OCDtraveler

I am planning a trip to Belgium in May, probably around 10 days. Rather than using Brussels as the base I was considering Ghent and taking train trips to Brugges, Ypres, Brussels etc...

Any thoughts on Ghent as a base? I plan to stay a few days in Antwerp, too.

Thanks in advance

PalenQ

Gent is a perfect base as it is centrally located for all of those and is a really neat city in its own right - a real city as opposed to tourist-infested (and tremendous) Bruges - trains go frequently to all of those - Antwerp to me is a gem too - Brussels underwhelms many but has many neat sites if you ferret them out - overall the city does not exude the old-world look of Bruges and parts of Gent.

Gent is a lively town too - one of my favorites - for a look at Belgian trains check: http://www.belgianrail.be/en - official site of Belgium's railways - look into day passes if available - otherwise these trains do not require or make reservations even possible and have a flat fare structure I think so walk up tickets are OK - you can order tickets online too - other sites for general info on Belgian and European trains: www.seat61.com; www.ricksteves.com and www.budgeteuropetravel.com.

Another neat day trip from Gent could go to the Belgian coast and a string of daughty old seaside resorts like Oostende, Blakkenberge, etc - a tram runs along the whole coast to the French border.

Lille France is also a short enough train ride for a nice day in an underrated large French town.

pariswat

Gent is a beautiful city and a good base for Flanders.
If you want to spend some time in Wallonia it is less well located than Brussels

Enjoy your stay.

tonfromleiden

Gent is a nice, lively city and a perfect base for the whole of Flanders, including Brussel.
Nothing wrong with Antwerpen, but being just one hour away from Gent it's hardly worth the trouble to change hotels.
Except for some international trains passing through Belgium it isn't even possible to make reservations.

IMDonehere

Here is a wonderful place to stay in Gent, Snooz Inn.


http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Rev..._Province.html

PalenQ

If you want to spend some time in Wallonia >

What base would you recommend for Walloon Belgium and which are night place to day trip to? Thanks - i assume Dinant is a highlight and Liege too but where else, as cities go?

Merci et au revoir!

Sassafrass

Another Vote for Ghent. It does not seem touristy at all, but has a lively vibe. It has lots of restaurants along the river in the city center. We stayed in Bruges and it is pretty, but after going to Ghent, I wished we had stayed there.
Oostende is a charming beach town, I would love to visit it again.

indyhiker

We loved our stay in Ghent and would stay there again in a heartbeat. We stayed at a great B&B called Simon Says. The rooms are above a small cafe/restaurant. Both are owned by two Englishman. My husband was ill during our stay and they were exceedingly helpful in arranging for some medical care. The rooms are lovely and spacious and you eat your breakfast in the cafe at your leisure.

dfourh

There are some nice hotels very close to Gent St. Pieters - - if you are using Gent as a rail hub you are in great shape staying there as opposed to getting closer to the center. Try looking at the map feature on booking.com and zoom in and choose something with a nice price/rating balance.

Consider a stop in Mechelen too (20 minutes south of Antwerp) - - the riverwalk, the central square - - it's not much visited so high quality at great prices. If you love Belgian beer the Het Anker brewery and its tasting room are 1st class.

You could also rent a car for a day or two and explore some really nice country toward France - - sweet small towns, and a beer at In De Vrede across from the Westvleteren abbey and brewery - - best beer in the world, many claim.

OCDtraveler

Thanks so much...so now how about a base in Walloon?

I might split my time north and south.

Ghent and Dinant???

dfourh

I don't know Dinant at all, but I really liked Namur - - nice feel, nice churches, nice pubs. A really easy place to hang. Liege sucks eggs in comparison.

pariswat

Sucking eggs is an expression I don't understand.
I have not been that much to liege but still nice.
Dinant is a small and lovely city. You need a car there as there are a lot of natural sites to see.
If you have kids there are some old trains still running. I think in marienbourg ( not so sure now - Google train touristique Vallee Belgique).

There are fortresses worth visiting both in Namur and dinant.

pariswat

Forgot to mention mons a lovely city culture capital of Europe for 2015.

Splendid cathedral
Might be museums. Spent 4 years there knew better the cafes and bistros.

PalenQ

St-Niklaas is rarely on anyone's visit list but it is a gem in its unique way - one of the largest town squares in all of Europe - close to Gent by train - on the way to Antwerp:

https://www.google.com/search?q=st+n...FYMrHgodUAQOXw

MyriamC

Wallonia, for me, is nature: forests, hills, rivers, ... Great bases for hiking, mountain-biking, kayaking, are Houffalize, La Roche-en-Ardenne, Malmedy, etc. The larger cities such as Bastogne, Bouillon, Dinant or Liège don't appeal to me very much, although I would advise to visit the new station of Liège-Guillemins if you go in that direction.

IMDonehere

Gent is a gritty version of Brugge. While Brugge is more beautiful, Gent is more interesting.

PalenQ

Nothing gritty about Gent - but a more real city for sure with some Bruges-like pockets of dreamy old canals, etc.

PalenQ

An interesting if macabre thing in Gent is in the Count of Flanders castle - a torture chamber in the basement. Right in the city center.

Gregory245

During 2012 I was on my way to Belgium and from the whole country I liked the most Ghent. It is a great town for young people because it is kind of student center so there is lot of interesting stuffs going on around (I remember that I was going on some small lake next to center which was pretty funny and you can even swim!). Try to visit graffiti street and check Ghent Belfry which is symbol of town. You can find some short text about Ghent experience here : http://personal-travel-photos.blogsp...t-belgium.html . From other towns I would recommend visiting Namur, Dinant (super cool place) and Brugge.