In April, my friend and I will be starting from her home in Portsmouth, England and traveling for six days via train. We have a Eurail pass that included four days of unlimited travel but will supplement with local rail systems. We were thinking of Belgium (Brussels, Bruges and Antwerp). Do we have time to add another destination? If so, what would you choose? We enjoy art, history, walking/hiking and learning about the culture of the places we visit. I was thinking about a nearby city or two in Germany or France or maybe even Luxembourg. Thank you in advance.
Posted by
Sidney, BC, Canada
1003 posts
I’d stick to Northern France - Brittany sounds really interesting with its beautiful coastline, ancient stone circles, unique culture and great seafood. It is not mentioned much on the forum but friends who have been loved it.
Posted by
Washington, DC USA
545 posts
Given you interests and Belgium cities already planned, Ghent would fit well for either a day trip or a couple days.
Posted by
San Francisco
15107 posts
Since you have barely a week and will already be in Belgium, I would suggest adding towns in Northern France, if that can be done time-wise. Going as far as Luxembourg might be circuitous. From Brussels, Mons, Lille?
Numerous places in Northern France are worth your time and effort, such as Lille, the cultural center of Northern France plus a university town. Going south into the Nord Pas-de-Calais area, Arras is intriguing from an architectural perspective regarding the centre-ville. I
If the history of the region interests you, Northern France was a battleground area since the 1600s featuring such towns as Maubeuge, Arras, Cambrai, etc. The military memorials and cemeteries of WW1 dot the landscape, that of the French, Germans (harder to find but still can be tracked down if you're looking for them), Australians, Canadians, the US (St Quentin and the Aisne-Marne ).
Posted by
Detroit, MI
1060 posts
No, if you only have six full days, you do not have time for another destination if you want to properly see Brussels, Bruges, and Antwerp. If you don't want to experience much in those three cities and if you want to spend too much time on trains and if you would be satisfied to just barely walk through certain parts of historic neighborhoods, it would be physically possible to add in Ghent or parts of France. Only go to those three cities in Belgium unless you can make your trip longer than six days.