AlexisK

Hi all,

I'm the editor for the upcoming Belgium guide and need your help with a new feature for our European destinations, "Beating the Euro." Some of you might have seen Caroline's post about tips to beat the Euro in Spain. And well, I'm looking for the same in Belgium, as it's well-known that our Fodorites are quite knowledgable. So, is it cheaper to rent an apartment instead of shelling out for a hotel? What you think about splurging at recommended restaurants for lunch instead of dinner? Has the cost of transportation between cities (rental cars, train, and bus), stopped you from exploring outside the big cities, or are you finding good deals, and doing day trips?

As with the Spain tips, if your tip is used in the Belgium guide you are elligible for a complimentary guide of choice (Fodor's of course).

I look forward to hearing from you.

Happy Traveling and thanks in advance!!!

zeppole

Drink genever and you won't care about the exchange rate.

AlexisK

Great idea....but how do you pay for the genever? Any great, cheap places to go?

hetismij

You can get good deals on hotels in Brussels when the European parliament is in recess - all those empty hotel rooms just waiting to be filled, at almost any price.

Therese

Here's a tip for Antwerp:

The maritime museum there has an associated outdoor (but largely covered) section that's free. Lots of cool boats, some of which you can board. This would be especially great for kids, and there's even a specially constructed play structure that's made along the lines of a boat.

qwovadis

www.betterbidding.com

Excellent values picked up Crowne Plaza Europa Brussels $48/nt other
cities too check priceline hotwire calender of wins for what will probably win the bid.

mgbleuven

My advice is based mostly on Flanders :

Have a belgede broodje for lunch-a half baguette with whatever you want for a base (although turkey in my experience is not usually available) and topped with lettuce, tomato, shredded carrots, and sliced hard boiled egg. It usually will cost you under 3 euros and is very filling. Panos is a popular chain.

Belgian beer is very strong, so drinking one or two will be enough for the night for most people It's usually the same price as drinking water or soda.

I'm living in Leuven, and this summer we have had free outdoor concerts every weekend from July-mid-August. They have been all over the city on the squares and lots of fun. Check out www.visitbelgium.com/calendar.html for events. We've stumbled upon lots of free events to take part in.

Under 26 can buy a Go Pass for the train. You pay around 46 euros for 10 one way rides. You fill them in as you go. The rail pass for over 26 are 71 euros and also usually a good deal, for instance from Leuven to Gent is 12 euros. Using the pass as an adult you save 4 euros on that one trip.

Buy a de Lijn kaartje for using the buses and trams. You get 10 rides for 8 euros, vs. 1.60/ride when paying on the bus. The card works on buses and trams all over Flanders. They are widely available-at the grocery store, newspaper stands, etc.

In Flanders there really isn't a need to rent a car. You can get everywhere very easily and efficiently by train and not have to worry about parking. We do have a car, but even living here we only use it about 4x/month.

We've been living here for 1 year and have 1 more to go. I'll do some more thinking. We're surviving the weak dollar quite well though!

yk

Belgian Railway offers 50% off weekend roundtrip tickets for both 1st and 2nd class:
http://www.b-rail.be/nat/E/tarifs/ti...kend/index.php

In Brugge, the museum pass is a very good deal: €15 for any 5 museums:
http://www.brugge.be/internet/en/mus...chtingen.htm#2

The Royal Museums of Fine Arts in Brussels (which include both the Ancient Art Museum & Modern Art Museum) only charges €5 for admission. An excellent deal considering its huge collection of Flemish Primitives paintings and its Surrealism paintings.

AlexisK

Wow! Great tips everyone.

Would it be safe to say that the coast is less crowded and cheaper to visit in the late spring or fall?

Also, I think it would be safe to also say that a lot of the battle sites are free, or inexpensive. Is this also a corerct assumption?

BTilke

My recs focus on Brussels:

1. Avoid the restaurants around the Grand'Place. You can eat much, much better for the same amount (or less) at the wonderful non-chain restaurants in residential neighborhoods like the Chatelain/Tenbosch area of Ixelles. The Chaussee de Waterloo (from about the 300 to 600 blocks) and its intersecting streets abound with excellent neighborhood eateries: Le Fruit Defendu, Lettre a Elise, Toucan, En Face de Parachute, La Poste, most of which offer very good lunch specials.

2. Also in that neighborhood, graze your way through the weekly Chatelain food market. Better than the rue Cler in Paris, IMO. Don't miss the stand selling little artisanal waffles. You can also chow down at the stands selling Vietnamese specialties and (on occasion) paella. A few stands also sell wines by the glass. A block from the market is the Lienard poultry shop (11 rue Washinton). In addition to being the best poultry dealer in town (arguably) she sells delicious cooked chicken sausages. Pick up a couple, put them in a fresh baguette for a tasty, cheap sandwich. Plus, Madame Lienard is a charming woman who greets every customer with a cheery bonjour and warm smile.

3. Don't do the city tour. If you have a mass transit day pass, you can put together your own tour...example, catch the 93/94 trams to see the Avenue Louise, the Sablon, the art museum, and the large city park. Pick up the 27 bus at the Sablon to see the EU district and Cinquantenaire. Transfer at the Montgomery circle to the 39 or 44 tram for a ride along the Avenue Tervuren (the 44 will take you all the way to Tervuren to the African museum; the 39 will take you down to Stockel).

4. Check websites like www.hotels.de for hotel rates. On week-ends, many 4 star hotels offer rooms at cut rate prices. The 4 star NH Stephanie often offers rooms for 70€ or so. Apartments can be good bargains (compared to Paris, anyway) if you are staying a week or longer.

5. Pick up a copy of The Bulletin, the weekly English language newsmagazine and check the What's On section for info on exhibitions, concerts, fairs, festivals, etc. Many are free.

Challiman

Hetismij, how would I find when the European Parliament is in recess? Will be in Brussels around October 20-23. Thanks to all for the good tips.

MyriamC

@ AlexisK
Yes, the coast is less crowded and a lot cheaper to visit in the spring or the fall. However, we have school holidays around Easter (2 weeks), around All Saints (1 week) and at Xmas (2 weeks). During these holidays the prices go up again and the crowds re-appear.

A lot of the battle sites are free, indeed. The whole Westhoek area (around Ieper, or Ypres in French) is one large open-air museum and can be visited for free.

AlexisK

Thanks MyriamC and Btilke. We certainly have quite a few great tips on here.

gregeva1

AlexisK:

We rented an apartment right on the Avenue Louise thru Immobe.be. The cost was great and the location was the best. There was a minimum of 4 nights but it was only 130E per night and everything was extremely convenient. I know that hotels in Brussels offer great weekend deals but midweek can really cause financial hardships so this was a better choice for us.

pommefrites

Saving euros in Bruges:

Attend the free carillon concert in the courtyard behind the belry - Wednesday evenings. A wonderful free evening.

Book a hotel that offers free bike rental. A ride around Bruges in the evening is fabulous. Daytime too!

Don't pay for parking. There are free parking lots along the ring road and then it is less than a 10 minute walk to the Market Square.

Instead of eating at a restaurant, pick up hot ribs or rotisserie chicken at the weekly markets on the main square. And a choose a picturesque canal to dine by.

Lawchick

Hotel rooms in Brussels have little to do with the European Parliament - but here is the calender for the Parliament in any event

http://www.europarl.europa.eu/pdf/general/cal2008.pdf

There are also Council meetings etc which can fill up hotels rooms.

However on the weekends the hotel rooms are mostly empty and you do get great deals - particularly in the more expensive hotels.

For Cheap eats in Brussels

How about a Michelin Restaurant for under 40 euros (or 50 euros including wine)?...try some of them in Brussels for lunch....that's how I spend my weekend!!!!

For really cheap and fresh food with a Belgian atmosphere try Le Fin de Siècle, rue des Chartreux - near the Bourse.

hanl

A couple more tips for Brussels:

For Belgian beer and frites, head to Place Jourdan (near the Parc Léopold and European quarter) and queue up at Chez Antoine in the centre of the square, a stand which has been serving up frites for something like 50 years. There is always a long line, but it's worth the wait as the frites are fantastic. For a couple of euros you can get a cone of hot frites, and around 50 cents more will get you a little pot of mayonnaise or one of countless other sauces - just make sure you ask for the sauce on the side (à part) or you'll get a huge dollop on top of your fries.

Then take your frites to any of the bars lining the square (Chez Bernard is one popular place) and they'll happily serve you a beer to accompany them. (The bars that let you bring your frites in all have a little sign in the window). You can eat your fries at the pavement tables or inside most establishments.

For decent fast food, try the Exki or Pulp chains which have branches all over Brussels, and both of which serve a good variety of salads, soups and sandwiches. Exki in particular also does great cakes and desserts, and makes a good place to stop off in the afternoon for a cup of tea or coffee and something sweet. (Pulp is geared more to the takeaway market so tends to have limited seating capacity.)