Car from Amsterdam through northern France

Two summers ago while staying in Normandy for a month we had access to a car but chose to do some of our more distant travel by train. While you could drive the entire way, you might want to take the train from Amsterdam to Brugge to Paris to somewhere in Normandy where you could pick up a car and drive around Normandy and Brittany. IMO Normandy and Brittany are best experienced by car. Caen is a sort of hub in Normandy with frequent train access to Paris so this makes a sensible place to pick up a rental car but not a very scenic place for your home base to explore Normandy. Most people (self included) like Bayeux for overnight stays and proximity to the Normandy landing day beaches. Have fun exploring.

The second-country drop-off fee can be a kicker. From some places worse than others. I just looked at rentals for an arbitrary July week for the smallest car with pick-up and return in France. It was $235. Picking it up in Belgium made it $335 and Amsterdam $680. You can park close enough to the tourist area of Bruges so that you only have to walk a couple of blocks to get down to business. The freeway from Amsterdam to Antwerp is just something to endure. I don't know much abou trains, but I'd bet that to get from Amsterdam to Bruges, you'd have to make a change in Brussels. Picking up the car in Brussels would let you stop in Ghent (afterwhich, you'd probably loose all interst in Bruges). Northern France is a pretty big area, but you're going to pass right through Picardie and Upper Normandy - - don't blow them off.

Thanks, that's very helpful. Ed, the train from Amsterdam to Bruges goes through Antwerp, then Ghent. We thought of picking up the car in Ghent or Lille, if there's a price-break for doing it in France. It looks like you may have to go back out to Brussels to get a train to Lille, though. Thanks also for the tips on towns. We've had a thorough visit to the WWII sites in Normandy, but want to go back just for the area itself this time. Also to spend more time in Brittany -- we only stayed in Dinan briefly before heading to the Loire area and would like to get further out on the peninsula. We may loop back south of Paris, possibly through the Ardennes. We haven't been to any WWI sites yet. So little time. Thanks for any further input.

Additional thoughts then: In Lower Normandy, work inland, maybe Falais and Fougeres. In Brittany, if you haven't been to St Malo, make that an overnight, but no need to arrive early. If you're going along the northern freeway, hop off for a bit and eyeball the Dol de Bretagne, on the south side of the town of the same name -- it's the tallest standing stone I've ever seen. Also, don't miss Carnac above all.