bookster

Hi,
I'm looking for recommendations of places to stay in or near Bastogne. Most of the places I've checked so far are fully booked , so what are some other options of towns or cities nearby? I'd prefer to be no more than 20 minutes driving distances away from Bastogne-if possible.

Is staying in Luxembourg a reasonable option?

Are there taxis or rentals cars available? Since I will be there for a specific event, I was wondering if I could just hire a taxi to take me back and forth, or should I rent a car?

Also what are the options for getting there? Flight from Brussels then train/bus? Flight from Brussels to nearest airport-then car?

MyriamC

Have you tried Houffalize? It's only 15 km from Bastogne and pretty touristy. Staying In Luxembourg is an option as well. Esch-sur-Sûre is 18 km away, Martelange and Wiltz are 16 km away.
It's a pretty long way from Brussels airport to Bastogne. Flying to Luxembourg-Findel would be a better option. Or Liège, depending where you're coming from, the latter being a local airport. If I were you, I would rent a car there.

bookster

Thanks, someone recommended flying into Paris then taking the train to Luxembourg. Is it possible to take a rental car from Luxebourg into Belgium? What about taxis? I'm going for a special event and really don't want to drive late at night

MyriamC

If you fly into Paris, make sure to book a TGV (high speed train) to Luxembourg, otherwise the journey may take upto four and a half hours!
Check out the conditions of various rental companies whether they allow to cross a border.
Don't know about taxis.

bookster

Just a quick follow up, for anyone with a similar question. I ended up renting a car from the Brussels Airport and drove to Bastogne. The trip took under 2 hours. The only small issue was the changing speed limits, but my navigation system warned us about upcoming speed cameras.

All in all, a very good experience, a car and GPS navigation is definitely needed to find your way around the area. It has inspired me to take a road trip through other parts of Europe.

Renting cars to cross the border was not a problem either for others, you can pick up in one country and leave it in another (Western Europe mainly) for a slightly higher price.

I also rented a cell phone for about 2 euros a day, incoming calls were free (even calls from the US) and cost about .38 euros per minute for outgoing calls.