Belgium: driving on our own

Independent trip to Belgium: how to get there, what to see, how to save on transport and food. A selection of useful information for the traveler.

Belgium breathes with prosperity and tranquility. In this small country, there are a large number of medieval monuments, exquisite cuisine, delicious beer and chocolate - for the sake of all this, travelers to Belgium strive.

How to get to Belgium on your own

You can independently get from Moscow to Brussels on board Brussels Airlines (direct flight). The average price for a round-trip ticket is 9-10 thousand rubles. It is easy to fly from the Northern capital for about the same amount. Much more expensive get to Belgium from the regions: from Yekaterinburg, Novosibirsk and Ufa tickets cost from 15 thousand and more.

The most budgetary way is to fly with low-cost airlines from the Baltic States and Finland, but it is not suitable for everyone. Want to save on your flight? We advise you to read our detailed overview of how you can get to Brussels inexpensively.

Where to find cheap tickets? This is most conveniently done using the search engines Aviasales and Skyscanner. To find the best price, check both and see tickets for different dates. Read also the instructions on how to search for cheap flights correctly. Do not forget about the map and the calendar of low prices - be flexible when looking for air tickets and planning an independent trip to Belgium!

Transport in Belgium

Brussels - transport hub of the country, from the main station you can go to any city in Belgium. The most developed transport is rail. The country is covered with a network of railways, so it is more convenient to travel by train than by bus. In addition, the fare is not that expensive by European standards.

If you are traveling to Belgium on your own, on the SNCB railway website you can plan your trip and calculate the prices for the trip. For example, from Brussels to Ghent a standard round-trip ticket costs 17.80 euros, and from Bruges to Ghent - 13 euros.

It is beneficial to use the so-called Weekend Ticket - with it you can make weekend trips (from 19:01 Friday to Sunday) to any city in Belgium with a 50% discount. The only condition is that the trip must be there and back. So, with the help of the Weekend Ticket, a ticket Brussels - Ghent - Brussels will cost only 10 euros, and Bruges - Ghent - Bruges - 7.40 euros.

In addition, it is often profitable for young people under 26 to travel by purchasing Go Pass 1 - these tickets are cheaper, but are sold exclusively online. You can also often find promotions on the site: for example, from October 7 to November 2, there is a promotional rate Web Deal, according to which you can buy a one-way ticket for 6 euros (buy online). If your goal is to travel around Belgium on your own and cheaply, it makes sense to monitor the promotions on the website in the Deals section.

You can also travel around Belgium by bus, but this is not so convenient, since comfortable and fast trains run between major cities, and buses are provided with suburban and regional communication. The main bus carriers are De Lijn and TEC.

From Belgium it is convenient to get to cities in Germany, France, Great Britain, the Netherlands and Luxembourg either by train or by bus. Thalys high-speed trains run to these destinations, and the UK can be reached by the Eurostar train.

On the Eurostar train to London, the cheapest round-trip tickets are from 88 euros (no refund and exchange). For young people up to 26 years old - from 84 euros in both directions. Travel time is a little over two hours.

Naturally, you can travel on comfortable Eurolines buses - please note that they often have profitable promotions and special offers, so when planning your trip, you should not forget about this. For example, according to a promotional rate, you can leave Brussels for Paris for only 18 euros (round trip) instead of the standard price of 27 euros.

Food in Belgium

Many people travel to Belgium to get acquainted with the exquisite local cuisine, because food in Belgium is an art. The choice is huge, from street food - fries and waffles with various flavors - to traditional dishes like croquettes or mussels. What should you try in Belgium?

Waffles

Like chocolate and beer, Belgian waffles are the country's trademark. The waffles are served warm, sprinkled with powdered sugar, along with soft fruits, whipped cream or chocolate. The most popular are two types of waffles - Brussels and Liege. Brussels waffles are soft and rectangular, while Liege waffles are oval or round, often sprinkled with vanilla and cinnamon.

Beer in Belgium

In Belgium, there are no less than 650 beers! Impressive, isn't it? Each region has its own beers. There is even a Beer Route: Brussels - Chimay - Dinant - Maredsous - Rochefort. The "beer" city of Belgium - Leuven, the local university even had a special faculty of beer.

The most famous (and delicious) beer in Belgium produced in the so-called abbey breweries according to old recipes that are not disclosed: Abbaye de Maredsous (Rue de Maredsous 11, Namur), Abbaye de Val Dieu (Val Dieu 225, Aubel), Abbaye de Leffe (Place de l'Abbaye 1, B -5500 Dinant) and others.

In addition to traditional beer, it is worth trying fruit (raspberry, cherry, cherry), as well as with unusual herbal additives.

Several pubs in Brussels:

• Brewers House (Grand Place 10);
• Les Brasseurs de la Grand Place (Rue de la Colline 24);
• Brussels Gueuze Museum and Cantillon Brewery (Rue Gheude 54).

Chocolate

Everyone has heard that Belgian chocolate is one of the best in the world. The Belgian chocolate was glorified by Jean Neuhaus Jr. - the creator of praline and the owner of the famous company Neuhaus.

Be sure to visit the numerous chocolate shops, which are scattered in large numbers in cities - there are over 500 small private pastry shops in Belgium. The most famous brands at the moment are Leonidas, Godiva and Wittamer.

Belgian chocolate is famous for its unsurpassed taste and quality - it is prepared without artificial additives or preservatives, exclusively from natural ingredients. In Belgium, they love to experiment: here you will find chocolates with a variety of fillings - from traditional to innovative. What can I say, just eat some more of this delicious Belgian chocolate and drink some tea.

Several chocolates where you can taste and buy chocolate in Brussels:

• Chocolatier Jean Philippe Darcis (Petite rue au Beurre, 14);
• Wittamer (Place du Grand Sablon, 6);
• Mary Chocolatier (Rue Royale, 73);
• Passion Chocolat (Rue Bodenbroek 2/4).

In addition, you can taste chocolate and even see how it is made in factories and museums. La Maison des Maitres Chocolatiers Belges will show you the production process and taste the chocolate. Visit the Museum of Cocoa and Chocolate (Musee du Cacao et du chocolat) - you will definitely love it!

Note: in Brussels in November there are events dedicated to chocolate - Chocolate Fair and Chocolate Week, but the real city of chocolate is Bruges.

Mussels

Mussels in Belgium are a national dish, you can taste them from September to February. They are usually served in their own juice with fries and homemade mayonnaise, but may vary from region to region. A restaurant Chez leon in Brussels it is considered one of the best restaurants serving fresh mussels.

Travel accommodation. Look for hotels at the best price on Roomguru.ru - it compares the prices of various booking systems and finds the best one. If you prefer to live in private apartments and houses while traveling, then it is better to look for them on the popular rental service from the owners of Airbnb.ru - there you can find very cozy apartments at any price!

What to see in Belgium?

Look for interesting excursions on the Sputnik and Tripster websites. Individual and group, no crowds of tourists and in Russian.

Those who come to Belgium on their own need to form a program of acquaintance with the country and its culture.Below we will tell you about must see places in the four main Belgian cities.

Brussels

What to see in Brussels? This is, firstly, the historic Grand Place with the town hall and the King's House, where 17th century architecture and modern life harmoniously intertwined. Secondly, it is the Royal Palace in Brussels Park and the Royal Museum.

In addition, you need to see the sculpture of the Manneken Pis and find his "friend" - the Manneken Pis, visit the Brussels Cathedral, the Cathedral of St. Michael and the Royal Galleries of St. Hubert (Galeries Royales St-Hubert). As for the informal sights of Brussels, these include the Atomium, the European Parliament and the Red Light District.

Bruges

You need to start sightseeing in Bruges from the heart of the city - the Grote Markt (market square), whose history begins in the 10th century. The beautiful Belfort Tower is located here. Among the religious architecture are the oldest hospital of St. John in Europe, the monastery of the Beguins, the Church of Our Lady and the Church of the Holy Blood of Christ.

There are also fascinating museums to visit: learn about the history of chocolate at the Chocolate Museum, the history of beer at the Brewing Museum, and admire the collections of the Museum of Fine Arts and the Museum of Lace. And it's just worth taking a walk along the old streets and canals, perhaps the most romantic city in Belgium.

Antwerp

In the city of Rubens, of course, one must first of all pay tribute to the Flemish artist and visit the House of Rubens. Next in line are the Royal Museum of Fine Arts, the Town Hall on the Grote Markt, the Cathedral of Our Lady of Antwerp and, of course, the Sten Castle.

For those who are interested in diamonds, we remind you that Antwerp is a city of diamonds, it was here that they were engaged in the evaluation, cutting and sale of diamonds, so you can get acquainted with the history of jewelry in the Diamond Museum.

Ghent

In Ghent, you will find, in addition to the wonderful architecture, many pubs where you can have a great time with a glass of Belgian beer. The city is home to one of the largest universities in Belgium, so there are many students here.

Must see in Ghent: St. Bavo Cathedral, Bell Tower and St. Nicholas Church, the impressive Gravestin Castle (Castle of the Counts) and the Castle of Gerard the Devil, the beautiful St. Michael's Bridge over the Lis canal and the Lakenhalle covered market. It is also worth visiting the Vrijdagmarkt square and St. Peter's Abbey.

Ghent is also known for its daily bazaars and flower markets, where locals buy fresh produce and tourists love to stroll.

And, of course, the charming medieval streets of Ghent will appeal to everyone - walk along the Veldstraat pedestrian street, where shops coexist with old mansions of the 18th century, and swim along the city's canals - Ghent will definitely not leave you indifferent.

By the way, the defensive castles of Laarne, Van Oydonk and Vondelgem are located very close to the city - they will be a worthy completion of an independent trip to Belgium.