Brussels or Lille for overnight stop?

[stlrod]

Hi. We're a family of 4 (kids 11 and 14) who have hotel reservations for 7/6-7/9 in Paris and 7/10-13 in London. It's going to cost me an arm and a leg to add a night at either hotel for the 9th. So, I was thinking, as long as I have to switch hotels, why not switch countries and do a short stopover in Brussels or Lille. Any suggestions on which I should choose? (I have to admit that just judging from hotel prices, Brussels looks much more affordable.)

 

[vernon]

As far as Brussels is concerned I think that by the time you factor in travel costs it's going to be as costly to get and stay there as it would be to add a night in Paris or London.Brussels would also be in my top 10 for most boring cities in Europe to visit. Both Paris and London have plenty to do so I think you'd also be missing out by wasting at least one day travelling. You don't have a lot of time in either venue I would try to maximise the time you do have by minimising the time you waste on swapping hotels/countries.

I presume you're looking at using the Eurostar train service because of your choice of possible destinations. Did you think of staying at Disneyland Paris for one night? I'm sure the kids would enjoy a day in the park and it would break up the holiday for them if you're concentrating on more "cultural" stuff in London and Paris. Disneyland Paris is on the Eurostar line and there are often direct trains from DLP direct to London Waterloo station.