A Very Short Visit to Belgium
 

We're thinking of adding a few days in Belgium (thought of Greece or Portugal as well but these have been rejected) end of April to start of May.
We've been to Brugges twice over the years (most recently a couple of years ago) and may or may not include a day to Bruges. Also spent a day in Brussels some time ago.
I'm thinking of staying either in Ghent (which is kind of in the middle of my potential destinations) or Brussels which is convenient for the airport.
Most likely spend a day in Ghent and possibly one in Antwerp.
We could take a day trip to Bruges if we stay in Ghent and/or a day in Brussels.
If we stay in Ghent we'd most likely sleep in Brussels airport (I believe the closest hotel to the terminal is the Sheraton, correct?).

Any thoughts on where else we could go for this short (maybe 3-4 days) visit? Thanks.

There are direct Intercity trains between Gent and Brussels Zaventem international airport hourly, taking 1 hour. Unless you have a very early morning flight I wouldn't stay at a ghastly and expensive airport hotel.

" Any thoughts on where else we could go for this short (maybe 3-4 days) visit?"

Dendermonde, Mechelen, Tournai, Ypres, Leuven, Lille,

Be aware that May 1st is a holiday; trains will run on a Sunday schedule, and shops may be closed (though not touristy shops, these will be open).

Three replies and different things to consider.
If we sleep at the airport it would be for a May 3rd morning flight. Ithink it's around 9:30AM so I doubt we'd want to take a 1 hour train.
I'll look into those other suggestions for visits as well.

Thanks.

Stay in Brussels and do your walking there. Muntpunt has great walks all around Brussels. All very interesting, as we found out yesterday, when we did a walk in Ixelles, taking in the "Ponds" and the Ter Kamer Abbey.

Brussels has such a great vibe it would be a shame to miss that.

Does anybody know anything about Brussels Airlines? Are they real? Reliable? Etc.

We were in Brussels for the last day of a trip years ago. Maybe should consider some time there.

Menachem. Are you suggesting we base in Brussels instead of Ghent? Or spend several days there?

"Does anybody know anything about Brussels Airlines? Are they real? Reliable?"

Are you ready to discover the magic of the interweb?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brussels_Airlines

https://skytraxratings.com/airlines/...irlines-rating

BDKR, Thanks but that tells me stuff in isolation of others. Many people give almost every airline a failing score.

Has anybody flown with Brussels Airlines? Are they at least decent for a 4-5 hour one-way flight?

I have never flown Brussels Airlines, but a dozen of others from Lufthansa to PIA and honestly I couldn't find much difference among the lot(although I always travel cattle class). Every airline was decent enough for a 4-5 hour flight. I guess this depends more on the passanger than the airline.

Have you ever flown an airline which was not decent?

The only airlines I've ever flown that I would consider "not decent" are Spirit and Ryanair, so yes, I think there are airlines that could be considered not decent, but Brussels Air wouldn't be among them.

Yes, of course. It's our national airline!
We regularly fly them within Europe, but have also flown them a few times to Dakar/Senegal and to Egypt, which are flights of abt. 6 hrs.
Their service is impeccable and even the food is good.

Re day trips and things to do in Brussels, here is my trip report from a 10 day stay based in Brussels
https://www.fodors.com/community/eur...rlands-908745/

Vt, Thanks. I'll read your report later in the day.
St Cirq. I know a Jet Blue pilot who describes Spirit seats as wooden benches. Funny.
Thanks for the real info on Brussels Airlines. Not a concern any more. Thanks.
BDKR. No I have never flown an airline that was not decent.

"The only airlines I've ever flown that I would consider "not decent" are Spirit and Ryanair"

I have flown Ryanair many times and it was just as decent as Lufthansa. Never had any problem with Ryanair.

Agree! Their new planes even have more legroom than Vueling or TUI Fly planes.

Brugge: 1 hour by train from Brussels Central
Gent St Pieters: 35-40 minutes
Gent Dampoort: 50 minutes

Plus you'll have Brussels.
Look for a hotel near Brussels Central. There are several good ones and prices are very reasonable as long as you don't go for something near the big European institutions.
For instance: http://www.booking.com/Share-fWKH53
Or if you want to splash out a little: http://www.booking.com/Share-iZOkfdU

Brussels Airlines used to be called Sabena. It's fine. I prefer Easyjet if they do the same route, as they seem to fly with newer aircraft.

We've been to Brugges twice over the years. Most recently about two years ago. So we'd probably skip Brugges.

Until a day or so ago the plan was to arrive in Brussels and immediately train to Ghent as a mini-base. From there spend the remainder of the arrival date (noon on) and last day in Ghent.

That would leave us 2 full days more. Maybe go to Antwerp (haven't looked at this yet). Maybe Brussels or some other smaller places.

We were in Brussels for a day or two years back and don't remember being excited with it. Maybe our impression was wrong. We can be convinced.

While this plan has us staying in a smaller place (Ghent rather than Brussels) it's not very efficient as we'll arrive by plane in Brussels and depart Brussels by plane. In fact, our plane out leaves at 9:30 AM and we'd probably want to sleep at the Sheraton in the airport.

My wife was watching if few Youtube videos and she became a little concerned that Ghent may close up by 6 PM. If that's the case it would fit more as a day trip than a base. Not that we're party people but a town with some people around might be better.

Menachem seems to be the only person suggesting Brussels as a base and spending some time there,

Near the start of this thread BDKR suggested a few other day trip destinations. I'll look at those.

Comments on Brussels as both a base and destination for a day and a half or so would be appreciated.

I will side with menachem and put in a vote for Brussels too. I have never understood why it gets such a bad rap. But then, I love Milano, which most people diss also.

I haven't flown on the new Ryanair planes, so maybe my perception is outdated, but that's because I stopped flying them years ago because of their execrable customer service and tendency to slap on extra charges seemingly at whim. I do agree that if EasyJet flies the same route as Brussels Air, I'd probably choose EasyJet.

We loved Antwerp.

I really don't think Ghent shuts down at 6 pm. Have you ever known a university town that does that?

I have flown with Ryanair since 2003 every single flight was OK, I even had enough legroom. I never got any extra charge slapped on. I always paid only for what I needed. I heard their costumer service is appalling(heard the same from other low-cost airlines too), but fortunately I never had to deal with their customer service. No delays, no cancellations.

We spent two weeks in Belgium a few months ago, splitting our stays between Brussels, Brugge, and Antwerp, and were very happy basing in all three. Despite the short distances, we wanted to experience each place as much as possible, which to us means overnights. Day trips were to Ieper and Ghent. We had more than enough to do and see in the places we based, so count me among those who think Brussels shouldn't be discounted. Of course, YMMV.

StCirg. I wondered the same thing. It's pretty easy to check the closing time of stores. That's often an indication of the city center.

I'm no longer concerned with Brussels Airlines.

Now I'm focusing on Belgium at all, where to base and where to day trip.

Interestingly, as soon as some doubt injects itself, Paris jumps in. I think we need another year away from Paris. But if we take the easy way out and go to Paris, Belgium will never happen. Paris is always Paris and there.

So back to Ghent or Brussels as a base.

I'd like comments on what makes Brussels compelling and not stodgy.

The closing time of stores is generally 6pm in Belgium. Big supermarkets may be open later (8pm or 9pm on Friday).
Restaurants are open late. Last orders mostly around 9-10pm.

The closing time of stores doesn't register with me as an indication of the liveliness of any city or town or any neighborhood within one. Closing times are pretty rigid all over Europe, whether in a big city or a village. You get your business done during the day and go on to evening activities afterward, whether that be dining in restaurants, hanging out in cafés, going to performances, or going home to relax. We know exactly what hours stores are open around here (it changes depending on the season) and get our practical errands accomplished during those hours. It has nothing to do with how lively a place is or what there is to do after dark.

Brussels is home to a number of UNESCO World Heritage sights, primarily the Grand Place and areas around it (you could spend at least a couple of days just browsing around this area, and eating incredibly well), the Mannequen Pis, which IMO is a really insipid little waste of stone, the Atomium. the Museums of Art and History, and perhaps some others. I like the busy vibe of Brussels; it is, after all, the seat of European politics, and has an international aspect - perhaps that's why it doesn't appeal to some visitors; it's not uniquely Belgian? I don't know, but I've always enjoyed it and probably have eaten better there than anywhere else in Europe.

I could find "stodgy" in SO many other places in Europe, if I could even define what that means.

It's a very interesting contrast to see the past of Europe in the historic centre and the future of Europe in the nearby Molenbeek district inhabited by lots of Muslims.

The rich art nouveau heritage of Brussels begs to be explored if you love this style.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Art_Nouveau_in_Brussels

Actually, I like Molenbeek a lot.

Myer Just avoid the Grand Place and thereabouts. Go visit the Brussels villages, like Sablon or Les Marolles. What I particularly like about Brussels is the arts scene, lots of activist politics and many many ad hoc art spaces. Always something exciting going on. Last weekend we decided to go visit to see the Brancusi exhibition at Bozar and then walk somewhere we'd never been. Which turned out to be Ixelles and its ponds. On Place Flagey there was a sunday market with food trucks and mulled wine already.

I totally concur with BDKR about Art Nouveau in Brussels. For instance at

I think most first-time visitors to Brussels will be thrilled with the Grand Place and areas surrounding it. I know I was on my first visit.

It's definitely different in (southern) Spain where shops are closed between 1 and 5 pm and remain open until 9 pm. Even until midnight in shopping centres.

Yes, I know that - it's different in different places, not "rigid" as in uniform throughout the Continent - but what I was trying to convey is that it's pretty much set in stone, wherever you are, and it doesn't have much if anything to do with whether a place is lively at night or not.

Absolutely. But it's so easy to go further afield. I see lots of people circling around the Grand Place. Brussels has so much more.

Just a thought. Does this make sense?

We have 4 nights in Belgium.
I'd like to spend the last night at the Sheraton in Brussels Airport.
I like the idea of spending at least a night in a smaller place (than a big city like Brussels).
I'd rather not sleep in three different places.
We could spend the first two nights in Ghent and a day and a half there.
Then the last two night we could stay at the Sheraton in the airport. From there we could visit some combination of Antwerp, Brussels, Leuvin, Mechelen over the last two days.

Stay at an airport hotel, instead of in Brussels? Brussels beyond the Grand Place is a collection of villages.

Anyway, you were sure you were going to hate The Hague, maybe because of the same fear of stodginess as you now mention re Brussels. That turned out to be entirely different, so why not let yourself be surprised. Really, an airport hotel, without the need....Many trains from Brussels Central to Zaventem. Early morning ones too.

menachem, I completely agree about getting away from the Grand Place and out to the many "villages" that comprise Brussels, but for someone like Myer, the Grand Place is at least a start.

I'm very perplexed about how someone who is concerned with "stodginess" is going to spend a couple of nights in a Sheraton at the airport.

I'm actually completely confused about how anyone could ever accuse just about anywhere in Europe of being "stodgy." Even this commune in the middle of nowhere that I inhabit that is full of nonagenarians is far from stodgy.

Stay in Brussel near Central Station rather than at the airport; as Menachem says, plenty of trains to the airport from there.
Also, if you travel from the aiport to anywhere by train, the tickets are more expensive because of an airport surcharge. Difference is about 4 euro pp per ticket.

"Village Brussels" starts right outside Bozar, with Sablon. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sablon,_Brussels

It's 5.40 euro already per ticket, one way.

Staying at the airport for two night was just an idea I wanted to get out of the way. I guess it's not a very good idea.

We were in Brussels in 2006. We were on a trip to Prague and Budapest and stopped in Brussels on the way back to spend a few days in Bruges and Amsterdam. I took a quick look at a few photos I had. We saw Manneken Pis, were in Grand Place, a park Petit Sablon, Galleries St Hubert and at a restaurant on Rue de Rollebeek.

Then we met up with some friends who trained in from Switzerland to have dinner with us. I don't remember where.

I remember it raining in the morning. but then cleared somewhat.

We stayed at a hotel that I think is now NH Brussels Carrefour de l'Europe.

It's a block from the train station. We did a test run the day before leaving. We walked over to the train station, took an elevator down to the level of the train that goes to the airport and were quite confident everything was smooth. Well, the next morning we walked the block over to the train station with our luggage and found that the elevator down was out of order. So I carried two suite cases (one at a time) down two flights of stairs to the required level.

That's all I remember about Brussels.

I'm beginning to think what is being referred to as Brussels Villages are neighborhoods.
Is there such a thing as a map of these villages so that I can at least place them and read about which might be of interest to us?