My Husband and I and our now 6.5 month old infant are planning to travel to Europe in July/August for 3 weeks. We are flying into Londond, taking the train to Paris and spending the first week there. We plan to then take the train to Antwerp, and spend a few days there while taking a day trip to Brugges. We plan to then travel to London for the last week of our trip. It seems that on the eurostar website the only available trains from Antwerp to London stop in Brussels. Is this correct information? There are also very few trains from Antwerp to London. Is the eurostar the best way to get there? Is it worth it to stop in Brussels for a few hours on our way, or should we just take the layover train which gives us about 45 minutes in the Brussels train station.
Posted by
Los Angeles, CA, USA
1003 posts
I stayed in Brussels for 4 nights and really liked it. The Grand Place is breathtaking, and IMO it would be worth it to have a lunch of real Belgian frites, chocolate, and a liege sugar waffle alone! yum. In a few hours you could see the main Grand Place area and have some Belgian specialties. It is completely different from Antwerp or Brugge, and it is in the French-speaking part so the nain language is not even the same. It's certainly worth (at least) a few hours. Whether you want to deal with checking bags at the station and all that with your baby is something only you can decide.
Posted by
New Paltz, NY
9110 posts
it seems that on the eurostar website the only available trains from Antwerp to London stop in Brussels. Is this correct information? There are also very few trains from Antwerp to London. Is the eurostar the best way to get there?
Eurostar only travels from Brussels to London. From Antwerp to Brussels you will have to use regular Belgian Rail inter-city trains. There should be a minimum of one train per hour between Antwerp and Brussels. You get the cheapest Eurostar fares by booking well in advance at http://www.eurostar.com. Tell the site that you live in the UK. Also, your Eurostar ticket allows you to travel for free on all other Belgian rail trains on the day of your journey to London. So Antwerp to Brussels via Belgian Rail is a free ride.
Posted by
Danville, VT
12040 posts
Brussels has one of the most under-rated collections of museums and urban parks on the continent. It certainly isn't as immediately pretty as Brugge, but in my opinion, far more interesting. It takes a little more effort to explore, however, because the sites of interest are quite dispersed.
Several Belgian rail trains (NMBS) run between Antwerp and Brussels every hour. Most pass through Mechelen, which is also worth a quick look.
Staying in Antwerp? I salute you for not following the herd to Brugge and doing something different! Enjoy your trip!