If you want to visit Amsterdam and Brussels, then you need to plan your trip in advance and decide on transport. Traveling in Europe is a comfortable trip. Do not be afraid to organize it yourself.
Amsterdam...
And immediately there are numerous associations with this city. For some, this is art, magnificent architecture, for others, freedom of expression through clothing, music and nightlife. A city free of prejudice attracts thousands of tourists. Many people think about how to plan their vacation or trip in order to reach the nearest cities as much as possible for an overview of Western Europe.
Car rental
If you flew to Amsterdam and are going to Brussels, then you can rent a car directly at the airport, thereby saving on transfer and travel to the city. You can pick up a car in advance through the Expedia aggregator.
From the documents you must have a driver’s license, passport and a personal bank card, from which the amount of rent and security deposit (about 200 euros) will be debited. Almost all companies charge an additional insurance fee for young drivers whose age is less than 25 years old and, in addition to age, they will take a service fee for less than one year, a maximum of 25 euros per day.
Also, when drawing up a lease, rental companies provide an unlimited number of kilometers included in the price, but do not forget to inform the manager that you plan to travel outside the country. And return the car with a full tank, as the rental companies calculate fuel at about 4.5 euros per liter.
At Hertz, when choosing an economy class car, they can give out a Nissan Micra 2018 car with a good multimedia system, including navigation. Fuel consumption is an average of 4.8 liters per hundred kilometers, which is extremely important when traveling in Europe. The average cost of gasoline is 1.5 euros per liter.
Parking
In the city of Amsterdam you can easily and easily get around by car. But not very cheap parking rates. The center is completely free of parking! For this, the authorities organized convenient intercepting parking P + R (park and ride) on the outskirts of the city. You leave the car in one of 7 parking lots and go to the center by tram or bus. The main thing when traveling to the center and back is to make CheckInn / CheckOut a ticket when boarding and leaving the transport.
From Brussels to Amsterdam the distance by car is covered in 2.5 hours. This is about 215 kilometers, taking into account the absence of traffic jams, of which there are more in Brussels than in Moscow. In this regard, consider the time of departure from the city and do not plan on morning and evening rush hours. It is also better to make a couple of three stops in wonderful cities.
Route
When planning a route from Amsterdam to Brussels by car, you have the opportunity to freely choose interesting places, as well as cities, where you can make both short and long stops to go shopping and take pictures of the sights.
You can create your own tour Amsterdam - Brussels by car through the cities: Amsterdam - The Hague - Rotterdam - Breda - Antwerp - Mechelen - Brussels.
Track
The E19 and A27 routes through which you go are in excellent condition. They are clean, easy to read markings, road signs and signs. In addition, these routes are free. There is only one paid site through the Liefkenshoek Tunnel, next to Antwerp. You can overtake only in the left lane. The speed limit is adequate according to the traffic situation, but different in Belgium and the Netherlands. For example, on the Dutch motorway the limit is 130 km / h, and in Belgium 120 km / h. For exceeding the speed limit by more than 20 km / h, the violator will be fined in the amount of 70 euros or more.
Stops
On the way there are many gas stations that sell coffee and snacks. Also paying 0.5 euros you can use the toilet. Payment of fuel by credit card occurs directly at the gas station. First you insert the card, and then refuel. For cash payment you should go to the mini market, which is located at the gas station.
We will dwell in more detail on several cities from the list above.
Antwerp
Halfway there will be a port city, the diamond capital of the world - Antwerp. The second largest after Brussels and the largest city in Flanders, where they speak Dutch.
According to statistics, 65% of uncut gems are processed and sold in one of the quarters of Antwerp. There are hundreds of workshops, four trading exchanges and more than fifty stores that offer diamonds of various shapes, colors and carats for purchase. Prices range from affordable to unbelievably high.
The port located here is one of the largest in Europe in terms of cargo transportation. Near it is the "red light district".
The main square of Antwerp is the Market Square (Grote Markt) where you will see:
- the town hall;
- guild buildings;
- Cathedral of the Virgin Mary in the Gothic style;
- Fountain Brabo.
There are cozy cafes on the square where you can taste Belgian beer, it is considered one of the best in the world and has more than 200 types. By law, 0.5 ppm is allowed when driving. This means that you can afford one glass of beer without breaking the law.
Mechelen
Make a stop in Mechelen is in order to see the main Gothic attraction of Belgium - St. Rombouts Cathedral.
It is also worth a visit to look at one of the oldest breweries in Belgium. The first beer was recorded in 1386.
Brussels
In the administrative part of the city, the headquarters of the European Union, the NATO office, the secretariat of the Benelux countries are located, here are more than 30 famous attractions:
- Brussels Town Hall ;
- Atomium
- “Bread House - King’s House”;
- Royal Palace;
- Palace of Justice.
You can also admire the fountains, among which the most famous is the Manneken Pis. There are many other architectural monuments in Brussels. There are museums, cathedrals and parks, so the traveler will not be bored in this city.
The smell of the famous Belgian chocolate and waffles is in the air in the central part of Brussels.
Back to amsterdam
You already know how to get from Brussels to Amsterdam from the text above, and on the way back you can choose the shortest path without stops along the A27 and E19 highways.
Bus
The cheapest way to get from Amsterdam to Brussels is by bus.
Yes, it’s not a quick way, but the time difference is only one hour, and the cost is about 3-4 times cheaper than a similar train trip. During the trip, you can calmly and carefully examine through the window the charming landscapes of these two countries. From Amsterdam to Brussels, the bus travels from 2.5 to 4.5 hours. The distance between cities is about 215 km. Buses run from 00:25 to 22:10. Some flights go with intermediate stops.
Currently, several companies offer their comfortable buses. Also, from Brussels to Amsterdam, a bus on some routes passes through the airports of these cities.
- FlixBus (off site) daily 7-8 flights per day, tickets - from 11 EUR. In Amsterdam, the main departure from the bus station Sloterdijk. Bruxelles-Nord and Bruxelles-Midi stations and Zaventem airport stop in Brussels
- Eurolines (website in English) 8-9 flights per day, tickets - from 18 EUR. In Amsterdam, the main stop is the departure of Duivendrecht. In Brussels, the Bruxelles-Nord and Bruxelles-Midi train stations and Zaventem airport.
- Ouibus (website in English) 3 flights per day, tickets - from 11 EUR per trip. In Amsterdam, the main departure from the bus station Sloterdijk. The main destinations in Brussels are the Bruxelles-Nord and Bruxelles-Midi train stations and Zaventem Airport.
It does not matter what type of transport you choose, in any of the cities there are a sufficient number of various attractions. After such a journey, there is always something to remember.