Hello - next fall my wife and I are looking to travel in Belgium before a river cruise that begins in Amsterdam. We plan to spend a week or so in Brussels, Ghent and Bruges. We want to avoid renting a vehicle - from what we understand these locations are connected by train which would be very convenient. How much time should we spend in each city? Any insights are appreciated!
Thanks,
JP
I would identify what you would like to see in each city and go from there.
The AT A GLANCE section for each city here is helpful:
https://www.ricksteves.com/europe/belgium
Yes, rail connections are good for these destinations.
As you say, Brussels, Ghent and Bruges are easily linked by train. I would personally stay in Brussels, as the interesting sights in Brussels are quite spread out and difficult to link together on a day trip. On the other hand, if you like the medieval or early modern architecture of Bruges, staying there gives you the chance to enjoy it in the early morning and/or evening (depending on if you are early birds or night owls) without the day-trippers. Alternatively Ghent is reminiscent of Bruges, but more of a living city instead of a preserved tourist site.
You don't really need a car for any of these. They are all walkable cities and the public transport network is very dense. The only places you will probably want public transport is between the main railway station and the centre of town in Bruges and Ghent, and in Brussels it depends a bit on what you want to see or where you stay, but possibly if you want to see the Atomium and Mini-Europe you might want the metro from the centre of town to Heysel, or to get between districts in Brussels a metro could be handy. Mostly you can walk between areas - we are not talking about a Paris or London, Brussels is small. 3 days each city is optimal, and if you find yourselves with excess time, hop a train to Ypres or Leuven.
Lavandula
Depending on your interests, dividing your time evenly between the 3 would likely work. I would tend to stay in Ghent and daytrip to Bruges. And again, depending on what you want to see, I might divide my Brussels sightseeing to half on my arrival day, before heading to Ghent, and the rest on departure day, before heading to Amsterdam. If you have any interest in WW I history, a day trip to Ypres and perhaps a Flanders Fields tour would be possible.
Welcome to the forum!
Wise words from LIZinPA: How long to spend in each depends on what you want to see in each. We spent 1 night in Brussels, 4 in Bruges (with a day-trip to Ghent) 3 in Antwerp, and that was a good start for us. We didn't give Brussels enough time to really make a judgement call on that one but based on our personal interests, the allotment of time for the rest worked well. Next go-around, we'll give Ghent more time.
Top of the list of things we especially enjoyed:
Bruges:
Early mornings in the Markt and Burg (before/after the day-trippers arrive/depart)
O.L.V.-kerk Museum (Museum of the Church of Our Lady)
Groeningemuseum (Groeninge Museum)
Sint-Jakobskerk (St James’s Church)
Museum Sint-Janshospitaal (Museum St John’s Hospital)
Sint-Salvatorskathedraal (Saint Saviour's Cathedral)
Begijnhof (Beguinage)
Jerusalem Chapel, Adornesdomein (Adornes estate)
Sint-Annakerk (some fun miserichords! )
Any number of rambles, including Minnewaterpark and the City Ramparts.
We didn't get to do the Gruuthusemuseum as it was closed for renovation: on the list for next time.
Details on : https://www.visitbruges.be/en
Ghent:
St. Bavo's Cathedral/The Ghent Altarpiece
St Nicholas' Church
St James church (Sint-Jacobskerk)
Gravensteen Castle
Walkabout of the canals and architecture in the center.
https://visit.gent.be/en
Should you change your mind about Brussels, think about Antwerp?
Antwerp:
If you are arriving by train to gorgeous Centrale Station, take time to give it a real look!
Cathedral of Our Lady; wonderful choir carvings + some Ruben's
MAS | Museum aan de Stroom (we did this one mostly for the views)
Sint-Carolus Borromeuskerk (Saint Charles Borromeo)
Sint-Pauluskerk ( St Paul's Church)
Rubenshuis (Ruben's House)
Museum Mayer van den Bergh
Walks about of Grote Markt/historical center, Zurenborg neighborhood, etc.
The Royal Museum of Fine Art was sadly closed for renovation when we were there; need to give it another shot.
https://visit.antwerpen.be/en
Thank you all so much for your quick and insightful responses! I'll take all of them into consideration as we plan our trip!
Month of travel, if you post again? Are you considering a Multi-City plane ticket that arrives in BRU and leaves from near the end of the river cruise? It may cost the same as a round-trip to AMS.
Distance to the train station aside, it is not necessary to change hotel for your plan. While the trains can be crowded at work and school rush hours, it's quite convenient to come home to the same place each night. I should admit that there is a substantial body of opinion on this newsboard (I am NOT among them) that Bruges is the most magical and romantic place on the face of the earth, and you must wake up there and go out before the day-trippers arrive. Bruges might be the most expensive hotels, however.
It is important to note that the historic centers of these Belgian cities are not at the train station. There are inexpensive busses and trams, or usually a walk under a mile, through post-war low-rise "sprawl". Do not rent a car under any circumstances other than possibly adding (unmentioned by you) war sites not near these cities.
I also love Antwerp, and I think it has the widest variety of food and food prices. Also a lot of hotels. I love waking up in Antwerp, where you can walk in a different direction every day. (It's much larger than Ghent or Bruges.) If you like art museums, Brussels has three or four must-see museums, but I even rate the churches in Antwerp higher than the churches in Brussels.
We stayed in Brussels and took day trips by train to Ghent one day and Bruges the next. They were easy trips and we chose to walk from the train station to the attractions in the city centers. A car would only be a hindrance.
In Ghent, the highlight for us was Jan Van Eyck's Ghent Altarpiece, properly called the Adoration of the Mystic Lamb, widely considered to be one of the most important pieces of art in the history of Western civilization. Before our trip we did quite a bit of reading and watching of lectures on YouTube videos to learn about the Altarpiece's creation, symbolism and meaning, and significance in the development of artistic techniques (it’s been called the very first true oil painting, for example). You can see the amazing detail of Van Eyck’s artistry by zooming in on the super-high resolution photographs on this website: Closer to Van Eyck
The Altarpiece is in St. Bavo’s Cathedral. We also went to the Museum of Fine Arts where some of the panels are still being restored. It was fascinating to watch the restorers at work, looking through microscopes as they examine and remove (with eye surgery scalpels, because regular surgical scalpels are fine enough) the layers of overpainting done through the centuries.
In Bruges, we especially loved Michelangelo’s sculpture, Madonna and Child, located in the Church of Our Lady. It’s the only one of Michelangelo’s sculptures that left Italy during his lifetime. Here’s one short video about it: SmartHistory: Michelangelo's Madonna and Child
Both the Ghent Altarpiece and Michelangelo’s Madonna and Child were stolen by the Nazis in World War II and are featured in the book and movie, The Monuments Men (which we watched again before we went). The Altarpiece has been stolen more than half a dozen times and has been called the most stolen artwork ever.
We aren't art/art history people, so the advance reading and watching made what could have been just another quick look at two nice pieces of art into something very special we will always cherish.
Hope you have a great trip!
We're currently in Arras, France but spent Monday to Friday in Bruges where we did daytrips. As indicated by others, the train system in Belgium is excellent. We didn't make it to Brussels but we had no problems filling our 5 days. One day was spent in Ghent and we debated going back a second day. A second daytrip was using Quasimodo Tours to visit the WW1 sites and memorials. The other three were wandering Bruges, including renting bikes one day and riding to Damme. I was outvoted by my wife or I would have ridden to the Dutch border and back.
If Brussels is important, I'd suggest staying in Ghent so you're about halfway between the two others. They're short enough train trips that it's easy to visit for the day. We didn't come home from Ghent until 9pm.
Reply to Tim - we are traveling in October 2026 and plan a one way flight to Brussels before we start our river cruise in Amsterdam but your multi-city ticket idea is certainly worth considering. We certainly do not want to rent a vehicle and were hoping that the main sites would be near the train stations (apparently not based on your comments) or within an easy walk or accessible by metro or bus. Last option would be uber
As much as I would like to visit war sites around the area my wife is not interested. I plan to go to the Normandy area with my son in the future since he is very interested in all things WWII.
John - art is certainly an interest of ours and one reason for the trip. I just finished reading a book about the stolen art works during the war and also of a master forger who fooled the Nazis as well as art experts of the time. It is called "The Forger's Spell" by Edward Dolnick. I highly recommend it
Thanks
As mentioned above, the locations you list are easily reached by train (we did). We also walked everywhere in Bruges, Antwerp and Ghent, and during the short time we were in Brussels but our preferred method of sightseeing is mainly on foot whenever possible so we're used to covering ground. If/when you might use local transport between stations, attractions or accommodations will be up to personal preference/ability and how much luggage you'll be hauling about. :O)
if you happen to be over 65 when you travel you can buy a 8,50€ day return (round trip) from any Belgian station to any other Belgian station, travel any time on the weekend or after 9 am during the week. No advance purchase necessary, just get it before you board.
That is a most excellent deal.
A multi-city airline ticket into Brussels and out of an airport near where your cruise ends will almost certainly be considerably cheaper than separate one-way tickets.
if you happen to be over 65 when you travel you can buy a 8,50€ day return (round trip) from any Belgian station to any other Belgian station, travel any time on the weekend or after 9 am during the week. No advance purchase necessary, just get it before you board.
No, you can't anymore (tomorrow yes, but this Senior Ticket won't exist anymore starting 15 Oktober).
However, no panic, from the day after tomorrow, those over 65y will receive a 40% discount on the price of a standard ticket, regardless of the distance or time of travel.
that news - unpleasant news - to me. boo hiss
that news - unpleasant news - to me
There's also a new Seniors Discount Card that offers additional discounts: for €4 per month or €32 per year, you can get an extra 40% discount during off-peak hours and weekends, on top of the standard 40% discount. This brings the total to 80% discount and results in a maximum fare of €5.50 per one-way trip, with a minimum of €2.50 per one-way trip. I assume this card will also be accessible for non-residents, we will have to wait the SNCB update tomorrom night to view these details (at least if their FAQ's will be updated too).
As I wrote, for those who have no walking impediments, you can walk to the historic centers of Antwerp, Bruges, and Ghent. Could be cold or wet in October. It's just that in Bruges and Ghent, there's not enough to "see" along the way. Brussels-Centraal station is just steps from the Grand Place, but it's a very large city. Did I mention there are about 5 unreserved (and sometimes crowded) trains an HOUR to Ghent and Bruges?
Since art is important to you, it is possible to spend the entire day in the unified Ancient/Modern Art museum in Brussels, and the KMSKA (Royal Museum .... ) in Antwerp is a world-class collection, especially of Rubens, James Ensor, and Rik Wouters. Also some important medieval art. Just renovated. My second favorite museum in Antwerp is quite small, kind of like a mansion/home visit, but they have several important works, like "Mad Meg", half of the Baltimore (US)-Antwerp panel paintings, and half-lifesize naive-style sculptures of teen-aged Jesus and John the Baptist. Also some leather wallpaper historic rooms.
I realize that adding a city to a list of 3 is a major decision. But please look into the KMSKA collection. It's pretty much a must-see. Mystic Lamb in Ghent is 7-days, but advance purchase required.
Walks in Antwerp are more interesting and varied, if you stop at the older buildings and read the plaques. But I avoid the Diamond Museum near the train station.
My second favorite museum in Antwerp is quite small, kind of like a mansion/home visit, but they have several important works, like "Mad Meg", half of the Baltimore (US)-Antwerp panel paintings, and half-lifesize naive-style sculptures of teen-aged Jesus and John the Baptist. Also some leather wallpaper historic rooms.
I have already informed you that the Museum Mayer van den Bergh is closed for renovation until 2029. Just a small part of the collection is on display at the Maagdenhuis (Mad Meg is present there).
Museum Mayer van den Bergh is closed for renovation until 2029.
Shoot, I forgot about that. Shame, that, as it's a great little museum.
Oh well, lots of other things to see! We liked the both the Groeningemuseum and Sint-Janshospitaal in Bruges very much. The latter has a wonderful collection of Hans Memlings, and the history of this medieval hospital for sick or injured travelers - many on pilgrimages/penitential journeys of one sort or another - is interesting.
Thanks again everyone - I have (more than) enough information to go by and I am looking forward to finalizing our trip. Sounds like we need to work Antwerp into them :)
One more idea to consider:
We spent 3 nights in Bruges and absolutely LOVED it, from which we did a day trip to Ghent. (We'd spent an afternoon in Brussels on our way to Bruges and enjoyed it, but were very happy with our decision not to base ourselves there.) As others have mentioned, it depends on what you love to do and what you'd like to see, if you're walkers, etc. But as far as Bruges, being there in the evenings to stroll around after the tourists leave, is really magical. We'd come from London and ended our trip in Amsterdam, so the smaller (quieter in the evenings) option of Bruges, was perfect for us. And we took trains everywhere! Whatever you decide, you'll enjoy Belgium!
The Fin-de-Siècle Museum and the Modern Museum of the Royal Art Museums in Brussels are currently closed. It seems their holdings are going to be incorporated into another section of the museum, currently called the "Old Masters Museum". The Old Masters and Magritte Museums remain open. They are separately ticketed, but there's a money-saving combo ticket available. Note that it requires visiting both museums on the same day.
The augmented-reality presentation of the Mystic Lamb altarpiece (mentioned positively several times on this forum) sells out ahead of time and must be prebooked. I was able to just to see the artwork without prebooking when I visited Ghent in July or August of this year. (I may have bought an online ticket as I stood in line.)
