernest McGray, Jr. · CC BY-SA 2.0

Why it is on the route

Amsterdam is small and walkable, so three nights covers the canal ring, a major museum or two and an unhurried evening in a neighborhood café, and leaves room for a day trip. It is a gentle place to end a busy trip, and you leave from the airport a short train ride from the center.

Things you could do

  • The Rijksmuseum and its Dutch masters
  • The Van Gogh Museum
  • The Anne Frank House
  • A canal cruise, or a walk around the canal ring
  • The Jordaan neighborhood and its small streets
  • Vondelpark and the Albert Cuyp market in De Pijp

Day trips

  • Haarlem, an easy train ride away
  • The Zaanse Schans windmills
  • Keukenhof’s tulip gardens, from mid-March to early May only
Our itinerary · 4 daysFour days in Amsterdam, with room for the neighborhoods to breathe

With more or fewer days

If you have 10 days

Skip Brussels and give London, Paris and Amsterdam 4, 3 and 2 nights, for 9 nights in total. Fly into London and out of Amsterdam, with direct trains in between.

If you have 3 weeks

Add a night each in London, Paris and Brussels, two more in Amsterdam, and two in Bruges or Ghent on the way to Amsterdam (one change of train, about three hours in all), which makes 20 nights.

Before you book

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