ChatterBank4 mins ago
travel to and through Belgium
I am 63 and planning a solo trip through Belgium in 2008. will probably stay a week. thought i might want to go to Brugge, Gent and Brussels and perhaps Antwerp. Don't want to rent a car but just take the train whenever the mood hits me. Since Belgium is such a small country i thought it would be easy to just "wing" it with the train travel. does anyone have any suggestions on train travel, B & B's available in Belgium, cities to visit, etc. thanks for the info.
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I love Belgium. It's really easy to get around by train.
If you're arriving by Eurostar, remember that your ticket to Brussels includes free onward travel to any rail station in Belgium. (You can also travel free to Brussels Midi, from any rail station in Belgium, on the date of your return travel).
If you're flying with Ryanair, you'll land at Charleroi. You can buy a 'bulk ticket' at Charleroi ticket office for �10.50, which will take you to any rail station in Belgium. (It includes the bus to Charleroi Sud rail station). You can buy your return ticket at the same time. (It won't matter if you'll be returning from a different point. You simply fill in the station you're travelling to, or from, together with the day & date of travel on the ticket).
Another bargain is the Belgian Rail pass. You get 10 single journeys, anywhere in Belgium, for just �69. (That's about �5 per journey). Just make sure that you understand how to fill in the pass! See here for details:
http://www.b-rail.be/nat/E/tarifs/passes/rail/ index.php
I suggest basing yourself, for a few days at least, in Brugge (which is a beautiful city).
http://www.brugge.be/internet/en/index.htm
I love Belgium. It's really easy to get around by train.
If you're arriving by Eurostar, remember that your ticket to Brussels includes free onward travel to any rail station in Belgium. (You can also travel free to Brussels Midi, from any rail station in Belgium, on the date of your return travel).
If you're flying with Ryanair, you'll land at Charleroi. You can buy a 'bulk ticket' at Charleroi ticket office for �10.50, which will take you to any rail station in Belgium. (It includes the bus to Charleroi Sud rail station). You can buy your return ticket at the same time. (It won't matter if you'll be returning from a different point. You simply fill in the station you're travelling to, or from, together with the day & date of travel on the ticket).
Another bargain is the Belgian Rail pass. You get 10 single journeys, anywhere in Belgium, for just �69. (That's about �5 per journey). Just make sure that you understand how to fill in the pass! See here for details:
http://www.b-rail.be/nat/E/tarifs/passes/rail/ index.php
I suggest basing yourself, for a few days at least, in Brugge (which is a beautiful city).
http://www.brugge.be/internet/en/index.htm
You're only about 15 minutes away from the lively resort of Oostende, which is well worth a visit. (It's not just a young person's place. I'm nearly as old as you and I keep visiting Oostende on day trips from Suffolk, via Stansted & Charleroi, because I love the place so much!).
http://www.toerisme-oostende.be/index.phtml?la nguageid=3
There are also plenty of other resort towns which are accessible by train from Brugge, either directly or by using the excellent coastal tram service.
http://www.visitbelgium.com/belgiancoast.htm
Travelling in the other direction from Brugge, you'll soon arrive at Gent-St-Peter train station.
http://www4.gent.be/gent/english/tourism/index .htm
Brussels is also less than an hour from Brugge by rail.
http://www.brusselsinternational.be/
Chris
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BBWCHATT
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