Quick Trip through Belgium: 3 cities, 4 nights
 

I have 4 nights to spend in Belgium. I'd like to visit Antwerp, Brugge and Brussels via train.

What order should I visit? I could spend one night each in two cities and two nights in one. Which one?

Thanks for your input.

60s

Hello 60something!

Wow! Are we taking the same trip? Hahah! Im planning the same itinerary for March so I look forward to viewing the responses to your question!!

Have a great day!

:)

are you landing in Brussels or coming from...?
Brugge is only an hour by bus from Brussels and a day visit is enough.
Antwerp is north of Beussels so if you coming from, let's say Amsterdam, that would be your first stop.

I'm coming by train from Amsterdam and going back to Amsterdam. So I think I can start from Antwerp-Brugge-Brussels... OR
can go Brussels-Brugge-Antwerp. I don't know if one direction is better than the other.

So you think I should start from Antwerp?

I'm doing a similar route in spring. RT California to Amsterdam (that was what I could get with FF points). Going Amsterdam, Paris, Brugge, back to Amsterdam. For the three nights in Belgium I'm basing in Brugge and daytripping to Antwerp and Ghent. Brussels is only about an hour from Brugge. I've been to both Brussels and Brugge, and Brugge is (in my opinion) the more charming of the two.

I'd also welcome any advice offered on this board.

If I were you, I would take the intercity from Amsterdam straight to Brussels and base in the centre for your 4 nights. From there you can go in either direction and make easy daytrips to Antwerp (45 min. by train), Brugge (1 hr by train), to Gent (35 min. by train).

I preferred Brugge to Brussels, so if it were me, I'd spend the 2 days in Brugge. I found it to have great food (we happened upon a cheese and beer festival a few years back) and great architecture on a human scale. I'd rather spend my big city time in Amsterdam, Paris or London; not Brussels. A good friend of mine who also loves good food was just in Brugge last week and had a wonderful time. You will need to walk a little bit or take a taxi from the train station into town in Brugge. I hear the bus costs about the same as a taxi.

What would you like to do at night? If you'd like to sample fine restaurants (note, fine does not have to mean expensive), then Brussels is worth two nights, as it's got the best and most varied restaurants of your three choices (which isn't to say there aren't excellent restaurants in Bruges or Antwerp, you can certainly eat very well in those places too). If you want to take long strolls in the evening to soak up the atmosphere, definitely spend two nights in Brugge, it's wonderful at night.
If you *really* want to experience all of three at night and you have almost no luggage (just light carry-on), then sure, go with your original plan...I would suggest two nights Brugge, one night Brussels, one night Antwerp.
Otherwise, two nights Bruges, two nights Brussels.

BTilke--you got me thinking.
My initial plan was to jump on the train to Antwerp/Brussels as soon as I got to Amsterdam..but I can take two bags and leave one at the hotel (Movenpick Hotel Amsterdam City Center) where I will be staying later. Then I will just have an overnight bag to make the travel thru Belgium.

Evenings--I like to walk. Eat well (but can no longer consume that much food).

I've been looking at hotels everywhere, too. So far, I'm leaning to Hotel Firean in Antwerp and either Number 11 or Hotel Erasmus in Brugge. Any input?

Brussels--still a big question mark. Was looking at Le Dixseptieme.

Antwerp: hotel Firean is quite a walk from the historic centre, about 40 min.
't Sandt, Rubens Grote Markt or Julien are on prime location, in the centre.
Websites:
http://www.hotel-sandt.be
http://www.hotelrubensantwerp.be
http://www.hotel-julien.com

'Just found this site - so awesome! We have just booked two nights at the end of March in Brussels at Hotel Noga (nogahotel.com) which has excellent recommendations in Fodors, TripAdvisor, Vendere...this after spending literally weeks comparing prices, features,locations, ratings. GREAT deal! Lots to see and do there it seems - Hora Museum, for one. From Brussels, we then rent a car and will follow our noses for the next seven days, planning significant time in Brugge, and visits to Daame, Ghent, Antwerp and Amsterdam (big flower park outside the city - tulips blooming late March through April) and flying out again from Brussels. Any tips/recommendations from those who've gone to any of the cities mentioned are most welcome. Merci!

so I checked availability both at l'Sandt and Julien. Both available... prices are about the same l'Sandt is 170 during the week, 140 on weekend (and I'm staying one of each..comes to 310) Julien is 165 a night.

Is one better for some things than the other?

(I decided that inspite of all the good suggestions..I'll stay in Antwerp for two nights---simply because I fly into Amsterdam on the 7th. By the time I get to Antwerp, I'm likely to just go to sleep... at my age, I need to pace myself)

It's a difficult choice. Both Julien and 't Sandt get very good reviews on Tripadvisor (both 4.5 out of 5) and some Dutch and German websites. I haven't stayed at either 'cause I live in the vicinity.
Julien is fairly recent while 't Sandt is operational for at least 10 years. Both are within 5 min. walk from Grote Markt (market square).
Personally I'd opt for 't Sandt because it's on a small pedestrian street while Julien is on a busier street. But then, I'm a very light sleeper so quietness is really important to me.

60something,

You have 4 posts going on basically the same question. You only need one. If you get no answers then click on your name at the top of the page and post a "topping" reply. That's it, just one word, or ttt or uuu or whatever.

My suggestions are:
1. Specify in your posts how much you are willing to pay for a room before asking for hotel suggestions.
2. Look at a map. A rail map from Thomas Cook will show you the best itinerary intuitively.
3. You like to walk. IMO Brugge is your first choice, then Antwerp. Brussel?
4. Since you are going to be in Amsterdam for four days of meeting and heavy dinners pick another city for your laid back period. I lived in Haarlem and recommend it. Type "haarlem" in the Fordor's search box above for plenty of information.