Floridacouple

Continuing my research for a trip to Belgium, I'm looking for a good city to use as a base for touring south of Brussels. Some of the cities I'd like to visit for day trips are Namur, Durbuy, Bastogne, Han-sur-Lesse, and Bouillon. We will be traveling strictly by train or bus.

Do you have any recommendations for one of these cities as a base from which to travel or recommend another town?

Previous post on rail travel have provided some amazing places I might have missed so I thank you all for any assistance!

janisj

I've only been in southern Belgium/the Ardennes once -- last April when I retraced my Dad's footsteps in the Battle of the Bulge -- so I'm certainly no expert. But that general area has much less rail service than other parts of the country. Also found the bus service was less convenient.

Honestly, exploring that part of Belgium is much easier by car. I hired an expert on the Battle to drive me around an entire day, but sans that I would have had to rent a car.

Maybe one of the locals can offer you better advice . . .

PalenQ

Liege is a nice larger city and Namur is sweet smaller city - those are rail hubs - for all you need to know about Belgian trains check:

http://www.belgianrail.be/en

Look for day passes for unlimited train travel on any train anytime save Thalys trains.

Whathello

Base in Namur. There are IC trains to the places mentioned. Forget about buses they are used for small distance intra city.
Have fun.

Ps no idea if Durbuy is accessible by train - check on Sncb.be or whatever name they now have (belgianrail ?)

Floridacouple

Thanks for the advice. Looks like Namur is it.

I have checked out Durbuy and you need to take a train to another city and then bus to Durbuy. Just sounds like fun to go to the smallest city in the world.

joannyc

Dinant is also a cute, small town. Google it. Great views of the cathedral with the citadel above. Birthplace of Adolph Sax, inventor of the saxophone.

I spent my final night in Namur, another good town, at Les Taunners de Namur.

joannyc

Oops, typo in hotel name, Les Tanneurs de Namur. Had a very charming room with a brick wall, etc. Dinner in their restaurant was very good.