Brussels, Gent & Bruges trip report
 

Just spent a very pleasant extended weekend visiting Brussels, Bruges & Gent.<BR><BR>Chose to ignore the advice on this forum and stayed in Brussels, which I didn't regret – but then I'm definitely a city person. I actually preferred Gent, which had real character (and shopping), to Bruges, which felt like one big theme park. The Van Eyck altar at the cathedral in Gent is simply stunning, a masterpiece of Renaissance painting. The "Van Eyck and and his time" exhibition in Bruges was also great but exhausting. It runs through the end of June, you should reserve in advance at www.tinck.be<BR><BR>Stayed at the Amigo hotel in Brussels and liked it very much – nicely decorated (smallish) rooms, good beds and EXCELLENT shower, very clean, good service (except in the restaurant at breakfast). The location right behind the Grand Place and within walking distance to Central station was also a plus, although the surrounding streets are a bit tacky. Also, a/c seemed a bit weak.<BR><BR>Had 1 great, 1 good and 1 terrible meal (all in Brussels):<BR>- Great meal at L'ecailler du Palais Royal, a fish place at the top of the Place du Grand Sablon. A real institution, with excellent classical French seafood dishes (with a creative touch here and there) and a great staff/atmosphere. Decor is humdrum but you don't notice. Expensive (80-100 EUR per person) but definitely worth it!<BR><BR>- Good meal at la Quincaillerie, a casual brasserie in a great setting: a converted Art Nouveau hardware store! Food was simple but good, friendly service and fair prices (50-60 EUR)<BR><BR>- TERRIBLE meal at Bruneau, my first major disappointment at a Michelin 3-star. Everything was a disaster, from the food to the service, dismal atmosphere – cafeteria kitchen sounds echoing throughout the dining room (beeping microwave or similar, crashing dishes) and staff arguing with each other in the middle of room. "Best" of all was the owner's dog repeatedly walking in and out of the kitchen (I kid you not) and barking every now and then… unbelievable.<BR><BR>Aside from that one meal, we had a great time. Feel free to post questions.<BR><BR>Andre<BR><BR>

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Andre, Sounds like a nice weekend! Since you stayed in Brussels, how did you travel to Bruges and Gent? If you went by train, can you give me info on your train experiences? I am planning to stay in Brussels next month and am really confused over the different trains. thanks for the info!

Hi Lele,<BR><BR>You guessed correctly - took the trains from Brussels Central. They run very frequently - an intercity train (IC) twice an hour at :04 and :30 if I recall correctly. You don't want to take the slower trains. <BR><BR>You can get detailed info at<BR>www.sncb.be<BR><BR>Two negatives though:<BR>- Try to buy all your train tickets at once, preferably at the airport station if you're flying in. The lines at Central were long and the ticket machines only work with belgian debit cards - no credit cards or cash!<BR><BR>- The trains are quite full on nice weekends (even in first class), since the line to Bruges and Gent continues to the seaside. You can't reserve seats for domestic travel, so be prepared to stand if you head back to Brussels Sunday in the late afternoon.<BR><BR>Have a great time!<BR>Andre

Oh yes, if you buy the train tickets in advance, do remember to specify to the teller on which day you'll be using them. Some tickets are only valid for 1 day and there are specific fares on weekends for example.<BR><BR>Andre

I'm doing a similar trip in late July, and have a question about the Brussels-Gent-Brugge portion. Can I just purchase a Brussels-Brugge r/t ticket & get off (and then back on) in Gent to continue my journey? Or is it necessary to buy separate tickets?

Mauld,<BR><BR>This page should answer your question:<BR><BR>http://www.b-rail.be/rnvn/E/formul/via.html<BR><BR>Andre

I'm planning a trip to Brussels/Ghent/Bruges (and maybe Antwerp) in August. I have only four days - Is one day enough in each place?

Dave,<BR><BR>Basically yes (that's what we did), but it all depends on where your interests lie and how early you get up - you're on vacation, remember :)<BR><BR>Brussels: in one day you can see the Grand Place and the Royal Museums (part of them anyway), with a stroll through the Grands Sablons neighbourhood. You won't have time to explore other areas though.<BR><BR>Bruges: you can take in the main sights, a boat ride and one of the 2 museums (Groeninge or Memling).<BR><BR>Ghent: you can see the old town, Van Eyck altar and castle, but will probably miss the fine arts museum (near the station) and the museum for applied arts (loved that one - but missed the castle).<BR><BR>Antwerp: the main sights are also doable in one day.<BR><BR>The nice thing about Belgium is that distances are small and train service is frequent, so if you feel like one of these places warrants a 2nd day trip, that's no problem.<BR><BR>Hope this helps,<BR>Andre