I am taking thalys Paris to Brussels for a day trip. After arriving in Brussels, using public transportation, what is the best way to get to Grand Place?

<BR>Cindy,<BR>There are 3 train stations in Brussels. Get off at Central Station. Go up and out the front door and walk about 400 yards west toward the tall spires. If you get lost ask a citizen on the street. French is the only language in that neighborhood.<BR>The tourist office is at Grand Place / Grote Markt. Pick up a map and ask them to point out the little restaurant street rue des Bouchers that bisects Galeries Saint-Hubert. <BR>John

The Thalys train will take to you to Gare du Midi and you can catch the Brussels metro system right from the station. A one-day pass will cost you around $3.50 (I forget the exact cost). Don't fool around in the Midi station neighborhood; pickpocketing/purse-snatching incidents are not uncommon. <BR><BR>To get to the Grand Place (regarded by some as the most beautiful city square in the world and justifiably so), grab a metro map and take the Number 1 line (Direction Simonis) out of the Midi station, making a tranfer to the Number 1B line (Direction Bizet) at Arts-Loi Kunst-Wet. Getting off at De Brobskere will leave you in the general neighborhood of the bourse. Once there, you can walk the picturesque cobblestone streets to your heart's desire and you will never run out of restaurants, stores and boutiques to check out. <BR><BR>Look for the tower the church that forms one side of the town square. That line of tourists heading down the little side street will take you right to the extremely famous -- (and who knows why?) -- statue of the little boy relieving himself. To make the best use of your time, pick up a tourist guide for Brussels before you go and study the map. The neighborhood in the Louise metro stop area (just three stops up from Midi Station on the Number 2 line) is also interesting, although much different than the main, old city centre.

John is right - you must go down restaurant row and see all the beautiful seafood displays and have lunch. Chez Leon is a great place for mussels. Just be careful and watch out for the Belgium land mines - those are the little piles of dog poop lining the walking streets. The Belgiques take their dogs everywhere, including restaurants, but fail to clean up after them.

Thanks for the info. I would like to go to the Comic Strip museum. Is that in the old city area?

The Thalys does not go to Centrale station so ignore the directions posted from there. The easiest way from Midi to the Grand' Place is to follow the signs for the taxi ranks at Midi. Leave the building, cross the street with the waiting taxis and look for the signs for the 52, 56 or 81 trams headed north (on the far side of the street leaving Midi towards the left when facing away from the station. Take any of these trams for three stops Lemonnier, Annessens and then get off at Bourse (these are all underground). You can buy a tram ticket from the driver and then be sure to timestamp it in the orange box (they rarely check, but you never know). When you get off the tram at Bourse just follow the green tourist signs the two blocks to the Grand' Place.

According to the info I got on my Thalys ride from Paris to Cologne a week ago, your Thalys ticket gives you the right to take any regular train (for free) from Brussels Midi to Brussels Centrale or Brussels Nord stations. So in one sense, John's advice isn't completely invalid. But you would have to change trains (i.e., get off the Thalys). <BR>If Cindy doesn't want to take a taxi, there are a couple of ways: <BR>1. Take the train from Midi to Gare Centrale/Centraal Station and then take the brief walk to the Grand'Place.<BR>2. More scenic suggestion: Take the metro (follow the big M signs in the Gare du Midi). You will arrive (most likely) on tracks 4 to 6. Walk down, follow the crowds, into the main part of the station where you see the round information kiosk (great intro to Belgian life: an info booth in the train station with a big sign saying NO TRAIN INFORMATION. LOL!). Look over towards the chocolate stands, etc., and you'll see the big M sign for the metro. Follow that down to the metro station (you go down one level to get your ticket, then another level down to the metro stop). Take the metro, direction Simonis (note to Jim: the train going from Gare du Midi is actually the number 2 line), 3 stops to the Louise stop. Get off, go up the escalator, turn left and follow the crowds up the steps. Then catch either tram 92, 93, or 94 (heading toward the big domed Palais de Justice). You go about two stops on the trams and get off at the Sablon, one of the prettiest parts of Brussels and as worth seeing as the Grand'Place IMO. <BR>Walk down through the Sablon (just one big block) and when you come to the cafe with the big Leffe sign, turn right and follow the biggest street down the hill. You'll get to the Grand'Place neighborhood in about 10 minutes from there. You turn right at a traffic light intersection with touristy lace, etc., shops on all corners to get to the Grand'Place; if you turn left at that same intersection, you'll come to the Mannekin Pis. Some neat shops along the way.

Could you tell me how much the tram costs? Does it require exact change? Thanks

Trams, buses, metro are all EUR 1.40 for a single ticket (1 voyage). When you punch the ticket it is good for an hour of transport no matter whether a bus, tram or metro. You can also buy a 5 trip card for EUR 6.20 which can be used by more than one person if you just stamp it for each person.<BR><BR>Exact change is not required on the trams, but certainly is appreciated especially by other passengers who will wait while you buy the ticket.<BR><BR>If you take the metro or the bus, you have to buy your ticket before you get on at the service desk (which is in the basement at Midi just follow the signs for the metro). If you take the Metro, you cannot stamp the ticket on the train, you have to stamp it in the orange box at the station before you board.<BR><BR>Personally, I avoid Rue des Bouchers like the plague. The restaurants are mostly bad and overpriced and geared for tourists. Try Bistro M'Alain Tradition in Ste. Katherine instead. After the Grand' Place take a walk back toward the Bourse and down Rue Antoine Dansaert to Ste. Katherine. Or alternatively, for a bit longer walk go to the Sablon.