Beating the Euro

Below are suggestions for ways to save money on your trip, courtesy of the Travel Talk Forums at Fodors.com.

Transportation

"In Flanders, people under 26 can buy a Go Pass for the train. You pay around EUR 46 for 10 one way rides. The rail pass for over 26 are EUR 71 and also usually a good deal, for instance from Leuven to Gent is EUR 12. Using the pass as an adult you save EUR 4 on that one trip. If you're using the buses and trams, buy a de Lijn kaartje. You get 10 rides for EUR 8 vs. EUR 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."—mgbleuven "

Book a hotel that offers free bike rental. A ride around Bruges is fabulous. And don't pay for parking. There are free parking lots along the ring road and then it's less than a 10 minute walk to the Market Square."—pommefrites

Food & Drink

"Take your frites to any of the bars lining Place Jourdan and they'll happily serve you a beer to accompany them. (The bars that let you bring your frites in have a little sign in the window). You can eat your fries at the pavement tables or inside most establishments."—hanl

"In Brussels, 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."—BTilke

Lodging

"You can get good deals on hotels in Brussels when the European parliament is in recess."—hetismij

"The coast is less crowded and a lot cheaper to visit in the spring or the fall. However, avoid school holidays (around Easter, All Saints, and Christmas) as the prices go up again and the crowds re-appear."—MyriamC

"We rented an apartment. There was a minimum of 4 nights but it was only EUR 130 per night and everything was extremely convenient."—gregeva1

Sights

"The maritime museum in Antwerp has an (largely covered) outdoor section that's free. It's especially great for kids, and there's even a specially constructed play structure that's made along the lines of a boat."—Therese

"In Brugge, the museum pass is a very good deal: EUR 15 for any 5 museums. The Royal Museums of Fine Arts in Brussels (which include both the Ancient Art Museum & Modern Art Museum) only charges EUR 5 for admission. An excellent deal considering its huge collection of Flemish Primitives paintings and its Surrealism paintings."—yk