We are sailing to Southampton in the later part of April, 2019. Our plans are to visit Amsterdam, Bruges, Ghent, Antwerp, and Paris (where we've been before); then fly back from London-where we will spend a few days (been there, too). We cannot figure out which way to do this trip, i.e. go north to Amsterdam, or across to Paris, and whether we need to fly either to or from Amsterdam. Any advice would help. We enjoy small B&B's and have 3 weeks to incorporate all. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. One important part of the trip is WWI & WWII sites (already did Normandy). Thank you!
Posted by
Seattle, WA, USA ☔️
6788 posts
Couple things...
Your cruise ship docks in Southampton. Since you'll be starting in the UK, it seems crazy to circle back there at the end of your trip. Is there some reason you need/choose to do that? FWIW flights from London generally tend to be more expensive than flights from any other major European gateway (the UJ charges especially high fees for the privilege of leaving from, there). Amsterdam (or Brussels) tend to be less expensive (lower government-imposed fees). From a cost and efficiency standpoint, I'd do the UK and London first, train to Paris, train to Belgium and Netherlands, and fly home from there.
Posted by
Wyckoff, NJ, USA
7295 posts
In round numbers, Paris, London, and Amsterdam are 2-3 not so scenic hours from your next point in the itinerary. But a UK-centric trip to the Continent comes up on this board comes up again and again. Your vacation time has monetary value, and transfers and non-refundable non-changeable discount rail tickets can be a trial.
I'm entitled to this negative opinion because I have made (for what I felt were good reasons) two round-trip Eurostar trips between Antwerp and London. All your stops are attractive, but even if your London air is "free", your time and concentration are not. And the rail costs can add up.
The news board Search box can show you that it is easy to see Bruges, Antwerp, and Gent with one hotel room if desired. For three weeks, you might have enough daytrips to benefit from moving between the cities. I mean for example that Lier and Turnhout are much easier from Antwerp than from Gent. Leuven also has various access options.
Posted by
Portsmouth
5259 posts
You can fly to Amsterdam from Southampton. The cheapest one way price with carry-on only is £36 in April mid week.
Southampton Airport is small and compact, a far better experience than Heathrow or Gatwick and you'll save the money and hassle of getting to London, either for the airports or the train to Paris.
Posted by
Tunbridge Wells
6113 posts
Fly Southampton to Amsterdam, train to Paris then train to London.
Even better, London - train to Paris, train to Amsterdam and fly home from there.
Posted by
Ontario, Canada
4845 posts
Agree with David and Jennifer. Their recommendations are the most economical, both moneywise and timewise.
Posted by
OP
2 posts
Thank you all for your advice. Sometimes, something "free" is more hassle than it is worth. Since we have not been to Amsterdam or Belgium, we will probably fly from Southampton to Amsterdam and work our way over and down. This is our first time on this website-thank you to everyone!