Trying to decide if Brussles is worth seeing for a 6 day trip? We have an opportunity to fly there on buddy passes and wanted to know if anyone has been there.
We would go over Easter.
Thanks

It's ok...but, if you have buddy passes why dont you fly there and do one of the following:

Take a quick train trip to Bruges...gorgeous city

Take a bit longer trip to either paris or amsterdam...but within easy striking distance of brussels.

Do a day in Brussels and the rest in the others.

BTW, Ghent, not far from Bruges, is also very cool...old college city.

ditto ditto the escellent above advice

Yes, as all other before me recommended. Take also a day trip to Antwerpen.

Personally I would stay in Antwerpen and daytrip to Brugge and Ghent -- but there is a reason a lot of people are steering you toward Brugge, which is a kind of fairy tale tourist destination. However if you like nightlife, a variety of destinations (for art, shopping, history), than Antwerpen is Beligium premiere hip city of design and art.

I think Eastertime may be tulip time in Holland, so I'd throw that into the mix.

If you wanted to fly to Brussels but head directly for Amsterdam, it's a fantastic city and very beautiful. THe food is not so good.

Anything you can get in Brussels in terms of food (Belgian food is great) you can find elsewhere in Belgium, amid more interesting surroundings.

Paris is in striking distance, but so is London.

I'm not sure I would want to spend 6 days in Brussels. But I could be happy spending two nights in Brussels with the rest spent in Amsterdam (or Paris). I enjoyed my time in Brussels, but it wouldn't get high marks on my charm list. (Loved the chocolate, mussles, and beer.)

We spent a day in Brussels by accide last week (missed a connecting flight) and we really enjoyed ourselves. I don't know how much time one would need there, but there certainly is enough to do to fill up a day.

Tracy

Wow you guys are great. Am so glad I found this site. I will take your advice and see more of the area..and not stay the whole time in Brussles. Thanks for all the info!! I certainly will use this site for future travel help.

You could find enough to do in Brussels itself for a day, beyond that you can (as stated above) easily get to Ghent & Brugge via the local train northbound, or Antwerp-west or as suggested via the highspeed raillink to Paris or London. With the first 3 cities, you can base yourself in Brussels and perhaps find some good discounts on hotels as most business people will not be travelling during the Easter period.

When we wanted to go to Amsterdam we flew into Brussels as the airfare was much cheaper. We stayed in Brussels for one day and then headed to Amsterdam for the remainder of the week and it worked out perfectly - Ams is just a 3 hr train ride away. On the day before when we had to return to Brussels for our flight, we took the train to Brugges and stayed there for the night.

Really I think 1-2 days in Brussels is all that is really required!

I agree that 6 days in Brussels is a little much. For kicks, look on Ryanair.com and see what it cost to fly out of Charleroi (45 minutes or so south of Brussels)to about 15 different destinations in Europe. We have flown out of there several times to Venice, London, and Dublin for less than 50 Euros round trip.

There is no need to limit yourself to Ryanair or deal with the palaver of going to Charleroi if you're looking for inexpensive short haul flights out of Brussels. There are many inexpensive flight options from Brussels airport (a better airport that can be reached more easily and frequently by mass transit)--cheap flights to Austria, Denmark, France, etc.
Although personally, with only six days, I would give a day (at least) to Brussels, two days to Bruges, a day at least to Paris or Amsterdam, and perhaps a day to Ieper or Utrecht or perhaps even Aachen. All easily reachable by train.

However boring Brussels is, there is definitely something to be said for staying in Belgium!

It is less expensive than a lot of destinations being mentioned here, some of the sights are uniquely beautiful, and the liveliness of a lot of the youth scene and nightlife (in Antwerpen especially) is a lot more user friendly than anything you'll find in the larger cities.

Almost everybody in Belgium speaks English.

I'll put Belgian cuisine up against French cuisine any day. Belgian beer and spirits are world famous. And to I have to shout it? BELGIAN CHOCOLATE IS THE BEST IN THE WORLD.

A six day trip is not a long time, and I wouldn't waste two days trying to get to the usual tourist destinations.

Go to Belgium and enjoy it. If you get bored, go to Amsterdam. But I doubt you'll get bored!

i went to amsterdam with my sister for a week and we took a train to brussels for one day. we agreed we could have used a few more hours, but that was it. it was a lovely city, but i dont think we needed more than one day.
but i would go again for the waffles in a second!!!

I've done all of the places I suggested to visit by train as day trips from Brussels. They were easy to do. You certainly don't need to do all of them, they are just day trip options. However, I suggest that if you want to visit Bruges, it's best to stay overnight. The town is even better in the evening when most of the day trippers are gone or in the early morning before they arrive. And Easter week is a VERY busy time for Bruges.

I think it's also best to overnight in Antwerpen because the nightlife is so good and friendly there. I didn't think there was any nightlife in Brugge, and the town can be seen in a day.

i was in bruxelles last july for a day-trip. i mainly saw the area around the old central square. although belgium is basically a bilingual nation (dutch & french, with some germans in the east) bruxelles is really a french town in terms of culture & language) bruxelles has great buildings, restaurants, beer, shopping. very historic yet modern. but if you go avoid the restaurant hawkers who try to talk you into eating at their restaurant!!! they're kind of phoney. eat and drink at one the places in the old square! if you and your pal are beer drinkers, you'll be in beer heaven!!! try a 5-beer sampler - five goblets with 5 types of beer!! heavenly! Bush beer is very potent - 2 small (8 oz.) bottles should get you there! i didn't see much else while there, but had enough of a good time to want to go back again! have fun....

Hello I am planning my trip..

I was thinking of Amsterdam --> Brughes --> Brussles....

but people are telling me to skip brussles-- thoughts???
what about ghent and/or antwerp????

I am planning on leaving March 26/27 and I need to be in Londonb by April 3rd

Thanks!!!!!!!!!!!