Question:
I'm curious...

My friend and I are thinking of purchasing a Sabena Eurostarter package toBrussels and Amsterdam, for about $419.00. This basically means that ourround trip airfare to Brussels is included, along with one one-way planeticket, and one one-way train ticket (via the Thalys) to Amsterdam, and it isup to us to decide in which direction we want to use the plane ticket and whichdirection we want to use the train ticket.

We will be traveling for 10 days, so we would like to see more of Belgium thanjust Brussels. We're definitely planning on a trip to Brugges, and possibly atrip to Ghent. Also, while in Amsterdam we might make a side (day) trip toHaarlem. So, we're thinking we'll probably fly into Brussels, stay in Brusselsa couple of days before we use our train/plane ticket to Amsterdam, and thenstay there for the remainder of our trip before getting on the train/plane backto Brussels and then returning to Chicago.

My question is this: If we're going to want to get a Benalux pass fortraveling around Belgium and the Netherlands, is it worth the added expense ofgetting this Eurostarter package? Because basically, although we'll be able toget from Brussels to Amsterdam at some point in our trip because of thevouchers from the airlines, we won't have any way of getting from, say,Brussels to Brugge or Amsterdam to Haarlem without getting a Benalux pass(which will cost us another $100+ a piece).

I guess what I'm really asking about is how best to schedule our itinerary onthis trip to maximize our tickets to Amsterdam that are included with theSabena package, while still allowing us to go visit these other great cities inthe most frugal way possible. If I understand it correctly, if we were tosimply fly into Brussels we'd be able to go to Amsterdam anyway, with theBenalux pass, right? So is the Eurostarter package that good of a deal? Orwill we just be paying twice for the same thing?

If you're not thoroughly confused yet, I'd appreciate your comments!

Answer: Flying from Brussels to Amsterdam or Amsterdam to Brussels is a badidea unless you are connecting to a distant destination. It will takemore time than the train. (if you include check in time, transportto/from the airports etc.)So my suggestion would be:1. Go for the Sabena Eurostarter package.2. Arrive Brussels and connect immediately to Amsterdam.3. Spend some time in Amsterdam.4. Visit Haarlem on a day trip from Amsterdam. Train ticket returnshould not be more than about US$ 7 or 8 return. (you can check onwww.ns.nl)5. Then take your free train ticket from Amsterdam to Brussels. If youleave Amsterdam early, you can visit Leiden, Den Haag (The Hague),Delft, and/or Antwerp on the way to Brussels.6. You could stop in Antwerpen and change for a Brugge train there.7. Then continue to Brussels from Brugge.8. This way you won't need the Benelux pass (just buy single/returntickets for the short rides) and you will probably spend the leastpossible.

Have a nice trip