I will be in Paris for 5 days this winter and would like to take a day trip to either Brussels or Brugge. I will be going by train which i think takes 1.5 hours. Which city should i go for? Which one is easier to stroll around in after leaving the train station?

There's LOTS of info on this topic if you do a search.<BR><BR>Basically, most people say Brugge, but try to stay overnight to see Brugge WITHOUT the hordes of daytrippers.

Hi<BR>I've been to both and would recommend Brugge for a day trip.<BR>Take the train that stops in Lille and change for Brugge. Ther is nly a five minute break between trains, but they hold the local.<BR>Be aware that Brugge, although lovely, is something of a tourist trap. All shops and stores will take French Francs, but at a very poor exchange rate, and the banks are closed on the weekend.<BR>Enjoy your trip.<BR>

Without a doubt...Brugge.<BR><BR>A very romantic little city that has a lot to offer, particularly if you stay over night. It is called the Venice of the North for a reason, only unlike Venice, it is clean and does not need a fresh coat of paint!<BR><BR>Not much there with respect to museums, however, the bell tower, city hall, town square, the canals, the shopping, the beers and the food all make this place a worthwhile visit. Some nice little curches as well.<BR><BR>US<BR><BR>PS Rent a bike and tour, however there is a lot of traffic on the main streets.

<BR>One vote for Brussels, the Grand Place is spectacular, even in winter. The streets around it are wonderful to walk around, there are plenty of places to stop off and have a drink or moules frites. It's also considerably less touristy that Brugge, but probably only because it's significantly larger.<BR><BR>And one other minor point, they don't take French Francs anymore, it's the Euro now!

We enjoyed Brussels, but we loved Brugge!! Wonderful, walkable, romantic!!You will not be sorry.

ira makes a silly point, calling a place a "tourist trap" because they take french francs. Only a stupid tourist would have been gullible enough to try to use the wrong currency in a country anyway. The stores aren't "trapping" the tourist, they are accomodating the ones too stupid to either know how to get the right money or figure a decent exchange rate. And what does the fact that banks are closed on weekends have to do with anything? Any tourist with an ounce of smarts doesn't need a bank -- only the ATMs (which don't close on the weekend). Sounds like ira is a gullible tourist who needs to learn how to travel rather than blame his problems on a city.

I won't argue the relative merits of the two possibilities, but here are my notes for a Brussels day trip from Paris, for the good of the order:<BR><BR>http://www.igougo.com/planning/journalEntryActivity.asp?JournalID=3126&EntryID=87 40<BR><BR>Note that I don't recommend strolling around the train station in Brussels, but hopping on the Brussels metro to get into some of the more interesting neighborhoods.<BR> <BR>Happy Contrails!

I went to both Brussels and Brugge this past June, and I know there have been many threads on the relative merits....<BR>I think I'm definitely in the minority, in that I'd pick Brussels for one day trip. That being said, I tend to enjoy "urban" locations better, so Brussels was a very pleasant surprise for me. Brugge is, as others have amply pointed out a very romantic city, but I just found more interesting things to do/see in Brussels.<BR>Either way, I'm sure you'll have a great time! <BR>Best wishes.

Is it necessary to purchase a ticket in advance or can I buy a ticket the day of travel? <BR><BR>Thanks.

rlr asks<BR>&gt;Is it necessary to purchase a ticket in advance or can I buy a ticket the day of travel?&lt;<BR>If you are going on the express (TGV or THA) you need reservations.<BR><BR>

Gee Rex, did you really think I would rise to the bait?

You do not need to buy train tickets in advance unless you will travel at a very busy time. In Paris about two weeks ago, I bought my ticket for Brussels at Gare du Nord about five minutes before the train left (at about 12:00)...but there are 3 trains/hour during the day. On a Friday evening I'll bet the trains are full, so you might want to buy an advanced ticket in that case.<BR><BR>I don't think you save much money by buying in advance, either, unless you find some special discounts. I bought all of my train tickets in France, Belgium, and The Netherlands at the last minute, probably less than 30 minutes prior to departure.<BR><BR>Andrew<BR>

what is ira talking about ? french francs in Brugge ? Belgium AND France have euros now !!!<BR>but, brugge is really nice to go,very romantic, and there are a lot nice restaurants..

I absolutely loved Brugge. That being said, I think Brussels might be a better day trip from Paris. First, it's faster to get to Brussels. (BTW, I disagree with Andrew and strongly recommend train reservations - the Paris/Brussels run is the busiest in Europe. I tried to buy tickets two days in advance and paid E110 instead of the E54 I could have spent in advance. Within Belgium, train tickets are very easy, but from Paris do yourself a favor and reserve in advance). Second, Brussels is great for a day trip because there's just enough to see in a day (The Grand' Place is spectacular, and is great at night). Don't get me wrong - Brugge is great, but it's someplace more relaxing to stay for a few days, not a great day trip because it's so busy. Maybe in winter it wouldn't be so bad, though. The day trippers go there for a reason, it's beautiful. You can walk to the town center from the train station in either Brugge or Brussels (Gare du Midi) treservations, though I think Brussels is a bit closer, maybe 10 minutes vs. 15 minutes. Tough choice, really.

If you can afford to spend one night away from Paris the ideal trip would be to do both. I personally loved Brugge and was very disapointd in Brussels. But Brugge does take longer although I know lots of people do it in a day trip. There are two routes you can go, one is through Brussels using the high speed train (Thalys), the other is through Lille. Lille is cheaper but slower. The town centers of both are only ten minute walks from the train station. One poster above said something about taking the metro into Brussels from the train station, he must have come into one of the two outlying train stations. Make sure you go to "midi", that one is right in the center. I was there in March and the hordes of daytrippers everyone speaks of were not evidentin Brugge. Must be a summer thing. Brussels seemed more crowded but then it's a much bigger city. Both towns are beautifuly lit at night so being there after dark is worthwhile (shouldn't be a problem in winter).

I was stationed for 5 years in Belgium, and even the locals will say, if you only have one place to visit, go to Brugge, take the canal ride, and walk up the clock tower.

just returned. found brussels more fascinating. more to do. brugges, you can do in a few hours.

Ann, the Midi station is NOT right in the center of things--you would need to take the metro (or tram) to get to the main sights or shopping areas. You are probably thinking of Gare Centrale, which is close to the Grand'Place. However, the Thalys from Paris stops at Midi, not Centrale.<BR>I would vote for Brugge, taking the Thalys into Brussels and then changing to a regular train. There are also bus tours to Brugge from Paris. Best day to go--train or bus--would be a Thursday. <BR>It's doable as a day trip, but remember, it will be a LONG day.<BR>BTilke (Brussels)