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14 Days Babymoon Amsterdam Belgium Paris

My wife and I aren’t beach people, so we have chosen Amsterdam Belgium and Paris. Late June early July. We have 14 days there, question is… is this TOO MUCH TIME?

5 days Amsterdam with some day trips to other Dutch cities and countryside
4 days Belgium, two nights in Ghent or Bruges, two nights in Brussels? Maybe a day trip to Antwerp or even Luxembourg?
5 days Paris and maybe a day trip somewhere around there?

Is there another destination we can fit in that would be worth going to around these places? We are used to doing a lot and packing a lot in, but with her being pregnant maybe best not to doing as much this time have some laid back days in there. Any ideas would be appreciated.

Posted by
14612 posts

"is this TOO MUCH TIME?"

NO!!! Not to me, but I can easily spend 2 weeks in Paris without getting to everything on my to-do list.

My only pause about your plan is that the Olympics are in Paris this summer running from July 26-Aug 11. If you don't have your tickets yet, I'd do Paris first and end in Amsterdam to avoid Olympic stuff. I'd also plan to fly open jaw - in to Paris and out of Amsterdam. You'd book this on the website for your airline of choice under the tab for "multi-city" or "multi-destination". Hotel prices have shot up drastically for Paris this summer to look at that before you lock yourself into airline tickets.

For Belgium, I'd stay 2nights in Bruges and 2 nights in Ghent. I like Brussels OK, and actually long ago and far away spend a good bit of time there, but I think Ghent and Bruges have more charm.

Posted by
2 posts

To answer your question, it was much much cheaper to fly into Amsterdam first , so we are choosing there first. We will be leaving Paris two weeks before the Olympics start, although we will probably be affected a little bit by it in some ways I’m sure.

Posted by
1271 posts

Just be aware that people will be arriving in Paris for the Olympics long before the games start...athletes, support staff, media from all over the world, etc. This means higher lodging prices and less availability, some street and sights and metro stops possibly closed, so take that into consideration when you are booking your Paris stay (which you should do as soon as you can).
And this is not too much time. IMHO you could spend all of it in Paris and it wouldn't be too much. Five days for Amsterdam is good, and as Pam says, Bruges or Ghent outshine Brussels. I would give three days to either or both of these two.
If the Olympics in Paris don't intimidate you, add that extra day there and use it for a day trip (Versailles, Chartres, Giverny, Vaux le Vicomte, Reims.....lots of choices).
Also, remember that your arrival and departure days don't count as full days on the ground, just in case you weren't sure. And when counting days in a place, it is better to count nights (e.g. three nights mean two full days for sightseeing). Factor in travel time between destinations (checking out of hotel, getting to train station or airport, travel, arrival and getting to new lodging, checking in, etc.)

Any of these destinations can be laid back, depending on how you spend your time. Get some guidebooks from the library and figure out your must-sees or must-dos and factor in down time in there, at a cafe to people-watch, or to stroll along a canal or river.
Whatever you do, you don't have to shorten your trip, just pay attention to how you configure it.
Congratulations on the baby! And travel NOW! It may be a while before you are comfortable travelling again.

Posted by
302 posts

I would recommend doing some research about the Olympic impacts, even going a few weeks before they start. Not meant to be a downer whatsoever and I believe you can make the best out of just about any situation, but just would hate anyone to go into a Paris trip at that time without clear expectations! There are some great TikTokers who live in Paris who are sharing updates about closures before, during and after the Olympics.

Posted by
8854 posts

If you have reservations and feel good about the prices you are paying in Paris, then go for it! However, I might be tempted to take a different path than Paris this summer. Why not substitute Germany instead? I'd head for Munich......