Will be arriving in Brussels on a Saturday morning and starting a river cruise the following Tuesday afternoon. Plan to head to Bruges upon arrival in Brussels. Question is do we stay 1 night & tour Bruges on Saturday & Sunday returning to Brussels on Sunday evening or extend an extra night and return to Brussels on Monday afternoon?
Thanks.
I loved Bruges. I stayed two nights there and wished that I had another night!!
If Brussels is your arrival city in Europe and you go immediately to Bruges, you will be jet-lagged and not fully able to enjoy that first day. I would vote for two nights in Bruges for that reason.
I was there for 4 nights and could
have spent even more time. It is an historical treasure with lots to do,and see. Extend your time for sure u will not be disappointed. I have also been to brussels.
We just returned from a trip to Belgium and I would recommend you stay the maximum time in Bruges. It's a beautiful city with friendly people; we absolutely fell in love with it! Visit the Chocolate Line for some amazing Belgian Chocolate; walk the quaint streets and enjoy the local culture. We ate at some amazing restaurants, visited the pubs and just relaxed. One day in Brussels was more than enough for us. Enjoy!
I stayed in Bruges for 3 nights on my recent trip. We thought that was about right to enjoy everything in that area. I do not think one night is enough. I would spend a minimum of two nights. There are so many things to explore. When you at least spend a few nights it is fun. You are busy during the day with lots of activity and there are tons of people, most of whom I noticed were in big guided groups just there for a few hours. Then in the early evening, those day tourists leave and then the whole town becomes very peaceful where you feel like a local with many restaurant options for dinner and great beer!
On a related note, I cannot imagine taking one of those 12 hour bus tours to Bruges from Amsterdam. Basically 7-8 hours of the tour is sitting on the bus round-trip (depending on traffic) and you get to spend only 4 to 4 1/2 in Bruges if you are lucky.
Another vote for two nights. We spent 4 nights in Bruges (with a day trip to Ghent) and didn't feel as if it was too long at all. It's a lovely, well-preserved town that'll fill up your camera's memory card in a big hurry! It is especially nice in the early mornings and evenings so take advantage of those hours.
