We will have railpasses for the countries involved. A rough timeline: Munich 3 days, Berlin 4 days, Amsterdam/Brussels/Brugge 2 days, Paris 7ish days General Questions:
1) Do the trains inside the cities fall under railpasses as well? Getting around Paris, Brussels, Brugge, Berlin, and Munich? Or should I expect to pay for the intra-city transport on top of the railpasses? 2) Are the train stations safe at night? The train stations for the night trains are Munich at 22:10, and Berlin Hbf at 00:12. 3) Do the night trains have space for your luggage that's in your room? From the DB website, it looks like it's a 130E surcharge for 2 people to share a private sleeper room. I assume we can bring our luggage there? On that note, has anyone had these rooms? What are they like? Will we actually sleep in them? 4) Should I bite the Thalys bullet or try to do the Lille transfer to Paris from Brugge? So there's our general plan. Our priorities include nightlife (and being situated in a neighborhood that allows for easy access and return, preferably on foot) (read as: Belgian beer within Belgium. yay brewery tours! cantillon!), food, sightseeing, and keeping the cost down where possible. I'm not sure where to stay in Munich/Belgium, plan to stay in Prenzlauer Berg in Berlin, and plan to stay Les Halles-ish in Paris. As far as sleeping goes - we want a room to ourselves with a shower/toilet. Other than that, we aren't picky. I am looking at some of the 'Let's Go' and other travel books as well as AirBNB and Priceline - anywhere else I can look? VRBO makes me nervous since the owners can censor reviews...
Posted by
Northamptonshire, England
32885 posts
1a - Nope 1b - Across the board - 1c- Yup 2 - probably. I dunno, past my bedtime. Even when I was in my late teens in the 1970s I never got on a train after 2330, except when I crossed the platform to go back where I came from at around 0300, on a small station. 3a - Some. Hope you're traveling light. Less in a couchette. 3b - see 3a 3c - yes
3d - have a look at The Man in Seat 61 and you can see photos and videos and very good descriptions 3e - probably not. Have a look at the archives here and you will see many many stories about not sleeping on night trains and a few where people have slept some 4 - If you bite bullets you may get lead poisoning. Should is hard to answer. ps: Brussels + Brugge + Amsterdam can't be "done" in 2 days no matter how much sleep you lose
Posted by
Clawson, MI, USA
199 posts
Hi Justin, I seem to remember that some railpasses are accepted for the S-Bahn (not U-Bahn) trains within Germany. You might find it in the railpass section of this site or perhaps Lee (German Rail expert) could confirm this? For some great places for beer don't rule out Amsterdam. Here are a few you should check out. My favorites are In De Wildeman, Cafe Gollem and Cafe Belgique. http://beeradvocate.com/beerfly/city/42 Bruges: http://beeradvocate.com/beerfly/city/23 Brussels: I like Delirium Café http://beeradvocate.com/beerfly/city/24 Nigel is correct. You can't do Amsterdam, Bruges and Brussels in two days. Les Halles isn't the most attractive part of Paris, IMO. Good Luck
Posted by
OP
Ann Arbor, MI, United States
9 posts
my apologies - that's 2 days EACH in amsterdam, brussels, and brugge.
Posted by
Clawson, MI, USA
199 posts
Harry's New York Bar is around the block from your hotel. Ernest Hemingway use to drink there. It's not really "nightlife" but it's a good place to start or end the night. Make a left out of your hotel until you reach Rue Daunou then make a right. It's just past the construction.
Posted by
OP
Ann Arbor, MI, United States
9 posts
anyone have neighborhood suggestions? apparently les halles is boring and full of KFC. i want to be near nightlife. i'm staying at the hyatt on rue de la paix for 4 nights for free, which i'm told is kind of far from non-stuffy 20s-oriented nightlife - will it be a problem to get to/from?
Posted by
Lakewood, Colorado
19109 posts
The S-Bahn in Germany is run by the German Rail and is included in rail passes. The U-Bahn in the various cities are run by the cities and are not included in rail passes. Both Munich and Berlin have day tickets (Tageskarten) that are valid for all day use of ALL the transit (S-/U-Bahn, streetcars, and buses) for less than the cost of a rail pass day. In Munich, for instance, up to five people can use all of the transit in the inner zone, which includes everything usually seen except Dachau, for €9,80. A Muenchen XXL Partner Tageskarte, which includes the inner two zones and Dachau, is €12,80, and a Gesamtnetz Partner Tageskarte, for the entire network, which includes the airport, is €19,60, for up to five. A small group (up to five) Tageskarte for the inner two zones of Berlin is €15,00. A Brandenburg-Berlin-Ticket (a Länder-Ticket) is valid for all trains in the Land of Brandenburg as well as all conveyances in Berlin for up to five people for an entire day for €28.