mdtravel

Hello. I'm a bit confused or unclear on quite a bit of city to city train stuff in Belgium and am hoping that someone can provide some insight based on personal experience. We will be basilng in Brussels, arriving from Paris and I'm ok on this part of the trip.

We plan on taking several side trips, however, and this is where my confusion starts.

1. Starting in Brussels...what train station will I use to get out of Brussels to any other city in Belgium (Antwerp, Ghent, Brugge)?

2. What is the name of the train station in Brugge for arrivals from Brussels?

3. Upon arrival in Brugge, how do we get to the center of town without taking a cab? Is it an easy walk or is it a bus / metro trip?

4. What is the name of the train station that we would arrive at in Antwerp from Brussels?

5. Upon arrival in Antwerp, how do we get from the station to the center of town without taking a cab?

6. What is the name of the train station in Ghent that we would arrive at from Brussels?

7. Upon arrival in Ghent, how do we get from the train station to the center of town without taking a cab?

Pretty much the same question on several cities I know. The Fodors book just didn't specifically address these questions and I don't want to spend my time on arrival trying to figure out how to get out of the station or realizing too late that it wasn't really walkable.

Michael

My recollection is that both Ghent and Bruges have single train stations, so that the name is pretty much irrelevant.

111op

Gent and Bruges should have one train station. For Antwerp and Brussels, you use Centra(a)l Station.

Depending on where you're going in Antwerp, the city center is walkable from the train station.

I think Bruges station is also walkable from the old town, but the walk probably takes at least 20 minutes. I forget what the situation is for Gent. I think there's a bus. I can't recall if it's walkable. It probably is, if you're prepared to walk for at least 20 minutes.

hetismij

Gent station is called Gent St Pieters.

Cowboy1968

Trains to Antwerpen, Gent, and Brugge call at Brussel-Noord, Brussel-Centraal, and Brussel-Zuid.

The French version would be:
Trains to Anvers, Gand, and Bruges call at Bruxelles-Nord, Bruxelles-Central, and Bruxelles-Midi.

There are also two smaller stations in Brussels which usually are also served, but I left those out to reduce some confusion.
You can choose the station which is most convenient from your Brussels hotel.

hetismij already gave the name of Gent's largest station. Brugge is simply Brugge, and Antwerpen is Antwerpen-Central.

Just keep in mind that the trains to those cities do not necessarily terminate there. So, your train to Brugge will probably say Oostende as terminus.
You can check that out at www.sncb.be

mgbleuven

I'm pretty sure that all trains that go through Brussels stop in all three stations-Zuid, Centraal and Noord. Both Antwerp and Ghent have good tram systems that make it very easy to get into the city center. In Antwerp and Brugge it's easy to walk from the train station to the center of town. Ghent is a little more difficult, as I recall, so take a tram toward the Korenmarkt. The trams arrive directly in front of the train station and there is a De Lijn-the Belgian bus and tram company-stand inside the train station where you can purchase a ticket. If you will be using the buses and trams in Belgium a lot, the best deal is a De Lijn Kaart which is 10 rides for 8 euros. It can be used in each of the cities you are visiting. The Belgian train website, www.b-rail.be, is very good and available in English. I'm currently living in Leuven and would be happy to help in any other way!

BTilke

Brussels has three main stations: Nord, Centrale and Midi (and Flemish names for each).
Which is the best station to leave from probably depends on where you're staying or where you happen to be when you head out.
If you were staying at the Hilton on the Blvd. Waterloo, for example, the best station to leave from would be Midi, not Centrale. But if you were staying at the Novotel Grand'Place, then Centrale would be better. If you were staying at the Sheraton on the Place Rogier, you'd probably leave from Nord.

Trains to Bruges from Brussels stop in Nord, Centrale and then Midi. On most trains, Bruges would be the second stop from Brussels Midi (Ghent would be the first). Your train to Bruges usually has Oostend or Knokke/Blankenberge as its final destination, so that's what the "big board" in the train stations will display.

Midi is the station where your train from Paris stops.

Trains to Antwerp stop first in Midi, then Centrale and then Nord.

Walking to the center of town from Bruges railway station is pleasant and on (mostly) level ground. Caveat: on leaving the station to walk into Bruges, do not even THINK of jaywalking or crossing against the light. I have seen undercover officers there stop people trying to do so several times. Usually the person just gets a stern lecture, but I have seen them give tickets to particularly obnoxious pedestrians.

Re Brussels, my own personal preference is for Midi whenever possible. I find Nord a little creepy and Centrale a little run down. (But not dangerously so and Midi is no glamour girl.)

yk

3) From the Brugge train station, it is a lovely walk to the old town. Probably 20 minutes tops.

5) For Antwerp, there are trams and buses outside the train station that will take you to the center. There's a TI booth in the train station and you can just ask. It's also not too far of a walk to the center either, again, probably 20 mins tops

7) For Ghent, it is a little far to walk. I took tram #1 which took me right into the center of old town.

If you want details of these things, I've found that Rick Steves' guidebooks are very good in that regard.