Seeing Brussels Grand Place

One ticket should cover the whole thing- just give your destination as Brugge. Tickets on Belgian rail are not train-specific. You can ride any train that day, and they usually leave frequently.

You will likely have to change trains in downtown Brussels anyway. Just get off at Brussel Centraal and take the 10 minute walk down hill to the Grand Place. When you're done, just go back to the station and catch the next train to Brugge or Oostende/Blankenberge (Brugge is on the way). Your ticket for the entire journey won't be stamped until after it leaves the last Brussels station (Brussel Zuid).

Thanks! That's very helpful.

wendy,

As Tom mentioned, it's a very easy walk from Brussels Central to Grand Place. THIS website provides information on transportation from the airport. The bahn.de website will have all the information you need on your rail connections.

As I recall, there are some fancy Belgian Chocolate shops around Grand Place. Be sure to pick up some "treats" to enjoy on the train ride to Bruges.

Thank you very much for the extra information and the suggestion about the chocolates!

A lot of the chocolate shops around Grand Place are tourist traps offering poor-quality no-name chocolate in ornate boxes at premium price.

There is a branch of the very good Galler chain just off Grand Place. Alternatively, the Galeries Saint Hubert just north of Grand Place have branches of two other good chains, Corne Port-Royal and Neuhaus.

If you're going to Bruges, don't forget that there are fabulous chocolate places there as well. One that comes to mind off the top of my head is Dumon and another is The Chocolate Line. They are numerous and are very generous with samples. Also, the chocolate shops in the Grand Place are really good. Don't confuse Godiva there with Godiva in the states. Belgium is the home of Neuhaus - a really expensive brand where I live. There is one in the Grand Place and also their flagship store in the Galleries St. Hubert.

Ah...Belgian chocolates. There is a little grocery store at the Brussels airport (I think before you go through security) and we went in there and asked the clerk which chocolates to buy and she told us that she thought Cote d'Or was best. We stocked up on chocolate bars for everyone back home at very reasonable prices! We figured the locals would know, and we were right!

Neuhaus is my favorite. There are shops in Brugge as well. You can also buy them online - I think Fedex is the only delivery option, to make sure the chocolates are fresh.

My wife and I loved Chocopolis which is on the way to the Grand Place from Brussels Central. Also Dumon in Bruges is excellent. Yearning for Belgium now….sigh. Have a wonderful trip.