Brugge and Ghent

A day and a half (each) is enough to get a good feel for both towns and see some of the highlights. Maybe you'll wish you had more time, or maybe you'll be satisfied. I think it's a good plan if that's all the time you have.

Jim, I agree with the previous reply. That will allow you to "sample" both towns and perhaps get some idea whether you'd like to return to one or the other. Does your 1.5 days include travel times to and from each town? There's always a bit of disagreement here on the HelpLine on the merits of those two towns. I was in both locations last year, and tended to prefer Bruges. Happy travels!

Ditto what the others said. Both cities are close enough to each other (on a clear day, you can see Ghent from the belfry in Brugge and vice versa) that you could use one as a base for a daytrip to the other. As for which town to use as a base, I guess it depends on what time of nightlife you prefer. The historic core of Brugge can be rather dead at night. Because Ghent hosts a large university and young professional population, it can be much more lively.

Thanks for the information. Actual time in both cities, not including travel is 1 & 1/2 days and two nights (1/2 day, night, full day, night, leave next day). Having looked at the debate about Brugge and Ghent here, I decided to spilt the difference!

Brugge is so beautiful at night when the daytrippers go. I would stay in Brugge and just train to Ghent for a day. Go to www.flickr.com and type Bruge Night in the search feature.

Jim, absolutely no worries, you will have time to see pretty much everything twice.

Jim, We visited Belgium this past spring - visiting both Ghent and Brugge. We saw pretty much everything we wanted to see in Ghent in half a day. My suggestion would be stay all 3 days in Brugge - take a day trip over to Ghent (easy train ride). Make sure to stay for dinner and see it all lit up at night. It is quite magical. Then on one of your days in Brugge, take the Quasimodo tour of Flanders Field. It was a very informative and enlightening tour - I never knew how little I knew about WWI.... http://www.quasimodo.be/ Check out their reviews on tripadvisor.

I am w/ Paula, daytrip to Ghent at end of your Brugge visit. If you still are amazed/dazed by Brugge's beauty stay there. Ghent to me was a disappointment after staying in Brugge 4 nights. had I known I would have stayed yet another day in Brugge.

Wow- 4 days in Brugge? I thank everyone for their advice. I think we'll leave the agenda as planned and report back. I think I'll be joining the brugge vs. ghent debate here. I can't decide except by seeing it myself. By the way, an old family friend was a Harvard scholar (now diseased) and she wrote a book about a woman of letters from, I believe, Brugge. She spent a week in Brugge before starting any other European vacation. I've seen alot of Europe (lived there for 3 years), but never Brugge or Ghent (which is sad given my uncle's family is from there....he moved when he was 10). Thanks again everyone for your advice. We'll see. I'm afraid to ask, but hotel recommendations? I have them already but can change.

I just spent 3 nights in Ghent (arriving from London on the first day, then on to Den Haag on the third). I spent a day in Bruges as a day trip from Ghent. I chose to stay in one place and see the other as a day trip, simply to save time packing/checking in etc. and schlepping luggage. Ghent was cheaper than Bruges . . . Gothic Ghent is very picturesque at night. I left Bruges before dark (sunset was around 10 pm and my camera batteries, incl. spare, were dead long before that). If you have a choice, Wednesday is best for Bruges - market day. Also, try to be there on a sunny day :-)

We were in Brugge for about 5 days in 2008. Most of the time we took day trips around the area. 1.5 days is enough time to see most of Brugge itself. If you could squeeze in another day, I'd definitely book a tour to the Flanders battlefield area in and around Ypres. Spent one day in Ghent and it was enough time to see most of the highlights. Could send you the name of the tour company we used and/or our hotel POC if you desire.

We were in Brugge for about 5 days in 2008. Most of the time we took day trips around the area. 1.5 days is enough time to see most of Brugge itself. If you could squeeze in another day, I'd definitely book a tour to the Flanders battlefield area in and around Ypres. Spent one day in Ghent and it was enough time to see most of the highlights. Could send you the name of the tour company we used and/or our hotel POC if you desire. Just noticed a previous post. We used Quasimodo Tours to Flanders.