We are flying into Brussels on wednesday, Oct. 5 . We are considering on using Bruges as our home base for days trips rather than Brussels. Is there a reason why people choose Brussels over Bruges as home base; and what are the reasons? Does this make economic sense? Is there a multi-day train pass we can purchase? We then plan on leaving Bruges on saturday and stopping in Antwerp for the day on our way to Amsterdam where we will be spending a number of days.
- Dan
Posted by
Danville, VT
12040 posts
"Is there a reason why people choose Brussels over Bruges as home base; and what are the reasons? " Probably because Brussels is the central rail hub of the country. Yes, there is Belgian rail pass. I´m not sure what the current price is, but last time I checked it was around €70. It gives you 10 trips anywhere in the country. More than one person can use the pass simultaneously, so a round trip between Brugge and Brussels for two people would count for 4 of the 10 trips. You can buy this pass at any staffed train station. It does not cover Thalys (I learned this weekend I´ve been misprouncing "Thalys" for years) and I´m not sure if it coveres the regular ICE train to Amsterdam. PS- I stand corrected. Apparently it does cover Thalys.
Posted by
New York, NY, USA
3 posts
"Is there a reason why people choose Brussels over Bruges as home base; and what are the reasons? " Likely because you'll be able to find more competitive hotel rates in Brussels, and Bruges is a relatively short distance away (1 hr by rail).
Posted by
Wyckoff, NJ, USA
7765 posts
Note that the Rail Pass is indeed a good deal, and eliminates ticket-purchase lines. In summer, and for persons under 29(?), there are other options. Also, on weekends, many same-day roundtrips are very cheap as individual tickets. The Rail Pass (although that is the name) is actually an IBM-card sized ticket with ten blank lines and four columns on it. No photo, no place to write your name. You are supposed to fill in a line with Day of the Week, Date, Departure Station, and Destination Station before you get on the train. Mine cost 74 Euros (2nd Class) in July, and is good for a year. I can't believe it's good on premium trains like Thalys. One issue on a non-premium ICE would be that you are supposed to have a seat reservation. Really, that means before the conductor gets to you, so that you don't look like a fare-beater. I fill it in as soon as I sit down, because if I miss one train, my day trip might be to somewhere else! This ticket is domestic only, so when I went to Lille, France, I entered Moeskroen, the last Belgian station, and bought a round-trip from Moescroen to Lille Flandres, France. You would fill in two lines for two passengers. I believe that these trips are not supposed to be interrupted. But I think that would be hard to detect if you could spend a few hours at a station where you HAD to change trains. I would add that Bruges is very far to the West, as well as requiring a change for some destinations. But if you have a good idea of where you want to spend time, this may not matter. Consider spending the night in Antwerp, because there are some morning Thalys trains that might go to Amsterdam direct, and you have to buy that (Int'l) ticket anyway. Also, I love Antwerp.