Brugge to Namur
 

I am a senior (over 65) and plan on taking a train from Brugge to Namur and I'd like to confirm that I'm understanding the belgianrail.be website correctly:

I can buy a "return" ticket for 6 Euro which allows me to travel to and from Namur on the same day as long as I start my journey after 09:00 on a weekday. However, if I was planning to return the next day, I would have to buy a standard ticket for each direction at a total cost of approximately 42 Euro (21 each way).

Is my interpretation correct? Do I need to purchase a Belgian Senior ID or is my US passport sufficient to validate my age?

That is correct; you need to finish your journey on the same day. There's also a weekend return ticket, which is valid from Friday evening until Sunday.

You don't need a special ID card for this, a passport will be fine.

Looks like a senior return is only 6 euros; there is no option for a single senior journey. A standard one way is 21 euros.

If you are returning the next day, best to buy another return senior ticket then.

Yes, buy 2 times return tickets : 2 times 6 €.
Thank us Belgians to allow you foreigners to travel for (nearly) free !

That's what we pay taxes for Whathello ;-)

Beware of train strikes, though.

I do sincerely thank the Belgians for their fantastic travel deals. I will show my thanks by spending lots and lots of Euros while I'm there for three weeks.

And God bless the Belgians for their strength in times of adversity.

In addition to Namur, I highly recommend a day in Dinant, Belgium!

Absolutely. I'm planning to travel to Dinant via the Croisiers sur la meuse, Also planning day trips from Namur to Bastogne, Boullion, Durby, Mons and Han Sur Lesse. Any advice?

I know some of these have long travels times with train-bus connections, but I love traveling this way and hate driving.

Have a wonderful trip!

Bastogne, Boullion, Durby, Mons and Han Sur Lesse. Any advice?

ill you have ssen Flanders on top of Brugge ? Would be a mistake to skip Gent for example.

What kind of advice ?
Bastogne is only nice if you have interest in WW2 - great museums - be sure to visit the one in the former 101st HQ.
Bouillon : great old castle complete with torture chamber
Durbuy : why not. Small and that is why people go there.
Mons : lovely, I studied there. Do go to the cathedral Sainte Waudru, worth it. Eat a 'côtelette à l'berdouille' (literally : rib in the mud, sauce is with dark beer - hence the mud).)
Han Sur Lesse : great caverns/grottoes/concretions, nice open air animal reservation.

Try to go to les 3 vallées if you like old trains.
http://www.365.be/attractions/att/re....html?&lang=EN
That site gives a lot of ideas, some good, some less good.

Liège is big and nice.
Avoid Charleroi and the region.
Tournai is beautiful.

Your advice is right on the mark, Whathello. Advice on food items specific to a region are always welcome - just discovered I have to have snails in creamy garlic sauce stuffed in puff pastry besides, beer, chocolate, waffles, mussels and frites.

Any unusual things that you don't find in standard guide books to see and do are welcome too - the 365 site looks great and the steam train trip will definitely be researched.

We are going to stay in Brugge at the front end of our trip in Belgium. Plan to visit Gent, Damme, Zeebruges from there. Maybe I'll stay another day and visit Tournai. ALso staying in either Mechelen or Leuve to visit Brussels, Antwerp. Liege might be a good day trip from there.

We travel light with only casual clothes. No need to recommend fancy/expensive restaurants. We enjoy local bars/pubs where we can relax enjoying everyday life. So if anyone has favorites in the cities we will visit, I'd love to here about them. Oh, and we will be looking for a sports bar where we can watch American Football on Sunday night.

When are you there? If it's during the European Football cup, go and see a match of the Belgian team somewhere.

Have fun, sounds like a great trip.

Rats! Something fun that I will miss. We will be in Belgium for the month of September.

That's what we pay taxes for>

Yes to subsidize wealthy foreign tourists train travel - in France they have 2 euro bus trips all over in local areas.