Amsterdam, Brussels, Bruge, Paris....How many nights each?

This sounds fine although I honestly would take the two nights from Brussels and add them to Amsterdam and Paris (one each).

Brussels just isn’t that exciting, and that saves you one moving in and moving out action.

Brussels is lost vacation time imo. That would give u 2 xtra days elsewhere ie day trip from Amsterdam ie Haarlem or Delft.

You can do Brussels as a day trip on the way to Paris; the train station at Brussels Midi has lockers; but I would stay in Ghent or Bruges.

Do you have experience with group travel? It is different from one couple.

Brussels is only important for some art museums. Bruges-Gent-Antwerp are all more interesting and well connected by unreserved, frequent trains.

Paris can never be exhausted.

I'd also drop Brussels - except perhaps as a stop-off for a day when travelling to Paris if timings work. Instead I'd add that time to other parts of Belgium, especially Ghent, or Paris itself (not my favourite destination by any means; but I won't deny Paris has almost enough to see in a four night stop and also has a small number of good day-trip options when you've inevitably had enough of the city itself).

On the other hand, since you've been to all these places before except Amsterdam, you presumably know what to expect, so your plan is fine and I'd make Amsterdam four not three nights since you have the choice because there is plenty to see in Amsterdam and there are worthwhile day-trips (but I'd still drop Brussels and visit somewhere else in Belgium you haven't been before!)

Thank you all so much....I was waffling a bit on Brussels myself - I keep trying to think of the trip through the eyes of the others who haven't been to any of these places. If we eliminate Brussels (except perhaps as a brief stop to hit the Grand Platz...) and we have have 4 nights each in Amsterdam and Paris...should we :
1)Stay 2 nights in Brugge as originally planned? Or add 1 night in Ghent or do 3 days in Brugge with a day trip to Ghent?
2)Should we increase either Amsterdam or Paris to 5 nights? Or both if it doesn't blow the budget...
3)How would you plan the itinerary if you were doing this type of small group travel? (We 6 went to Ireland last year with my husband driving and us staying 2 nights each in 5 different towns so we learned a bit about herding cats and keeping to a (flexible) schedule...)
4)Not to throw a monkey wrench into the works but if you had the choice, would you do London instead of Paris?
Thanks!

I always think it is a poorer plan to combine UK and the Continent. Are the herded cats agitating for an English speaking land?

Note that conventional trains to Brussels stop 200 yards from Grand Place, at Bruxelles Centrale. Thalys trains give a free transfer to a local Brussels train to Centrale but stop one station away at Zuid/Midi station.

I prefer Paris but both big cities of the world are worth "a week." Amsterdam had even easier daytrips than Paris if some Cats get bored.

I would also concur that dividing your time between Paris & Amsterdam would be delightful. We were recently in Amsterdam for 5 nights and felt we we saw everything that was on our list. It is also a city to just wander and take in the ambience and culture. As previously suggested it lends to a day trip to Haarlem or beyond.

Ah, Paris. It also deserves time to explore. Another 5 nights or longer? We never ran out of things to do. May/early June should be wonderful. As I always say "less is more." Enjoy your planning!

Paris and Amsterdam are two of my favorite cities. There are tons of day trips from both I'd split 50/50
Brugge was cute but we were there 3 nights and I think 2 nights too long. Brussels - well you already took that off. I would not replace Paris with London.

I agree that splitting the trip between just two stops, Amsterdam and Paris would give you the unhurried trip you are looking for. This would minimize moving/traveling, which can be more of a challenge when there are more than two involved.

There's way more to do in each location than you can possibly fit in. I love both cities. The Anne Frank house is a must see. I highly recommend you book a skip the line tour or tickets.

Everyone's input has been incredibly helpful. I think I have worked out an itinerary that makes everyone in the group happy...
4 nights in Amsterdam (Orientation walking tour, day and evening boat cruises, Rijksmuseum and Van Gogh museum, Anne Frank House, Red Light district tour, general exploration...)
Morning Thalys Train to...
2 nights in Bruge (for my sister who wants the fairy tale feels...) (Walking tour, maybe boat cruise, climb the clock tower, if we feel we covered most of the ground here maybe hop the train over to Ghent for a few hours...although I figured Bruge would be the most relaxed part of the trip so maybe just hang there..)
Morning Thalys Train to...
5 nights in Paris (Eiffel Tower, Louvre, Sacre Coeur, Musee D'Orsay, Musee de l'Orangerie, Pere Lachaise Cemetary, Notre Dame, Jardin de Tuileries, Arc de Triomphe, Champs-Elysees, Maybe boat ride on the Seine...maybe the Catacombs and/or Moulin Rouge Probably can't fit all those in but will fit in what we can...)

If anyone notices any problems with this itinerary or the the activities/attractions please let me know....and again thanks for all the help!

Do you understand that international trains to Brugge require a change in Brussels or in Antwerp? That's not hard or bad, but it IS luggage handling and cat herding. Some premium tickets (like Thalys) may offer an extra price Any Belgian Station option, but that does not eliminate train changes.

I admit that I have not trained from Amsterdam to Brugge, but I have changed for Brugge!

I've taken the train from Brussels to Bruge (as well as Brussels to Paris and to London) and I remember the trains were clean, efficient and pretty easy to navigate - however, none of those trips required a change of trains. I have to figure out if the Thalys 2nd class ticket allows you to get off in Brussels (coming from Bruge) for an hour or two and then catch a later train to complete the trip to Paris. Or if it might be a local from Bruge to Brussels and then switch to Thalys. I assume we have to travel into Brussels from Amsterdam to change for the local train to Bruge? Yikes! I have to go check the train schedules between the cities....and I have already told the cats that they HAVE to travel light - (backpacks! no regular suitcases - because we have to jump on and off trains and store the luggage in overhead bins so...less is more...and everyone is responsible for toting all their stuff from place to place themselves!) I've learned this the hard way and each trip I take, I find I pack less and less (especially multiple pairs of shoes - I try to go with just 2 pairs now. Screw fashion. Cobblestone streets/steep stairs and heels do not mix!

Just did similar trip in October with 6 Adults and a 4 year old. 3 nights Amsterdam, 2 nights Bruges, 3 nights Paris, 2 nights Reykavick. 3 of us had already been to Paris, Bruges, and Amsterdam, multiple times hence only 3 nights in Paris and Amsterdam. Two nights in Bruges is about the right amount of time if you do not do any day trips. 3 if you are doing day trips or biking the canals. Look for discounts in Bruges for people staying overnight. They are encouraging overnight stays. This is the second time we took the train. We took the Thalys from Amsterdam to Brussels Zuid and then changed to a local train to Bruges. No need for rushing at the station as the Thalys is parked just opposite the local trains to Bruges. It was a very short walk even for a 4 year old. On the Thalys: We did great with carrying size wheelie bags and small backpacks for our day bag. The carryon size fits perfectly on the overhead shelf in the train. Be a smart train rider and know the train car and seat number. Board the door nearest your seat number otherwise you are carrying your luggage and or backpack the length of the car.
Took the local train from Bruges back to Brussels then onto Paris. Again Bruges platform was very close to Thalys Platform. We were lucky and got the middle seats in the car and sat face to face with a table between us. Remember they have food, wine, beer for purchase on the Thalys. We bought some and also picked up some sandwiches at a bakery before hand. Eating on the train was fun and a time saver. Fun trip. The 4 year old was the best traveler she even pulled her own wheelee bag on occasion. I would definitely skip Brussels and do 4 nights in Amsterdam and 4 nights in Paris. Oops and 2 or 3 nights in Brugge!!

Not to throw a wrench into the machinery but to put a plug in for Bruges...

We spent 4 nights/3.5 days there - with a day trip to Gent - and found PLENTY to do. If interested in history, architecture and art, you can too. I think there's a lot of corners in that little city that many visitors miss. I'm not a huge fan of Amsterdam but you should be fine with 3-4 nights. There's a lot to see in Paris, even with skipping Versailles, so 4 nights might not be enough depending on your interests.

One head's up, since you'll be traveling in late May? The Procession of the Holy Blood (read up on this as it's a UNESCO-recognized event dating back to 1303) takes place annually in Bruges on Ascension Day, which is May 21st in 2020. It's a very big deal, crowds will be heavy, and trains into Bruges will be packed (been there; done that!!) At the same time, if you are staying there on the day of the procession, it's an interesting cultural event to observe!

https://www.bloedprocessiebrugge.be/en/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Procession_of_the_Holy_Blood

Edited a date error.

I like Ghent more than Bruges. You can stay in either and day trip to the other and to Brussels and Antwerp. Ghent is less touristy than Bruges and the Gothic architecture floodlit after dark is beautiful. As a bonus, Ghent is cheaper than Bruges. AFAIK you have to change trains to get to either from A'dam (Antwerp or Brussels) and in Brussels to Paris.

Keeping it simple, you could spend all your time in A'dam and Paris and add day trips. From A'dam: Delft, The Hague, Rotterdam, Utrecht, and more. From Paris, champagne in Reims, cathedral in Chartres, and the gardens at Giverny should be wonderful in early June, then spend a little time exploring Vernon before taking the train back.

Having just done a couple trips with visiting friends, I have a couple suggestions.

1) use TripIt app for itinerary. You can add users so everyone can see itinerary, times, trains, etc. while you can do a spreadsheet or emails, they are hard to update once you are traveling or lost in a multitude of emails.

2) Use TripSplitter app to track shared expenses. So if you are booking train tickets for group, you can enter purchase and whose expense is to be shared with, and split evenly, or assign actual costs. Then app keeps track if who owes who what. We had friend with us for 12 days, and we decided we would split meals evenly, and instead of asking restaurants to split bill on credit card one of us would pay. For up front purchases, your friends can reimburse you before the trip. For more than two splitters, I believe you need to pay for upgraded app version.
3) Learn quickly who is punctual and who us not. You may need to “fib” about departure time, for those who are perpetually “on time” challenged.

4) Make sure your friends understand importance if traveling light.

It takes about 2 days to exhaust the charms of Amsterdam. Pairs is best visited by going to Prague instead, but people can't escape the phony Paris hype, so go for2-3 nights. Then, since you have experience herding cats, fast train to Strausbourg, rent a car to explore Alsace & the nearby Black Forest.