Ghent travel

Most people would fly into Brussels (BRU) a very large airport, but if it were wildly cheaper, you could fly into Amsterdam and take a train (one or two changes, easy), but a couple of hours. The trains in Belgium are almost like commuter trains, with about five per hour from Brussels to Ghent, no reservations, mostly the same price, but annoyingly little room for luggage. Sometimes you have to take a separate "airport" service to get to any of the three downtown stations to get the train to Ghent.

https://www.ricksteves.com/travel-tips/transportation/trains/belgium-rail-passes

This link is for the map. Ignore the discussion of unnecessary rail passes. You're buying point to point tickets, probably from a machine, or online. Tickets from Brussels-downtown to Ghent are good on all trains the day of isssue.

I had extra time when I did this wonderful tour so I went to Paris ahead of time. I took a train to Ghent, changing in Brussels.

If your time is limited you could explore flying in to Brussels Airport at Zavantem. From there you can take a train in to Brussels and in looking at their website you can take a train directly to Ghent from the Airport. I have not flown in to Brussels since 1974, hahaha, so no current experience with taking the train to Ghent!

https://www.brusselsairport.be/en/passenger/mobility/public-transport/train

BTW, taking trains in Belgium and in Europe is way easier than most Americans realize just because many of us are not used to this kind of reliable public transit.

Have a wonderful time! I recommend a waterproof jacket with an adjustable hood for your tour. It might be rainy or windy and you don't want to miss a minute!

If you have the time, we flew into Paris for a few nights, then rented a car and explored the Normandy region. Dropped off the car in Lille and took the train to Ghent to start the RS tour. It was a wonderful tour. Enjoy!

We were so lucky to have exceptional warm sunny weather on the tour last April. (Except one very cold, windy, rainy day, so the suggestion to bring a waterproof warm layer is good.)

While we did not take a RS tour, we flew into Brussels (BRU) in 22 and 24. This is by far one of my favorite arrival airports in Europe. Although twice is not much of a sample size, the airport is one of the least busy I have ever arrived in. The next best thing is the easy access to public transportation. Just go thru immigration, baggage claim, and customs then follow the signage to the buses, or better yet the trains. Take the elevators or escalators down to the train station that is directly under the airport. You can buy tickets in advance, or on arrival. I have done both. Either way is easy.

Here is a video you might find helpful: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BHtAgGC3eUU