My wife and I are planning a trip to Europe that will involve 3-4 days in Bruges/Ghent, and maybe an additional day travelling around Belgium at the end of March 2026. Any thoughts/comments/suggestions about places to stay, things to see, and things to avoid would be most welcome! Thank you in advance.
1 Like
We went to the Netherlands and Belgium in September. We stayed at an AirB&B in Ghent for 6 of us and that worked out well. Try the waffles and all the alternative toppings- street food in the evenings. We totally enjoyed Amsterdam to nice Maastricht, loved Utrecht, nice Delft and Harlem all in the Netherlands. Lots of boat rides and tours in the Netherlands were fun. We walked a lot in Belgium and met some friends there at the library in Ghent.
4 Likes
Definitely take a boat tour. Try all the chocolate. Soak it in! I adored Bruges.
Hope you like beer!
The Musical Instruments museum in Brussels is one of a kind.
3 Likes
Belgium has great food, so definitely make meals, snacks, and tastings an intentional part of your itinerary. Beer, chocolate, frites! Brussels is lovely, and the NYT “36 hours” has some great ideas. If you visit the Grand Place, you might want to check out the Toone puppet theater. (Short show, more familiar to locals, interesting history!)
3 Likes
And mussels! Don’t forget the mussels ; )
OP - We were in Ghent, Bruges, and Brussels two decades ago at the same time of year and it was wonderful! Don’t miss Gravensteen Castle in Ghent!
My daughter was there last spring for a work trip (actually to Maastricht but she took time off before and after to explore Brussels and then Amsterdam). She did a super fun beer and chocolate tour in Brussels and loved it! She did caution that she expected tasting portions of beer but they got full pints at all six stops so plan accordingly if you do that ; ).
Public transportation was easy, fast and safe.
3 Likes
We’re going in a couple of weeks. Looking at the recs here and will report back with any more when we get back! Been to Brussels before but many years back, the rest of Belgium will be new.
2 Likes
The Ardennes are interesting, especially for a war buff. Definitely a quieter experience, but it has,the advantage of being a bit off the beaten tourist track. I’m not sure how it would fit into OP’S itinerary, but there are some very charming little towns and castles. Fwiw, DH found this to be the highlight of a trip a few years ago.
2 Likes
We visited Belgium last year and loved it. Bruges is worth visiting, but it’s packed with tourists and the food is ok. I preferred Ghent. It has a vibrancy with all of the students, and has better restaurants. Oysters and champagne at the Blauwe Kiosk was unique. Great city!
2 Likes