will be docking via cruise ship in Ooostende for 9 hours. Have been in Brussels numerous times and would like to explore other areas of the Belgium. are we better off renting a car or finding a guide with car? If guide makes sense do you know of any reputable private guides?

Bruges is a short train ride from Ostende, and is a wonderfully picturesque medieval town.

Bruges is a great town. No need to hire a car or guide. The historic parts are walkable from the main square (Markt) and a guidebook from the library will tell you what you need to know about the sights or you could stop into the tourist office when you get there but I would recommend some advanced planning so as not to waste time once there.

Another vote for Bruges/Brugge if you haven't been.

we actually have been to Bruges, and you are right it is a fantastic place to visit. Any other thoughts? How is Ghent?

Ghent is quite nice too; you can read the Ghent portion of my trip report from last Fall:
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...omment-2585611

Ieper / Ypres is also an interesting city - used to be the centre of the cloth trade in the Middle Ages and so has some impressive old buildings. It also has the imposing Menin Gate, which if you know anything about WWI history, commemorates the death of British, Australian and NZ troops (all the names of the dead - thousands - are engraved there). There is also a WWI museum which is said to be excellent, but I can't comment further as I haven't seen it myself - one of my friends visited it. But Ghent is a nice city, too, you couldn't really go wrong if you picked it.

Oostende rail station is next to the ferry terminal; the train to Brugge takes about 15 minutes accroding to the SNCB website, with departures about 4 times an hour on average. The same site ( http://www.b-rail.be/main/E/) shows trains to Gent taking about 40 minutes at a similar frequency.
Alternatively, there is a tram service which runs the whole length of the coast, stopping at every town & hamlet on the way - great fun!

Bruges, to me the most beautiful city north of the Alps and one of the most historic, is the best if you have not been there - a few-minute train ride from Oostende.

Yes the only remaining stretch i think of the old Vicinal inter-urban tram system that once laced Belgium now runs along the coast each way from Oostende - going south i think is the best to stately resourts like Knokke-Heist and Blankkenberge (at least i think there are south of Oostende - not sure.

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Vicinal Trams at Ostend

1 min 35 sec - Jan 4, 2008 -

Rated 4.0 out of 5.0









Taken in 1982 on Super 8 film (silent). ... ostend tram vicinal belgium ...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=dg8KERv1V1Y

welcome to the world of trams
It was possible to get across the whole of Belgium by using only Vicinal trams. The trams in Ostend (coastal system), Charleroi and a little tourist line in ...
www.strab.net/sites/trammuseum/index_gb.html

Here's a thread I started last year about the Belgian Coast and the Kusttram:
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...-and-damme.cfm

You didn't say what time of year this will be, but I think the Coast will be fun to visit during warmer months. Just another option if you don't want to visit Ghent.