Brussels or Bruges?

We liked Brussels and Ghent quite a bit but hands down I would recommend Bruges. They have great sights, great food and transportation is very easy.

Visited both....much prefer Bruges. So much to see, good restaurants and quality accommodations (we stayed in a centrally located B&B). Enjoy!

Another vote for Bruges. Been there twice. Also easy channel crossing from there if UK is on your list to see.

Brussels isn't as immediately pretty as Brugge, but I have found this city far more interesting than Brugge for repeat visits. But actually, I would rather stay in Ghent and visit both the other cities as day trips.

I will vote for Bruges which I have been to twice. One time in Brussels was enough for me and no desire to visit in the future.

Although I am a minority on this board, I'm firmly in the Brussels camp. I was not impressed by Brugge at all despite everybody telling how great it was. I found it way overcrowded and not very picturesque compared to others cities and towns I've seen around Europe. I even had a local as a guide as I was visiting a friend who worked for the EU but I just was not impressed at all. By contrast, I loved Brussels, thought it was one of the most underrated cities in Europe. Plenty of sights, best beer in Europe, and surprisingly great food. The Grand Place itself completely blows away anything Brugge has to offer. I will never go back to Brugge but I miss Brussels immensely.

It kind of depends on what your interests are. Count me as a Brussels fan. Have been to both cities a number of times, and though Bruges is quaint looking, the massive amounts of tourists almost ruin it for me. Put me in a big city instead, where there are any number of activities, bunches of museums and cultural things and I am happier. Brussels has such lovely, Art Nouveau architecture, interesting residential neighborhoods, and a vibrant ethnic population in some neighborhoods too. Good place to go antique shopping too. On the other hand, if you have never been to a medieval style town, than you will probably like Bruges a lot. November will be grey and getting dark early, so walking around the town at night should be pretty. The amount of tourists should be less in Nov. too. If you have a bit of time, take the train up to the Ostende and the North Sea. There you can find the gun emplacements left over from the war, along the dunes. Train is about 3.50 or so and takes about 15-20 min.

Bruges hands down! It's got the best chocolate, beer, and french fries in the world. What more could you want:) A stunningly pretty city? Bruges will do that too! Here's a taste: http://youtu.be/nm-O0b5Ul3o

Visited both locations mid-May last year and there were many, many, many tourists in both cities. Assume fewer during November and December. For me, Brussels was worth a look and the Grand Place is stunning, although pretty gritty just a few block away.

I really appreciate all of your input! We do love beer, chocolate, french fries, and museums! Sounds awesome. I'm not worried about too many tourists anywhere during the trip since it's so late in the year.

This surprises me, but I like Brussels better. Just a little bit. There is just nothing like the Grand Place. Maybe my expectations were too high for Bruges; I don't know. But whichever one you pick, go to the other for a day trip.

I liked Bruges so much that I am going back at the end of November and staying 5 nights. I then am going to Ghent for the first time, staying 3 nights. The only time I will spend in Brussels, is when I fly in and go to the Royal Museum of Fine Arts. Maybe I will go for a walk thru Grand Place.

Thanks to Tom in Germany, I decided to go by his feelings for Gent and spent 4 days there. It's better than both those other cities in my opinion, but if you haven't been to either, then I don't want to sway you too much! Brugge was pretty the first time we visited in 2006, but this time around I felt that once was enough. Twice was pushing it for me. Brussels I visited once, and that was enough.

I had the same question last year and after speaking to many friends who had been to both, and asking lots of forums, I opted for Bruges. Definitely glad I did! I say Bruges and you have to have dinner at Cookies (be sure to make a reservation when you get to town). Quaint little place with excellent tapas and drinks.

Ghent is so much nicer than Brugge. Great castle, great city to wander. Was there for opening of Stam museum last year and it is great. I love Ghent and can't wait to return there.

My wife and I just returned from a trip to Amsterdam, Brussels, and Paris. We had a limited time for travel, but were able to fit a day trip to Bruges/Brugge from Brussels into our plan. I really enjoyed seeing the differences between the faster paced French speaking Brussels and the more laid back Flemish, Brugge. Brugge is only an hour away by local intercity train from Brussels and runs almost twice hourly, so it is very easy to stay in either city and still see the other. I blogged about our experience, if anyone is interested. AMS to Brussels (stayed on the Grand Place): http://engineeringatravelplan.blogspot.com/2011/08/vacation-day-7-high-speed-to-brussels.html Brussels to Brugge day trip: http://engineeringatravelplan.blogspot.com/2011/08/vacation-day-8-day-trip-to-brugesbrugge.html