Bike Ride - Bruges, Belgium to Amsterdam, Netherlands
 

I have booked a bicycle/barge trip from Bruges, Belgium to Amsterdam beginning on Aug. 1 and ending on Aug 8. I plan to fly into Brussels a few days early and visit before traveling on to Bruges. Anyone have info on great places to stay near the airport and also on transportation options between Brussels and Bruges? I also plan to stay a few days after the trip in Amsterdam. Anyone have thoughts on great places to stay near the airport or any advice on local transportation in Amsterdam?

shameless self promotion but details our choice for local transit in amsterdam.

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...and-london.cfm

Brussels to Bruges (Brugge in the local Flemish language and on train schedules maybe) by train is a snap - trains go at least hourly and there are no reservations possible I believe so you can always get on and there IME will always be seats - just buy that ticket once in Brussels.

Depending on where you are staying in Brussels Gare Central may be the closest to your hotel but it don't matter there are trains to Bruges from all three of the larger Brussels stations - Nord, Central and Midi (Midi is the main station).

Very very simple. For general info on European trains check: www.seat61.com; www.budgeteuropetravel.com and www.ricksteves.com. For a bit more money you can go first class and be guaranteed IME many empty seats - 2nd class can always be quite full or full, especially at commuting time as these are basically commuter trains.

When buying your ticket ask about having to cancel your own ticket before boarding - often is the case - done by sticking your ticket in a cancelling machine - some trains are on the honor system I believe with no conductors thus you must cancel your own ticket to invalidate it for future use.

You are planning on spending a day or so in Bruges, right - hope so as this is a gem - Brussels on the other hand leaves many underwhelmed - to me one of the least gracious and romantic in what Americans expect to find in Europe - kind of like Frankfurt in this regard - a big modern bustling city with a few main sights that for the average traveler can be seen in a half day (there is lots of other things to see and do but IMO nothing to compare with spending more time in Bruges if you have not programmed that in.

What PalenQ says...

Thanks. We have decided to visit briefly the main sites in Brussels and then go on to Bruges for that evening, the next day and the morning of the next before joining our bike group What recommendations would anyone have of lodging near buiten Katelijnevest - which is where we pick up our bike tour.