Itinerary travel method and sequence for France, Belgium and Amsterdam

On what date do you fly back home, and from which airport?

Go to Normandy straight from Paris on the train stay in Bayeux. Buy a tour or rent a car so you can go to My St Michel. From there go to Paris and then to Brugges by train and then to the Netherlands by train.

Buy a round trip air that has you flying into Paris and back home from Amsterdam. This is called an open jaw ticket.

we already have round trip flight to and from Paris (made before we added Hague visit to friends) 8/29-9/19. What I am thinking is taking train from Paris to Bayeux (or Caen?)on 4th, rent a car for time in Normandy area,hopefully 3 days. then take a train from that area to Amsterdam . I would be happy if we could do all of trip by train with exception of Normandy.

"Buy a round trip air that has you flying into Paris and back home from Amsterdam. This is called an open jaw ticket."

Important: to find these flights, use the "multi city" or "multiple destinations" option on a booking site (whether Kayak, Google Flights, KLM, etc). You won't find them under the "round trip" option.

Most train connections from Normandy to Belgium require returning to Paris and changing stations there to catch the rather expensive Thalys train at Paris Gare de Nord. However, if you look, you can also find a few departures that connect more easily at Arras (to an afternoon TGV to Brussels) or at Amiens and Lille. You could also drop your rental car at Lille and take a shorter train ride from there to Ghent or Bruges.

Looking Up Train Schedules and Routes Online gives you the Deutsche Bahn train schedule link and tips for using it.

Thank you all for the suggestions. After looking at our timeline I am thinking that we will take train from Paris to Bruges. From Bruges (through Brussells) to Amsterdam. returning on train from Amsterdam to Lille and then start driving trip through Normandy part of trip and drop car off back in Paris at De gaulle. Or if we can avoid driving in Paris drop car somewhere else and take train to Paris. This is opposite of original itinerary but we want more time in Normandy and we have to be in Amsterdam area on particular date.

We have already got round trip tickets to Paris so need to fly out of there. Does that sound feasible. Also does anyone know the train strike situation in France?

We have updated our itinerary and will now travel from Paris to Bruges on September 5 and leave on 8th to Amsterdam via train. We will be in Amsterdam and Hague until September 12th. We will be heading to Normandie area then and probably stay in Bayeux. Would like to take train out of Amsterdam to smaller town on way where we could rent a car which we want for touring in Normandie area. Would like to drop off car and take train to CDG on 18th. Any suggestions on good place to pick up car and drop off. Trying to avoid driving in any large congested towns if possible.

I was so excited to find some other travelers my age and thought we could meet up, same interests. I will be in that same area 8/6-9/7. An then I reread your post, darn. Have a great time!

Deborah

I was so excited to find some other travelers my age and thought we could meet up, same interests. I will be in that same area 8/6-9/7. An then I reread your post, darn. Have a great time!

Deborah

Deborah what a coincidence. Have a lot of relatives in Independence and spent all of my summers there during my childhood. Know any Wingates? Sorry we can't meet.