london to bruges...help I am going nuts!
 

Hi everyone--just trying to plan my trip in advance. I am arriving in London in July and then am trying to find the easiest way to get to Bruges, Belgium. Can you buy your train/ ferry/ ticket in London? Once you get off the ferry in Oostend and get back on the train --can you get off in Bruges instead of going all the way to Brussels? All of the options i have looked at show just london to Brussels not london to bruges. One more question--is this trip expensive?

At the easternmost window of Charing Cross station, daily from nine to eight, you can buy a single ticket London, Dover, Ostend, Bruges, Ghent, Brussels for forty pounds or about 60 US dollars. You must complete your journey within two months, and may break the journey at any time or place, Bruges included. There may be a queue (line) at the window, so take something to read.<BR><BR>Standard connections are these<BR>London Charing Cross 0755, Dover 0956 to 1100, Ostend 1400 to 1444, Bruges 1457, Brussels Midi 1550<BR>London Charing Cross 1405, Dover 1543 or 1557 to 1700, Ostend 2000 to 2044, Bruges 2057, Brussels Midi 2150<BR>But the trains from Victoria to Dover take the more historic route, with good views of the Medway (where the Dutch beat us solidly), Rochester Castle and Cathedral, England's biggest second hand bookshop, the hop and fruit gardens of Kent, and (if you look five minutes before you reach Canterbury East station) Canterbury Cathedral. Suitable trains leave Victoria at 0805 and 1405: you change across the platform at Faversham. <BR><BR>In Dover a free bus connects train and catamaran. You can look back from your catamaran to see the white cliffs, and Dover Castle, important from the Armada through Napoleon to Adolf Hitler.<BR><BR>This royal throne of kings, this scepter'd isle,<BR>?. <BR>This fortress built by Nature for herself<BR>Against infection and the hand of war;<BR>?. <BR>This precious stone set in the silver sea,<BR>Which serves it in the office of a wall,<BR>Or as a moat defensive to a house,<BR>Against the envy of less happier lands;<BR>This blessed plot, this earth, this realm, this England.<BR> <BR>Please write if I can help further. Welcome to Europe.<BR><BR>Ben Haines, London<BR><BR>

Sarah,<BR><BR>While not as scenic as Ben's suggestions, the EASIEST and fastest way to get to Bruges from London is to take the Eurostar to Brussels Midi Station (3 hrs 40 min), then an intercity (IC) train to Bruges (50 minutes).<BR><BR>You can purchase your Eurostar ticket by calling them at 011 44 870 5186 186. Even if you're not, tell them you're travelling round trip (simply give them a fictitious return date) - just like with the airlines, discounted return fares are much cheaper than one way. Do this ASAP, cheaper fares sell out fast and require 7 or 14 day advance purchase.<BR><BR>I wouldn't recommend internet booking unless you have a UK mailing address, as if you book more than 7 days in advance they will only send your tickets to a UK address, not hold them at the station!<BR> <BR>You might have to purchase the tickets for the Brussels to Bruges leg once you get to Brussels (perhaps Eurostar can sell you those as well), but the trains are very frequent (twice an hour) and you can't reserve a seat anyway, so it's not a big deal.<BR><BR>Regarding price, just plugged in dates for a round trip to Brussels on the Eurostar web site (outbound July 15, return July 22) and got a "summer promotion fare" of GBP 59 (14 day advance purchase required). A oneway ticket from Brussels to Bruges costs EUR 10,30.<BR><BR>Useful web sites:<BR>www.eurostar.com (select the UK site)<BR>www.sncb.be (Belgian railways)<BR><BR>Hope this helps,<BR>Andre

Thank you so much for your help. I thinking I am leaning towards taking the train and ferry. It sounds beautiful. Would the 8 05 train be in Dover for the 11 am departure for Belgium? Is it a lot more expensive by train then bus? oh and i might as well ask this as well..I am only going to be in London for 3 days..what shouldn't I miss. My friend and I want to see some of the obvious facinations but we also want to experience london as londoners do!! thank you in advance

"experience london as londoners do"<BR><BR>go to a pub, get obnoxiously drunk and loud. scream about your favorite football team. and when you leave the pub be sure to have your boyfriend pee on the side of a building.

And you'll need to stop the black cab on the way home to be sick.<BR><BR>Sounds like a top night to me.