Where to go from Brussels?
 

We found very inexpensive reward tickets from US - Brussels. Have been to Belgium a lot, my grandparents used to live in Antwerp. Will be taking 10 day trip with DD (23). We don't want to rent a car, so need to rely on train, bus, or other airfare. Assuming we start in Brussels, where else should we go in mid September? We have spent a lot of time in big cities and was thinking of taking fast train to Avignon and spend some time in Provence and Cote d'Azur?

We love to eat, speak passable French, love culture, arts, museums. Any other suggestions? We can't do a lot of walking (I am slightly walking challenged), but very comfortable with public transportation. Thanks Fodorites in advance for your help!

We are headed for Brussels at the end of April and then we will drive around Belgium and finally spend a week in Amsterdam. We have been to Europe numerous times but some how have not spent any time in these places. I will be writing about these places but my trip reports are unconventional, but they could of be minimal assistance.

This is the 100th anniversary of the start of WWI and there will be lots of stuff to see in Belgium and France regarding that.

Luxembourg, up the Mosel, Trier and Koblenz takes about a week unless you hike it.

sorry "down" the Mosel

How about Luxembourg? I don't mean Luxembourg City - which I found not that interesting - but the small towns in the small country. A few of the towns like Vianden are really nice, and the countryside is really pretty. You can train from Brussels to Luxembourg City in a few hours. Then from there you can take buses to the neighboring towns. When I visited last year it was only 4 euros for a day pass for public transit all over the country! (Albeit, a tiny country.)

You could also head over to the Mosel Valley next door in Germany. I think Trier is not a long bus ride from Luxembourg City, either, and from there you could train up to Cochem.

I second going to Trier and then to the Mosel Valley and then even going as far as the Rhine. Picturesque villages, lovely towns and the public transportation system is excellent.

I think your idea of Provence is a good one. Excellent weather and all the school kids and their families will be gone.

Will you be spending any time at all in Brussels? Given that you need to return to Brussels to fly home, how many days apart from Brussels are you looking to fill?

If you don't want to rent a car and you can't do a lot of walking I think you need to research other destinations in some fine detail. Fortunately Brussels is extremely well connected by train to many different places in Europe with outstanding cultural offerings. But I am not sure they are all equally blessed with easy public transportation, walkable streets or preferred food options. Hard to prioritize for someone else, especially if some of you have strong preferences for some activities over others.

Spend about three days in Brussels and take day trips by train to Leuven, Ghent and Bruges.

Trip report: http://bit.ly/Oocgt6

My grandparents lived in Antwerp for a number of years and I was "shipped off" there in the summer instead of summer camp. Have traveled quite a bit through Belgium, we have spent a lot of time in Brussels, Ghent, Knokke, Ostende, etc.

Interested in hearing about Provence and the Cote d'Azur. We are really just using Brussels as an entry point to Europe, since the great airfare deal we found is from there. We haven't booked tickets yet (it's a mileage reward). But, we will probably fly in on a Thursday or Friday and stay 10 days in September. Thanks!