Hi all
We will be spending 4-5 days in Normandy in May (with a car), after which we'd like to head to Belgium and spend an equal amount of time in Ghent (or possibly Bruges or Antwerp). We'd like to drop the car off before we leave France and train the rest of the way. I'm thinking it's best to drive to Lille, drop the car and then train to Ghent. It will be a long day.
Any advice would be appreciated.
DD
We went in the opposite direction, so just reversing what we did should give you the excellent results we had. We were going from Belgium to Normandy, and took the train to Lille, and picked up our car there. Dropping off your car in Lille and going by train from there will work well. Have a great trip!
I consider Normandy-Lille to be an annoyingly long drive. But many posters here love driving past dozens of attraction billboards for nice towns that would take 15-20 minutes each way to get into and park. I have been told here that it is no longer necessary to take three trains to visit Lille from Antwerp, which I did in the 2000's. Even a busy place like "Little Paris" has its attractions. (I went for the Palais de Beaux Arts.)
You might get to Antwerp on one premium train. Gent would take two.
How long you have to drive depends where you start in Normandy. The drive as Tim already remarks can be long and boring, especially between Rouen and Lille. Halfway between the two places the cathedral of Amiens and it’s Saint-Leu district is worth a stop. Closer to Lille the two main squares of Arras are not to miss and if WWI is of interest you can visit Vimy Ridge. Lille itself is worth hanging around too.
Some local trains from Lille Flanders to Ghent just taking 1h and 13min with a change in Kortrijk, that’s the same as the fastest highspeed train from Lille Europe with a change in Brussels. Is much cheaper, you don’t have to buy tickets in advance and lesser worry about departure times.
If you haven't been there before, I'd suggest two days in Bruges, two in Ghent, and one in Antwerp.
It is a 4:45 drive with dull scenery except the Normandie Bridge crossing and some bits before Amiens.
Amiens is worth a stop, but a stop to visit the cathedral and the city centre will take about three hours once you consider the time needed to get off the highway and park.
If you do not visit it during your Normandy stay, a better stop in terms of time management would be Honfleur: the main parking lot is a 5-minute drive from the A29 highway, and a one-hour stop already provides a good overview of the harbor and surrounding landmarks.
With respect to the previous poster, my travel style does not favor frequent hotel changes. In Flanders, it is not necessary to change hotels to visit anywhere between Bruges (or even Ostend) and Mechelen. Indeed, you'd miss many small gems, like Leuven or Mechelen if you don't take daytrips. It can be annoying to wait in line for a daily train ticket at peak hours, I'll admit. Some have reported success at the ticket machines with American credit cards, but not me. I happen to prefer sleeping in Antwerp, because it's nicer than Brussels and has more to do than most of the other cities in the area.
In fairness, there are those that consider waking up in Bruges before the daytrippers arrive to be a religious experience. That just doesn't include me.
Leuven is fantastic. No need to limit yourself to a day trip, though. My gf and I have spent New Year's Eve there and it's awesome. Still looking forward to Mechelen.
Thanks to all of you for your advice, especially as we've not been to this part of France before. We have some time so will look into the stops you've mentioned and the day trips you suggest. Many thanks.
DD
