Four Countries in Ten Days: London, Paris, Munich and Amsterdam by Rail and Air
Updated: Oct 15
Ten days in June: London, Paris, Munich and Amsterdam.
Four cities, four countries, and almost every way of getting between them: a train under the Channel, a high-speed train across France and Germany, and a short flight to finish. It's the kind of trip people dream about and then hesitate over, because it sounds like a lot of moving. Here is how it actually felt, and what I'd do differently.
The route at a glance
London: two nights at the Hilton London Paddington.
Eurostar to Paris: two nights at the Hilton Paris Opera.
TGV to Munich: two nights at the Hilton Munich City.
Fly to Amsterdam: two nights at the Hilton Amsterdam, then home.
London: a city best seen on foot
We stayed at the Hilton London Paddington, and it was adorable. It's right at Paddington station, which makes it wonderfully convenient, and our clocktower room was one of the most unique rooms I've stayed in.
We loved sightseeing in London and simply walking the city. Every neighborhood feels different, and on foot you notice everything you'd miss from a car: flower boxes spilling over shopfronts on Lamb's Conduit Street, old pub signs swinging over the lanes off Whitehall, the soaring white interior of St Martin-in-the-Fields on Trafalgar Square, and an almond croissant and a coffee at Blank Street to fuel the next few miles.
For the big landmarks, we let London come to us. From the top deck of an open-top bus we rolled past the Houses of Parliament, Big Ben and Westminster Abbey, and a Thames river cruise carried us past the London Eye and right under Tower Bridge. On a clear June day with big white clouds, it was the perfect way to see a lot of the city without wearing ourselves out.
One evening we saw Back to the Future: The Musical at the Adelphi Theatre in the West End. It was a bit campy, but an interesting take on the movie, and a fun way to spend a night in theaterland.
The Eurostar: the best commute I've ever had
The Eurostar from London St Pancras to Paris Gare du Nord was wonderful: smooth, easy, and city center to city center with no airport security lines. I got work done on board, and it didn't feel like work at all, because the setting was so pretty.
Paris: the Louvre, a memorable dinner and a happy stroll
In Paris we stayed at the Hilton Paris Opera, beside Gare Saint-Lazare and an easy walk to the Palais Garnier. The hotel was beautiful, with tall French windows over wrought-iron balconies, and the lobby bar was a highlight in itself, with delicious cocktails and food.
A hop-on bus gave us the grand tour: the golden dome of Les Invalides, glimpses of the Eiffel Tower through the chestnut trees, and the jewelers of the Right Bank with their red awnings and window boxes.
The Louvre was spectacular, inside and out. The crowd around the Mona Lisa was so thick that I had to be lifted up just to see her. Beyond that one room, though, I thoroughly enjoyed wandering the galleries and soaking in the artifacts and antiquities, from the Winged Victory of Samothrace at the top of her staircase to the palace's carved stone pavilions themselves. That is where the real magic of the Louvre lives.
Dinner at Market by Jean-Georges, on avenue Matignon, was a memorable evening. The atmosphere was excellent: civilized and upscale, but never stuffy or insufferable. Strolling around afterward was equally lovely. Calm streets, full bellies, and that feeling of being happy to be alive and seeing the world.
Paris to Munich: a beautiful ride, but a long one
The high-speed train from Paris to Munich was great, comfortable and scenic, but it is about six hours. That's a long time to sit. Next time I would probably fly that leg and save the rail for shorter hops like London to Paris.
Munich: dinner at Matsuhisa
In Munich we stayed at the Hilton Munich City. Our big dinner was at Matsuhisa, Nobu Matsuhisa's restaurant inside the Mandarin Oriental, in the heart of the old town. Matsuhisa is always excellent, and the Munich location was no different: glazed, perfectly grilled salmon, inventive rolls, every plate beautiful. There is something wonderful about knowing the flavors and still having an exquisite meal every time.
Amsterdam: really living
Amsterdam is always a great destination. A short flight took us there and to the Hilton Amsterdam, where our room looked out over the rooftops of Amsterdam-Zuid, golden in the long June evening light. Once again the streets were full of life: people in small groups along the canals, talking and laughing, boats drifting past under the bridges. It just feels different from home. It feels like people there are really living, instead of just existing.
We rented scooters and zipped around the city to shops, restaurants and sights. It was the most fun way to cover ground, and it let us see far more of the city than we could have on foot.
One sunny afternoon we stopped at Pompa for Italian food, and it was delicious: warm bread with whipped butter and olive tapenade, meatballs baked in tomato sauce, and a creamy mushroom tagliatelle. The restaurant itself was warm and full of young people coming and going, meeting up and talking. Nobody was sitting around on their phones. They were engaging with each other, and that is exactly the feeling of this city.
The highlight was a guided tour of the Van Gogh Museum, booked through Babylon Tours. It was fascinating. The group was capped at eight with reserved entry, so we skipped the line and had room to really look at the paintings: Sunflowers, Irises, and Almond Blossom, which Van Gogh painted to celebrate the birth of his nephew. Our guide was remarkably knowledgeable about Van Gogh's life, including his struggles with his mental health, and hearing that story while standing in front of the work made it come alive. It was an informative and inspiring afternoon.
Getting home: one more night than planned
Not every leg goes to plan. Our flight home from Amsterdam left hours late, I missed my connection in Boston, and I spent an unplanned night at the Hilton Boston Logan before flying home the next morning. It's the reason I always build a little slack into the end of a trip, and never book anything important for the day after a long-haul flight home.
What I'd tell you before you book
Stay at the station. On a train-heavy trip, a hotel at or beside the station, like the Hilton London Paddington or the Hilton Paris Opera, makes every departure easy.
Let a bus show you the landmarks. In London and Paris, an open-top bus (and in London, a Thames cruise) covers the big sights in a day and saves your feet for the neighborhoods.
Take the train when it's under three hours. The Eurostar beats flying from London to Paris in every way. For longer legs like Paris to Munich, a flight gives you back most of a day.
Book business class on the Eurostar. The calm, the space and the service turn travel time into time you actually enjoy.
Don't build your Louvre visit around the Mona Lisa. Book a timed entry, see her if the crowd allows, then give your time to the antiquities and the quieter galleries.
Take a guided tour of the Van Gogh Museum. A small group and a great guide turn a gallery visit into the story of a life. Ours, with Babylon Tours, skipped the line too.
Rent scooters in Amsterdam. They're the most fun way to hop between shops, restaurants and sights.
Leave a buffer at the end. Delays happen on the way home. Keep the day after you land free, so a missed connection is an inconvenience, not a crisis.
Leave time to walk after dinner. Some of our favorite moments in London and Paris were the unplanned ones on foot.
Dreaming of a multi-country trip? Touchpoint Travel can design the route, choose train or plane for every leg, and line up the hotels and tours so the moving parts feel effortless. Start planning your trip.
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