Paris and Amsterdam in 8-9 Days?

Sounds good to me. Plenty of time and worth it.

Sure it's doable....if you want to cut a night in Amsterdam, spend it in Bruges...you can see Brussels popular downtown area in a few hours before heading to Bruges. There are good rail connections from Bruges to Amsterdam.

You can have a very satisfying visit in nine days. I'd stay in Brugges over Brussels, though.

Agree with the other responders. Brugge is actually worth 2 days. Many of the old buildings on the canals date back to the 1200s.

You can do Brussels in an afternoon. Take a morning train from Paris. Stop in Brussels for lunch and a little sightseeing before continuing on. There is nothing there worth staying the night over. (Other people are correct that Bruges is better, but I think it needs more like two days to be properly done).

Hi bgl, For years I've wanted to do nine or ten days in Europe on vacation ... to take a hotel room in a place like Haarlem outside Amsterdam and/or some comparable location outside Paris. Then I would take the short day-trip to Amsterdam or Paris plus other places as though commuting, but with the luxury of not going to a job. My belief is that there are considerable benefits to be realized from temporary residence in small European towns. bon voyage. P.

Yes, these cities are very compatible! Last year I spent 2 nights in Bruges (including half day in Brussels), 4 nights in Amsterdam, 8 nights in Paris to visit my daughter who was on a study abroad there. This trip could have been easily condensed into Bruges (1 night), Amsterdam (3-4 nights), and Paris (4-5 nights.)

Rent a car from Andy Bestor. Stop in Bruges along the way. Land is flat with very good roads. DON'T take the car into Amsterdam. Stay in Harlem. You can take the train into Amsterdam, about 15 minutes. The central train station has a tourist booth. The tram for the museums starts here or you can easily walk to Dam Square. Don't miss a canal boat tour/ride. Two days is adequate for Amsterdam. Harlem is a lovely place with an awesome Frans Hals museum. Stay at the Hotel Amadeus on the square. I stayed at the Tulip Hotel near the train station. Enjoy!!