2 extra days in Belguim, where to spend it!

It would be super helpful to know what you already have planned as well as what your interests are.
If you are already planning to be in Dinant, I would suggest a tour of the Bulge or a drive to Reims. You mention Luxembourg which somewhat implies that you are planning to be in that area.

Welcome to this board with your first post.

It would be helpful to post your current itinerary, if you want advice with it.

Sorry, good point.

Amsterdam - April 3-5th
Move to Ghent - April 5th - 9th
Open April 9-11th
April 11th we are booked at a hotel near the Brussels airport as we leave out early Friday morning the 12th

Right now we are booked in Ghen through the 11th but want to add something the 9th and 10th.

That is why we are trying to decide to go to Luxumbourg area for those days then to Brussels or Paris and try and hit the Lorie valley wine trip.

Thank you

If your current plan only gives you 2 full days in Amsterdam and if you haven't been to Amsterdam before and/or you might want to do a day trip from Amsterdam to see Tulips for example, I would suggest adding a day or 2 to Amsterdam if you can change your Gent plans. I think 4 nights in Gent is good and allows for a day trip to Bruges or Antwerp if you want.

I think I would just be tempted to concentrate on where you will be. Either more time in Belgium, as mentioned, or hitting one of the smaller towns in the Netherlands.

If you really want to venture out, then look at Aachen or Cologne in Germany. Easy direct connection from Brussels, and you get some German flavor to the trip.

You simply do not have the time to traipse off to a wine region in France, even Paris, in essentially what would be a day, would be too much. Luxembourg, to pass through, to tick it off your country list is fine, but not high on the list.

Thanks for the thoughts! WE just thought the train to Paris is actually less time than to Cologne and we would have most of Tuesday, all of Wednesday (Take a tour to Lorie Valley) and the morning on the 11th there before heading back to Brussels. I guess no matter what we do it will be short and sweet!

Thanks again.

If you arrive on April 3 and leave for Ghent on April 5, you basically only have one full day in Amsterdam. In general one full day in Amsterdam is not enough. You need at least 2. And if you want to see the tulips, you’ll need a day extra.
I don’t know how much is set in stone but I would stay in Amsterdam from April 3 until April 7 and spend the remainder of your time in Ghent.

I think you are making a few mistaken assumptions. So you may want to look into the actual facts before considering any plans to be firm. I mean start with Google Maps for distances, and look at destinations for photos and desirability. Also look at climate websites for sunrise, sunset, daily temperatures, and days of rain per month.

1)As another noted, Amsterdam is good for five to seven days for a first-time visit. And that could include one or two full day outings by cheap unreserved train, to places like Delft, Leiden, Alkmaar, or a few other places less than an hour away. There are special busses during the short (six week) season for Keukenhof, which is a must-see. https://keukenhof.nl/en/

2)It is not necessary to change hotels to make similar daytrips from Ghent (or Antwerp, or Brussels) to the popular destinations of Bruges and Antwerp, among others. I can guarantee everyone will ask you when you get back, "Did you like Bruges?" It can be hard to get to BRU early at a low cost. But there are direct trains from downtown Brussels, if they suit the departure time you didn't give.

3)A daytrip to the Loire is a long train ride from Paris (almost 2 hours each way), assuming you have gotten to Paris. This is a poor use of your time, because Paris, like Amsterdam, is worth a full week for a first visit. This is not the best way to visit the Loire, which has 15 or more Chateaux that people like to visit.

4)There's nothing wrong with Luxembourg, but your trip is quite rushed. I don't think it's worth the time and effort.

5)There's a good chance that the train to Cologne is much cheaper than the fast train to Paris. Maybe that's not important. Cologne is good for two days of sightseeing, much less than Paris, but I like Cologne at lot.

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/germany/can-i-see-enough-of-cologne

6)Is this going to be your only trip to Europe in your lifetime?

Have you seen our host (here) free travel tips, top left:
https://www.ricksteves.com/travel-tips

EDIT:
7) The next post makes a good point about Cologne, although he's wrong about it being a minor city. While I think other places in Belgium and the NL are a better use of your time, Cologne is famous for how close everything (almost) is to the Hauptbahnhof. Paris is a massive city, with lots of travel needed between sights. Amsterdam has good trams too, but a lot of Amsterdam can be seen by walking, and you're in a hurry.

Yes, the train to Paris is 20 minutes faster than the one to Cologne, but Cologne is much more compact, you can get a hotel a short distance from the station, and most of what you want to see is within a dozen blocks. The 20 minutes saved would be more than offset getting from Paris Nord to anywhere in Paris.

Admittingly, Cologne would be mainly the cathedral, the pedestrian center, a couple other museums, a bit of the river, some Kolsch beer and German food. If that does not interest, then yeah, other destinations would do.

To each their own. I would not consider more than a few days in Amsterdam. That would be enough to get a feel for the place. You may then decide if you want full immersion on a future trip. I would shift the entire schedule so that you could be in Amsterdam for Kings day. It is on April 27th this year. Kings day offers a very different opportunity explore.
Keukenhof would be on my list to visit. I have been to/seen many of the most incredible places in Europe/Asia/ the US. Keukenhof is on my list of favorites.
If you are already dialed in to such a short visit, Luxembourg or Paris do not make much sense. Paris needs a longer visit and Luxembourg is no more lovely than many other places that you could enjoy in Belgium or the Netherlands. Save it for another trip.