hi. we are seeking to fly into berlin next October and then go to belgium and luxembourg and on to Reims and then Paris where hubs will fly home and i will join a work group.
ideas on days needed and what to see. probably just Bruges, Ghent? and Antwerp? we’ve been to Germany before a few times and france so just hitting spots we haven’t done before
So, what haven't you done in Berlin that remains on your to do list? I would let that drive how long you stay there. If you are a fan of impressionist art and have not been to https://www.museum-barberini.de/ I would suggest a day or half day in Potsdam.
As for the rest of your trip, I'm sure you'll get lots of ideas from others with more knowledge of Belgium, Lux, and France than I have.
Brussels is worth visiting to see the Grand Place and its several excellent museums. Just don't pick Monday when those museums are all closed.
Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp are all very much worth visiting.
I’ve been to many of Europe’s biggies and I count Berlin among the best of the best. A fascinating place with rich history, fine museums. Spent a week there and could have stayed longer.
Also been to Belgium and I rate it like this:
Ghent > Bruges > Antwerp > Brussels
I’m sure you’ll get differing opinions on my ranking though. A lot like Bruges but be ready for sizable crowds.
Have you already done Paris or is this part of the trip? Paris, like Berlin, could keep you busy.
You also never mentioned how you get your jollies, how much time you have, etc.
Thanks for suggestions and for giving me opportunity to clarify.
Never been to Berlin so it's tops on list and first stop- 3 full days there. We then have 6 more days including travel time until I need to be in Paris - we've been to Paris before and I have several more days there with work group and hubs is fine with spending more time in Reims. Do we need 3 days in Reims? We are champagne lovers and I know the cathedral is a must.
Biggest question - should we leave Belgium for another time and go straight to Luxembourg and Reims? Or just drive through Luxembourg on way and make a short stop for lunch or something?
Also - Berlin to Brugges/Luxembourg and beyond - car or train? We will likely train into Paris from Reims just because of car rental hassles.
Car rental - a cross-border drop-off can be a lot more expensive, so do a few mock bookings with the booking tool. However, a car will be a life saver when getting to Luxembourg, which is notoriously difficult to get to. The train from Brussels to Luxembourg takes three hours because it stops at every station, whereas a car will take just a fraction of the time. A car is also good for travelling through the Ardennes (south-eastern corner of Belgium), which does not have good rail connections either, but is pretty and worth seeing. How (and where) you travel depends on whether you are prepared to swallow the cross-border fees.
Lavandula
I have done this from Paris, driving from there to Reims and then on to Dinant. We loved the time in and around Reims. From Dinant we drove North to Brugge and later dropped the car in Amsterdam.
In your case, I would consider travelling from Berlin, through Luxembourg to Dinant and then on through the Ardennes to Reims. This is a wonderful area to visit, but in the Ardennes, the lingering images of the war will grip you.
