Visiting Paris and Brussels by car

[Scuzi]

I’m thinking of taking the family on the Chunnel next week to spend a few days in each of the aforementioned. Can anyone recommend good hotels or locations on the outskirts to stay where the car can be parked easily (and cheaply), with a good train link into the city centre?
Thanks.

 

[wez130]

When I drove to Paris, we stayed in Bussy-St-Georges (Marnee La Ville) for convenience to Disneyland Paris and Paris itself. It's a 20 minute train ride into the centre of Paris, easy peasy.

 

[Graetzbridge]

I’m thinking of taking the family on the Chunnel next week to spend a few days in each of the aforementioned. Can anyone recommend good hotels or locations on the outskirts to stay where the car can be parked easily (and cheaply), with a good train link into the city centre?
Thanks.

I wish well with your potential trip. I have visited France quite a number of times. Mostly on business. The French have not been hospitable - or worse. One example. I had my electrical kit and stuff in my car. This was for a job for helping them.
This particular time the customs decided to dump all my kit in their customs shed.

 

[Scuzi]

When I drove to Paris, we stayed in Bussy-St-Georges (Marnee La Ville) for convenience to Disneyland Paris and Paris itself. It's a 20 minute train ride into the centre of Paris, easy peasy.

Sounds perfect. I’ll see what deals the hotels are offering.

I wish well with your potential trip. I have visited France quite a number of times. Mostly on business. The French have not been hospitable - or worse. One example. I had my electrical kit and stuff in my car. This was for a job for helping them.
This particular time the customs decided to dump all my kit in their customs shed.

Every country has them. I have found Parisians particularly inhospitable, probably not helped by my pidgin Francais, but I speak fluent English and the good folk of London are consistently inhospitable, so I think it’s a big city thing rather than a French thing. On my visits elsewhere in their country, the French have been fine. The Corsicans deserve a special mention for providing a warm welcome but they’re not really French.

 

[Lord-Jaffa]

Any real reason why you would go to Paris? Theres lots of nicer places rich with history on your route to Brussels, Paris is quite horrible really, especially the people. (The Dutch side of Belgium is a lot nicer)

 

[Trifid]

Visiting Brussels

Are you set on this decision? Brugge or even Antwerp are lovely places in comparison.

Any real reason why you would go to Paris? Theres lots of nicer places rich with history on your route to Brussels, Paris is quite horrible really, especially the people.

Lol. Two consecutive people question the two destination choices.

 

[Scuzi]

I’m not set on either - it was more due to the fact that they are relatively close to Calais and there should be plenty to do in either. I have no real desire to visit Paris but my kids keep asking to go. I’m very much open to other ideas though. Something educational or fun to keep two kids (8 & 6) occupied would be a bonus. We also gravitated towards the cities as it is generally easier to eat there (dare I mention the ‘V’ word on OcUK?).

 

[weringo]

Motel One in Brussels is a good, reasonably priced hotel in the centre. It has parking underneath for €20 / day, so not "cheap" but not a terrible price for the convenience.

 

[Lord-Jaffa]

Are you set on this decision? Brugge or even Antwerp are lovely places in comparison.



Lol. Two consecutive people question the two destination choices.

As mentioned here, Brugge is lovely, there are an absolute ton of World war sites you can visit on route, tombs full of skulls etc, dunno if that's of interest to your kids though!

 

[jon86]

dare I mention the ‘V’ word on OcUK?).

What word are you referring to? Venison?