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Bastille Day - Travel from Paris to Amsterdam

Posted by (Western NY) on

My first post, although I've been reading all the good advice here for some time. Planning a trip next summer (family of 5). Spending 5 days in London, then train to Paris. Spending 5 days in Paris, then train to Amsterdam, spending 3 days there before flying home. I have an extra 2 days & I'm toying with flying with Iceland Air & doing a 2 day stopover in Iceland at the beginning of the trip. If not, I would add an additional day each in London and Paris.

Plotting out my days & noticed that I have us taking the train to Amsterdam on Bastille Day. Will this be a problem? Hoping to arrange a taxi to the train station through the hotel. Would like to take a early train but haven't got so far as to look at train schedules. Would traffic or closures be a problem with traveling out of Paris on Bastille Day? Thanks for any advice!

Tina

Posted by
9565 posts

what part of the city is your hotel in? during the morning there is the parade on the Champs-Elysées and the staging area down at Concorde, so there are some street closures. Your taxi driver will know and be able to avoid them, but it could mean the other streets are more congested (then again, some people will be away on vacation, and there's no workday traffic, so it might not make any difference taking a longer route to the train station to avoid the parade stuff).

Posted by
85 posts

thanks djp_syd for the Belgium suggestion. I hadn't considered stopping there a few days there. I'll have to take a look at that.

Kim: don't have a hotel booked yet, although I have one in mind near the Army Museum/Napoleon's tomb.

Tina

Posted by
9565 posts

hi Tina -- from that area, your most direct route to the Gare du Nord would traverse exactly where you won't be able to go on that day. It just means your taxi driver will have to take a longer more circuitous route, not that you wouldn't be able to make it to the train station.

Posted by
8049 posts

Thalys tickets are much cheaper 3 mos out than close to time of travel; it may be too late, but I bet you will still get cheaper tickets now than later It costs about 35 Euro apiece if you buy them early and over 100 if you get them last minute.

Posted by
42 posts

The train was full two months ago when I traveled from Paris to Amsterdam and almost full on the return. I advise you buy ahead of time.

Posted by
85 posts

Thanks! I'll be sure to build in extra time for the taxi ride & to purchase our tix in advance. As soon as I can get my vacation time approved for next year I can really start planning!

Tina

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