Hi! My wife and I are going to be in Brussels for four days over the Labor Day weekend, and we want to spend one of the days outside the city. Can anyone recommend a good day trip for us to take? Maybe a river cruise, or a bike ride, or a train ride to a castle? Any suggestion like these things or others is welcome.

depends on what you're interested in. Brugges is a beautiful city often compared to Venice with all its canals. Or, if you're big on history, go to Ipres and the Menin gate. Excellent WW1 sites there.

I 2nd Brugge. - It is my favorite place! (So much so that I will be spending 4 days THERE next year) - The canals, duck and swan ponds, windmills, etc. You will love it!!

I LOVED Brugge, and it's only an hour by train. I highly recommend it.

if you like biking, you can take a trip to bruges, rent a bike at the station and bike along the canal to damme, come back, and enjoy a canal trip afterwards, or a stroll through the streets.
enjoy !

I would suggest spending the morning and early afternoon in Bruges (it is a 55 minute train ride from Brussels)then once you are done (main tour of the town and its treasures can be done in four to five hours) hop on a train to Ostend (15 minute ride) which is on the Belgian coast and go for a good walk along the sea promenade (la digue) which is a ten minute walk from the station and get some of that incredible North Sea air in your lungs. Then for your evening meal go to one of the wonderful restaurants either on the digue or facing the port (where the train station is)for an incredible fish dinner such as freshly caught sole,plaice,turbot or skate or the very best moules/frites in the world. There is a train or two back to Brussels every hour.The reverse is a good itinerary too. First go right to Ostend,enjoy the morning by the sea,have a wonderful lunch,hop on the train,do Bruges in the afternoon and early evening and return to Brussels. Ostend also has some fine shopping

Hi, We spent just over two weeks on our "Annual Honeymoon" driving through Belguim. While in Brussels we took a train to Antwerp for a day. It was a very worthwile excursion, seeing how diamonds are processed, the catherdal, zoo, Reuben's works etc.

We also spent a couple of days in Bruges and drove along the North Sea which was very enjoyable.

Antwerp would be my choice with Bruges being a close 2nd. Enjoy J&J

Paris?

Okay, okay, I get the idea!! It looks like we will definitely take all your advice and spend the day in Brugge (sp?).

Seriously, thanx a lot. You all make it sound like its just what we're looking for. We're definitely looking forward to it.

Oh, and by the way... We just found out that there's going to be a big beer festival in the Grand Place the weekend we'll be there (Labor Day). So we won't have to do the brewery tour that we were hoping for--they'll all be coming to us!!

If anyone is going to be in Brussels that weekend, it sounds like this will be a great fest.

Stay in Brugges and take the daytrip to Brussels.