North-Western Europe by train in five days: London, Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam

There's a moment, about twenty minutes out of London, when the train dips under the sea and you realise you haven't queued for a security scanner, taken your shoes off or paid for a bag. Two hours later you step out into Paris with a coffee in your hand. That, in a sentence, is why travelling Europe by train is so satisfying: the journeys become part of the holiday instead of something to survive.

This five-day loop links three capitals with fast, frequent trains and leaves room to breathe. You'll spend two nights in Paris, one in Brussels with an optional afternoon in Bruges, and a final day in Amsterdam before an afternoon train home. It works just as well in reverse, and every leg is short enough that you're never on a train for more than about four hours.

Day 1: London to Paris, and an evening by the Seine

Take a morning Eurostar from St Pancras International, a Victorian cathedral of brick and iron that's worth arriving early for anyway. Grab a coffee under the giant clock, find the statue of the poet John Betjeman who helped save the station from demolition, and settle in: Paris Gare du Nord is about two hours twenty minutes away.

Drop your bags and keep the first afternoon gentle. Wander through Le Marais, with its cobbled lanes, falafel shops and the elegant Place des Vosges, the oldest planned square in Paris. As the light softens, walk down to the river and follow the Seine past the Île de la Cité. Notre-Dame reopened in December 2024 after the fire, and entry is free; you can book a time slot to skip the queue. End the day with dinner at a bistro, and if you've still got the energy, watch the Eiffel Tower sparkle on the hour after dark.

Day 2: A full day in Paris

Pick one big museum and do it properly rather than rushing three. The Louvre is vast, so choose a wing; the Musée d'Orsay, in a former railway station, is smaller and full of Impressionists, which feels fitting on a train trip. Book timed tickets online for both.

In the afternoon, climb to Montmartre. Skip the busiest streets around Sacré-Cœur and wander the quieter lanes behind it, past one of the city's last vineyards and tiny squares where painters still set up their easels. Then come back down for the great Parisian pastime: a café terrace, a glass of wine and an hour of people-watching. For dinner, try the 11th arrondissement, where many of the city's most exciting young chefs cook in small, relaxed restaurants.

On a train, the journey stops being dead time. It's where you plan dinner, finish the book and watch a whole country go by.

Day 3: Paris to Brussels, with a side trip to Bruges

A morning Eurostar whisks you to Brussels in about an hour and twenty-five minutes. Leave your bags at your hotel and head straight for the Grand-Place, one of the most beautiful squares in the world, ringed by gilded guildhalls and a UNESCO World Heritage site. Nearby, stroll through the glass-roofed Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert, one of Europe's oldest shopping arcades, for pralines from the chocolatiers that line it.

Brussels is a city of small pleasures: proper Belgian fries in a paper cone with a dollop of mayonnaise, a warm waffle, and an astonishing range of beer served in its own glass. Look up as you walk, and you'll spot the giant comic-strip murals painted on walls across the centre, a tribute to the country of Tintin.

If you'd like to fit in more, take the afternoon train to Bruges, about an hour away. Its medieval centre, laced with canals and lined with step-gabled houses, is also a UNESCO site and one of the best-preserved in Europe. Climb the 366 steps of the Belfry for the view, take a short canal boat ride, then catch an evening train back to Brussels. If you'd rather slow down, stay in Brussels and save Bruges for another trip; it's an easy weekend escape in its own right.

Day 4: Brussels to Amsterdam

The Eurostar to Amsterdam takes under two hours, passing Antwerp and Rotterdam on the way. Arrive at Amsterdam Centraal, its grand facade facing the water, and you're already in the heart of the city.

The best way to start is simply to walk. The 17th-century canal ring, another UNESCO site, is at its loveliest in the Jordaan neighbourhood, with its narrow houses, house boats and independent shops. In the afternoon, choose between the Rijksmuseum, home to Rembrandt's Night Watch, and the Van Gogh Museum next door, booking a time slot ahead. If you want to visit the Anne Frank House, tickets are sold only online and go quickly, so book as early as you can.

As evening falls, take a canal boat. A small, open boat is more fun than the big glass-topped cruisers, and many run at sunset. Then find a bruin café, one of the city's cosy wood-panelled "brown cafés", for a drink by candlelight.

Day 5: A morning in Amsterdam, then home

Spend your last morning like a local: rent a bike for a couple of hours and ride through Vondelpark, or browse the stalls of the Albert Cuyp Market and try a warm stroopwafel made in front of you. If you prefer a museum, the light-filled Rijksmuseum gardens are free to wander.

Then head back to Centraal for an afternoon Eurostar. UK border checks happen in Amsterdam before you board, so allow plenty of time, then sit back for about four hours and watch the Netherlands, Belgium and northern France slide by. You'll be back at St Pancras in time for dinner, five days, four countries and zero airports later.

Make it your own

Got more time? Add Cologne, under three hours from Brussels, for its cathedral and Rhine-side beer halls, or carry on from Amsterdam to Berlin in about six hours. Prefer the sun? Swap Brussels and Amsterdam for a high-speed TGV from Paris to Lyon and the south of France. The beauty of the train is that Europe's great cities are only ever a few hours apart. Ready for mountains? Our Alpine Europe by train itinerary picks up in Munich.

Whichever way you go, log every journey in My trains and watch the CO₂ you saved by not flying add up.