Hi everyone, my wife and I are going to my dream country of Belgium next Feb as I am a big time beer Knurd and cycling fan. We are flying into Brussels and staying deep in the Ardennes region in Spa. My plan is to travel to the different Trappist breweries in the Walloon region, check out the formula 1 track in Spa and possibly go up to Flanders area for more of the same. My question is: can we do all this using the public trains (do they go to the out of the way places) or is it best to get a rail pass? Is getting a rental car worth the hassle or is it not necessary since Belgium is a smaller country. Please help!
Posted by
Danville, VT
12040 posts
Belgium's rail network only really connects the cities together, or the commuter towns to the largest cities. To link smaller towns, you would need to figure out the bus systems. The rail stations act as the hubs, and the bus routes are the spokes of the wheels. To make matters more confusing, Wallonia and Flanders have separate public transportation companies (bus and tram, commuter rail operates nationally). And they're not particularly well integrated. If you're headed mostly to smaller towns, don't bother with any kind of rail pass. If your trip is going to include a few cities, Belgian rail sells its own rail pass. You get 10 trips anywhere within the country for something like €60 (last time I priced it). The big advantage is that more than one person can use the rail pass simultaneously. Most of the Trappist monasteries are generally not open to the public, and none of the breweries offer regular open tours. You can visit the abbey of Maredsous, but not the brewing facility or dairy. However, I'm pretty sure all the Trappist monasteries operate a brasserie where you can sample the beer and foods they produce. Finally, in Spa, be sure to sample one of my favorite Belgian beers, which is only available in the immediate area- Bobeline.
Posted by
Danville, VT
12040 posts
PS- Just to be completely accurate, Maredsous does not operate a brasserie (so far as I know), but they have sort of cafeteria where you can buy mediocre sandwiches, and try their excellent beer.