Antwerp (2N) — ?? (3N) — onward to Netherlands

Also in Bruges are there suggestions for well-located mid-budget ($US 150/ night or less) hotels for a solo female traveler — who walks everywhere!

We stayed at Hotel Bla Bla in 2022 (https://maps.app.goo.gl/LQyeUENPWyBuLLfq5) which I found in Rick's guidebook (and delighted at walking in and seeing his book lined up on the shelf behind the reception desk!). Walked everywhere. It's a great central location.

Month of year?

The train station area is not my favorite part of Antwerp, which I mention because you are proposing daytrips for every moment in Antwerp. There is far more than one day needed to see Antwerp, if that is one of your objectives. Antwerp is so big that occasional tram rides can make better use of your time.

You could visit the coast from a Bruges hotel, to save some train time. Ostend is an interesting place, aside from the coastal tram. I went to see the path of James Ensor, painter.

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/belgium/antwerp-f6d42ab4-01f1-4f18-9c74-a50209a1608a

Just got back from Brugges…..use any opportunity to go and stay there…..just delightful. We stayed at Canals Deluxe B&B and it was a pleasure……so many other lovely places to stay there…..and if you do take a nice walk every afternoon to the outer perimeter of the old town and see the working windmills……love this town!

It’s not easy to recommend where to stay. Much depends on the vibe if you like a place or not, what is hard to explain. Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp are as everybody knows all three historic places. The first has a small town feel, the last certainly the vibe of a world harbour, Ghent is (literally too) in between. Ghent and Antwerp are both university cities and more lively in the evening.

If you are looking for variation a stay in Bruges can really add to the experience. After the crowds are gone in the afternoon (it can be really busy there) is Bruges surprisingly quiet. And that’s the time most enjoy exploring the place. You can do this after sunset when the buildings are beautifully illuminated. The same for the two other cities too.

On the way to the Netherlands you can always hop off, store your luggage at the railway station in case you missed something during an earlier visit.

The Belgian coast with it’s concrete buildings is far from attractive. With the exception of a few places like De Haan. It’s well known for it’s Belle Epoque architecture. Albert Einstein stayed there a half year in 1933 before finally moving to Princeton. You can follow his foodsteps and the villa where he stayed is still to admire, but (being in private hands) only from the street. De Haan is easy to reach with the coastal tram from Ostend or Blankenberge. Both within less than 15 minutes with the train from Bruges.

Thank you, @Wil. I do not really like big cities so Antwerp is a bit of a Eurail pass-through: see the “important” bits and move on to somewhere smaller.

(As an example, I find Munich OK for a day or two, but the quickly escape to Nuremberg, which I find much more pleasant, or elsewhere. Bavaria overall is wonderful)

So I think Antwerp for 2 nights, which is really just one full day there, and on to Bruges for three nights. A cruise ship will be there on one of my “days” so that may be the time to check out the coast (though your description is less charming than the blogs …) or Ghent.

Then perhaps cut a night from Belgium and head on north to the Netherlands for an extra night there .

Again, thank you!

Last month I stayed at the Hotel Patritius in Bruges and really enjoyed it. I had a small double room facing the courtyard and breakfast was included. It was close to the main squares, but on a quiet street.

MJ - It’s a bit how you see the Belgian coast and what you expect to see there. I am not familiar with the blogs, but can imagine that it can be attractive if you look for something specific like Tim says about painter James Ensor. During summer season with ofcourse good weather it can be pleasant to hang around in for instance Blankenberge and experience the atmosphere. But that’s hard to say beforehand if you like that or not.

Well it doesn’t take much time, something like 15 minutes with the train from Bruges to Blankenberge or Ostend. Some enjoy taking the coastal tram to travel further like for instance De Haan. So it’s worth trying and see if you like it.

Enjoying architecture there is lesser easy as most of the Art Nouveau and Art Deco buildings are replaced by concrete appartment buildings. Nevertheless there are a few left spread around the coast and needs time to see them. De Haan is pretty much well preserved and so the best place to enjoy architecture along the Belgian coast.

Thanks all.

I will do 2N in Antwerp and 3N in Bruges. I will let my plans in (or away from) Bruges be dictated my the weather, the crowd from the cruise ship on my second day, and by the seduction of Bruges’ charms, especially in the early summer evening .