London - Strasbourg - Brussels

I suggest you look at a map. Strasbourg is not "on the way" to Brussels by any definition. The most direct way to get there from London is by fast train, changing in Paris. The train from London and the train to Strasbourg do not use the same train station, so you would have to cross part of the city. Another alternative is to make a round-trip by train from Brussels to Strasbourg.

It's lovely. No one can tell you what your must-sees are.

You can fly London Gatwick to Strasbourg (easyjet) and Strasbourg to Brussels (Brussels Airlines/flybe). Neither leg is essily connected by rail, the first needs a change in Paris, the second a change in Paris, Lille, or CDG railway stations

There are two trains per day direct from Strasbourg to Brussels, via Luxembourg, no changes.
But, these are not high speed trains. It is often quicker to take the longer high speed route changing at Charles de Gaulle airport or Lille. www.bahn.de and other sites often miss off the direct train because they are not the fastest. You may have to force it by saying "Via Luxembourg".

As Chani says, no way is Strasbourg "en route" from London to Brussels.

Yes I think the trains via Luxembourg tend not to show up these days in searches as they are slow. Even just Brussels to Lux takes a long time for the distance.

Thanks for the replies.

I'm fully aware where Strasbourg is geographically and of the route the Eurostar takes.

I'm reworking my airline ticket and looking at flying out of Frankfurt instead. My route would be London - Brussles (by Eurostar), Brussels to Strasbourg (preferably by train but definitely want to avoid Paris entirely), Strasbourg - Frankfurt (by train or by bus). Is this better than my first plan which was London - Strasbourg (by Eurostar and TGV connecting in Lille), Strasbourg to Brussels.
Please advise. Thanks in advance.

We enjoyed Strasbourg, and picked up a rental car there to go down the Alsace wine trail. I wonder if you would consider one or more of the canal cities of Belgium as a substitute? Have you been to Bruges or Gent? Germany also has many city centers with magnificent medieval cores that could match (if not replace) a visit to Strasbourg. Eurostar is so easy, and can be really cheap bought months in advance. Lille, France (the intermediate Eurostar stop) isn't remotely as attractive as Strasbourg, but it is attractive. An old nickname for the city was "Little Paris".

On the subject of going on to Germany, are you interested in Aachen or Cologne - superb connections from Brussels. Especially in November, the museums of Cologne sound attractive.

Thanks for the advice Tim.

I have been to Brugges. Last year I was in Germany and did visit Cologne and some other cities. I should have included Strasbourg on that trip but didn't. I had an extra day when planning my trip and felt that travelling to Strasbourg for a day wouldn't do the city justice so I choose to visit Heidelberg which worked out nicely.

My main reason for including Brussels is because I can travel there easily by Eurostar from London (visiting London is a must). I've seen the Atomium but never did get a chance to visit from inside, so a day or two in Brussels appeals. Also, I'm an avid beer drinker I can enjoy beers that I am familiar with that I can't buy at home.

I welcome suggestions of where to travel to on this trip. I will be flying into London and will depart from Brussels or Frankfurt. In total I'll have 8 days to travel between London and the city I fly out from Europe. Those 8 days do not include time I'll spend in London.

Have you considered departing from Luxembourg? I did that 3 years ago, for a considerable cost savings. I spent part of the day in Trier and then train and bus to hotel across the street from the LUX airport. Worked quite well

I do realize Trier is not on your way, but there is a direct train from Strasbourg to Luxembourg, just over 2 hours.