Brugge or Brussles for 1 day

Patrick,
We were in Belgium last year and we definitely loved Brugges. It was very quaint. We ended up flying out of Brussels, and felt that the city seemed big and dirty. We took a beer tour in Brugges and found so many cute restaurants. You should check the Rick Steves book on Brussels for more info but Brugges gets our vote.
Good luck and happy travels.

Brugge, hands down! The only complication may be that Brussels is centrally located and an easy transport hub, whereas Brugge sits in the northwest corner of the country. If you only have one day for Belgium (from which direction are you arriving?), Brussels might be easier.

But if you are a student and you want to see a great student town, you could check out Leuven, just to the east of Brussels. I have never encountered a better place to sip a drink and people-watch than Leuven's Oude Markt. Of course, if you're there in the summer, it will be a ghost town, but give Leuven some consideration if your travels occur during the academic year.

We are going onto Calais afterwards to get the ferry from there to Dover, so would Brugge be just as convenient as Brussels (assuming we are planning on going to Belgium anyway?)

Thanks for your help and suggestions everyone, I appreciate it

Brugge offers more for the tourist than Brussels. But the train ride is about 55 minutes each way, with 2 trains per hour. Go to http://www.b-rail.be/main/E, the Belgian rail system's web site, to see how the train schedule fits into your schedule. That alone may determine where you go. FYI, everybody has their own opinion on Belgian chocolate shops, but 2 of our favorites are:

Brugge:
Van Tilborgh
Noordzandstraat 1
050 33 59 04

Brussels:
La maison du chocolat artisanal
Rue Marche aux Herbes 67
02 513 78 92
Just a little north of the Grand Place.

We tooke the ferry from England to Brugge. I think you will like Brugge better. Make a reservation now.
I stayed there one night and loved it. Coming back we couldn't find a room anywhere and had to go on to Brussels.

No debate go to Brugge.

Would Brugge still be preferred if we get in at 8:30 pm? Also, should we take the Calais to Dover ferry or simply the Oostende to Ramsgate one if our goal is to go to Tunbridge Wells (about 40 minutes south of London)? Thanks for all your help everyone!

Only one night begining at 8:30 for Brugge? Well, that might be a little too late to see anything. By the time you arrive at your hotel/hostel/B&B from the train station and get settled, most of the restaurants will be closing. And certainly, all the museums and churches have closed for the night. You can still find a place to order a beer, and you could grab some fries under the bell tower. Brugge is a great town, but if you seek an all-night party... seek elsewhere.