Bruges

yourdeadwright

hey folks
Thinking of going to Bruges in December but just wondering has anyone been lately, is it easier to get the train from Brussle's airport or is there a bus,
Im only away for 3days so is it worth the travel ?

ProudDUB

Trains are very easy to get and very plentiful. I was there a couple of years ago and found the trains very easy to get & frequent. I don't remember the exact schedule, but if they didn't run on the half hour, they definitely ran on the hour. The journey took about 50 minutes.

Bruges is definitely worth seeing. Have a look at the Christmas market thread, or just do a search for Bruges. You should find a good bit of info, as it gets asked about a lot on here, especially at this time of year.

fricatus

Belgium is a very small country and very densely populated. It's about the size of Munster but has about ten times as many people. It packs a lot into a small package, distances are small, and trains are very frequent.

You'll probably end up taking a train from Brussels Airport to the central station, and then to Bruges, maybe with a change at Ghent. Unless you've loads of luggage and/or small children, it shouldn't be all that much of a hassle.

There may be a bus, but I've no idea how that would compare to trains in terms of price or convenience. Bear in mind that road traffic is very heavy there at times and even with changes, trains may be quicker.

The food is great, and the beer and chocolate are out of this world. Bruges is a beautiful city, and Brussels has its charms (even though it's not all nice). Don't rule out a stop in Ghent on the way. We didn't go there, but a guy on the train told us we should, and when I looked it up, I was sorry I didn't - it seems beautiful.

Louche Lad

Agree re trains in Belgium - they're plentiful. Though often a bit old, I've always found them reliable.

Also agree about Ghent - I've visited several times, and stayed there a few months ago. Worth a visit.

ProudDUB

Ghent is lovely. We had a few hours to kill between leaving Bruges and heading back to Brussels for our flight home. So we got off the train in Ghent. (OP, its about half way between Brussels & Bruges.) There was a huge medieval castle that was great fun to explore. You get great views over the city from the battlements. There are some lovely old buildings to wander around and a couple of cathedrals. It is a good bit smaller than Brughes, so I think that we saw all the main touristy bits in about 3-4 hours. There are luggage storage lockers at the station, so you don't have to lug your bag around with you. The only downer was that it was bitterly cold and snowing by the time we left. The castle in particular was freezing cold, so that took a bit of the fun out of it all.

Chesty08

Hi all,

I'm going to Bruges this weekend.

Flying into zaventem. Is getting the train from airport to Midi & then changeover there to Bruges the best way to travel from airport?

Also is the Brugge city card worth €46? Will be doing plenty of drinking, sightseeing and eating plenty of chocolate http://www.bruggecitycard.be/index_en.html

Appreciate any advice before I head off