Pezlord22

As most of you know, my parents and I will be going back to Europe in June. We will be hitting Paris, Versailles, Normandy, Berner Oberland and Barcelona. We found out that my father has two extra weeks of vaction we didn't know about. We are considering going to Belgium before we go to Paris. How long should we spend in Belgium and what should we see and do? We want to go to Brussels and Bruges. Thanks!!

agedude

I'm going in December and plan on spending a week. Two days in Brussels, two in Bruges, two in Ghent, and one in Antwerp. I've been using the Michelin Green Guide and Rick Steves to make my plans. I did write to the Belgian Tourist Board in New York and they sent me a bunch of information. Most of the information is surrounded by advertisements for hotels and restaurants, but some is pretty good including fold out maps of the cities I mentioned.

avalon

2 in Brussels 1 in Brugges and 3 at least in Antwerp!I'd also do some of the WWI sites, Ypres is especially moving and a great museum. I find The WWI sites much more interesting than the WWII sites in Normandy. The countryside in Normandy is fun to explore

qwovadis

eurocheapo.com/brussels GREAT city guides and food

Bruges Venice of the North very pretty.

Antwerp for diamonds if needed...

couple of days each place...

Vttraveler

We are leaving on Monday for a trip where we will spend 11 days in Belgium. We have the use of an apartment in Brussels so will be spending most of our time based there exploring the city and taking day trips. There was a recent survey on badoo.com (social networking site) rating Belgium the "least cool" country, but we are choosing to ignore that.

On other shorter trips we have visited Brussels, Brugge and Ghent. This time we plan to spend some time in Antwerp, Mechelen, Leuven, Tournai, maybe Ypres. I'll report back.

PalenQ

don't overlook Gent - one day less in boring modern Brussels and a day in Gent IMO

avalon

I culd live in Antwerp in a NY minute!

vickiebypass

I spent 3 days in Brussels, 1 day in Ghent and 1 day in Antwerp last January and wished I had an extra day in Ghent - there was so much to see! Gravensteen Castle, the Huis Alje (I know I mis-spelled that), other museums, the big churches, graffiti alley, walking along the main canal, bejinhof, and more. I've been to Bruges several times so skipped it last year, but would suggest 2 days there. If time is tight, I say skip Antwerp and do 2 days each in Ghent and Bruges and 3 days in Brussels. That's my two cents....

PalenQ

another attraction of interest to some in Gent is its Amsterdamesque Red-Light district with bossomy gals in front of red-neon-lit picture windows - near the Turkish part of town which is also interesting to me in its own right - could be practically in Istanbul - a short walk north, if I recall, from the main part of town towards the port. One tram goes right thru it.

outwest

We spent a week in Belgium last year—four nights in Brussels, two in Bruges and one in Antwerp. I'd definitely spend more time in Antwerp and Brussels on another trip and I'd make time for at least a couple of nights in Ghent.

Vttraveler

Since the thread started I have come back from the trip to Belgium and posted a TR that covers most of the time we spent there. Last day not yet written up was spent in Brussels.

We had a great trip. I would not characterize Brussels as a "boring modern" city at all. there is a lot to see there beyond the Grand Place