Liz

Besides the natural ambience, what specifically should my husband and I plan to do during our March 16-19 stay in Brugge. We are traveling to and from Paris and we are also avid cyclists (although we are traveling w/o our bikes). What are the a great side trips? What about the route from Paris to Brugge? Please be specific--we are very interested since we are already locked into this trip.

mwg

Ypres, or now Ieper, is an interesting town, with an imposing central square and magnificent Clothe Hall, reconstructed after the wars. However, in my mind, Bruges is much nicer. You definitely should rent bikes; its beautiful countryside. A small part of The Nethrelands lies to the North and the town of Sluis seemed quite charming to me and made an interesting excursion. Also interesting is Damme, the former port of Bruges, which we drove to but could probably be reached very pleasantly by bike.

Jef Maes

<BR>Hi, <BR> <BR>There's a brandnew and interesting <BR>world war I museum in Ieper. The whole region <BR>of Ieper was a huge battlefield during <BR>this war. <BR>Close to Ieper you'll find the village <BR>Westvleteren where at the Sixtus abbey you can stop for one of their fine trappist beers (6 , 8 or 12 % alcohol). Also the 6 km track <BR>Brugge- Damme is worth cycling. <BR>Have a nice stay (hope you have nice weather) <BR> <BR>Jef

Marija

Ghent is an interesting city, less than an hour away by train. Saint Bavo's Cathedral is worth a visit. You can see van Eyck's The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb, an incredible polyptych.

Donna

Hi, Liz! We were just in Belgium for 3 nights in Brussels, and our one train trip was to Brugge. You might try the reverse: Brugge to Brussels, and get off at the Central Station. Walk around the Grand Place during the day, see the Mannekin Pis, eat, shop, then train back to Brugge for the night. <BR> <BR>We loved Brugge. What hotel are you using? Be sure in Brugge to go to the cathedral that has the Michelangelo. There are morning hours and afternoon hours, and the caretaker will NOT let you in after it is closed. At the outside of the church, take a look at the outdoor pissoire, used by men today! <BR> <BR>I hope your trip is wonderful. Seems to me it may be cold, still. <BR> <BR>

Liz

Thanks everyone! We will use all the suggestions. <BR> <BR>As for the hotel, we settled on the ter Dunien. They are about $110 per night for a room overlooking the canal and an excellent breakfast for 2. This is more than we would usually spend, but the raves about this hotel on this web site were so unanimous that we decided to splurge--you can reach them via email--www.terduinenhotel.be. <BR>

kathy

<BR>Liz, I am having difficulty getting rail tickets (and information about them) from Paris to Brussels. Were you able to do this? I want the thalys express train (mini ticket) and even have the times, but so far don't know where to buy it - unless I get it when I arrive at the airport before we continue into Belgium. obviously I'm approaching this part of our trip from the wrong angle. Any suggestions? Thanks.

wes fowler

Kathy, <BR>Check Thalys' website at: <BR>www.thalys.com/uk/ind_for.htm for information on Minitickets, costs and phone numbers to call to place ticket orders.

M & J

We were in Brugge last month. Part of the fun was walking at night, following canals, seeing the streetlights reflect off the cobblebricks at Market Square and Burg Square. The best chocolate we found was at Maitre Chocolatier Verbeke, just off Market Square at Geldmuntstraat 25--they close on Sunday and Monday. The canal boats were only crusing on the weekends--it is cold there. You may want to bring some rain gear, too. The wind will turn your umbrella into a runaway windmill !

Cheryl Z.

<BR>Besides the chocolate, you MUST have a Belgium waffle anywhere, often served as dessert with strawerries and cream.

Helen

Re: the Thalys--have you tried sncf.fr? I was able to get almost all the way through the ticket validation process -- but we don't have a secure server, and it didn't work. I had gotten to the point where I had selected the mini-ticket, window seat, etc. Give it a look.

Phyllis

<BR>Hi Liz... When my husband and I were in Brugge a few summers ago, we rented bikes (They're available in lots of places near the marketplace, as best I recall. Your hotel can advise you.) and biked out to Damme, a village a few miles away. There is a bike path (paved) which follows the canal and is perfectly flat. The village has an interesting church and a few places for lunch. This was a really enjoyable day trip and provided a great break from the usual "touristing." Have fun. Brugge is a lovely city.