I along with 3 Forum Members went to Brussels to bash as much of the Belgian Railway Network as we could on a Benelux Interrail Ticket.
We arrived in Brussels on the Thursday night by Eurostar , having travelled Standard Class, at around 9pm and went to our hotel the Ibis Styles Stephanie. https://www.accorhotels.com/gb/hotel-9401-ibis-styles-brussels-centre-stephanie/index.shtml.
Day 1, the original plan was for us to all travel to Arlon via Liege & Luxembourg , but I got lost walking from the Hotel to Brussels Midi and so I travelled to Arlon alone on an intercity train.
The journey took 2hrs 50 minutes and I waited at Arlon for the others to join me.
From Arlon we then travelled back to Brussels and planned to go to La Louviere , but after checking timetables we got off at Braines Le Comet and I got a train to Haran Zuid , as the others wanted to get of at Halle to walk between two stations which is far to much exercise for me !.
We all met up at Haran Zuid and got a train to Brussels Central and went for pizza (which was excellent !) at Il Colosseo https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g188644-d1912572-Reviews-Il_Colosseo-Brussels.html
Day 2, So I got to Brussels Midi on time I got the Tram & Metro to the station to catch the 09.03 to Ostend we choose to do this as it was LHCS ! - we got to Ostend and then doubled back to Bruges to go for a wander around the old city which was better than the weather !.
From Bruges we want to Kortrijk (which included a 1 hr RRB - I thought they only happened in England !) and from Kortrijk we went to Mouscron and then from Mouscron to Charleroi and returned back to Brussels from Charleroi.
Tea that night was at Kom Bij Ma https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g188644-d13200508-Reviews-Kom_Bij_Ma-Brussels.html
The food was good and so was the beer (for those who wanted beer) but the downside was that when we tried to pay for the bill by card, there was a problem and so I paid cash.
Day 3 One person went to Den Haag by train, but the rest of us went to Train World Museum http://www.trainworld.be/en# which was interesting and worth doing on a rainy day (which Sunday was) and we then went and bashed some tramlines (we caught the 97 Tram to Berchem then the 82 to Schareek, so I could get full value for my 7.50 Euro day ticket ! - I then caught the 82 tram to Weil and changed to the 97 to get back to my hotel to collect my luggage and then to Brussels Midi to catch the 16.56 Eurostar to St Pancras, this time we went Standard Premier and although it was nice, I am not sure I would pay 84 Euros again for it, expecially as it was only 29 Euros going out.
Thank you to the others who put up with me over the trip, but I really did enjoy myself and I hope you did to !
(I recommend that IBIS hotel as somewhere to stay, it was 217.50 Euros (inc Tourist Tax) for 3 nights including breakfast and the trams stop right outside the Hotel ! to get there you catch the Line 6 Metro to Louisa and then catch the 97 tram)
We arrived in Brussels on the Thursday night by Eurostar , having travelled Standard Class, at around 9pm and went to our hotel the Ibis Styles Stephanie. https://www.accorhotels.com/gb/hotel-9401-ibis-styles-brussels-centre-stephanie/index.shtml.
Day 1, the original plan was for us to all travel to Arlon via Liege & Luxembourg , but I got lost walking from the Hotel to Brussels Midi and so I travelled to Arlon alone on an intercity train.
The journey took 2hrs 50 minutes and I waited at Arlon for the others to join me.
From Arlon we then travelled back to Brussels and planned to go to La Louviere , but after checking timetables we got off at Braines Le Comet and I got a train to Haran Zuid , as the others wanted to get of at Halle to walk between two stations which is far to much exercise for me !.
We all met up at Haran Zuid and got a train to Brussels Central and went for pizza (which was excellent !) at Il Colosseo https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g188644-d1912572-Reviews-Il_Colosseo-Brussels.html
Day 2, So I got to Brussels Midi on time I got the Tram & Metro to the station to catch the 09.03 to Ostend we choose to do this as it was LHCS ! - we got to Ostend and then doubled back to Bruges to go for a wander around the old city which was better than the weather !.
From Bruges we want to Kortrijk (which included a 1 hr RRB - I thought they only happened in England !) and from Kortrijk we went to Mouscron and then from Mouscron to Charleroi and returned back to Brussels from Charleroi.
Tea that night was at Kom Bij Ma https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g188644-d13200508-Reviews-Kom_Bij_Ma-Brussels.html
The food was good and so was the beer (for those who wanted beer) but the downside was that when we tried to pay for the bill by card, there was a problem and so I paid cash.
Day 3 One person went to Den Haag by train, but the rest of us went to Train World Museum http://www.trainworld.be/en# which was interesting and worth doing on a rainy day (which Sunday was) and we then went and bashed some tramlines (we caught the 97 Tram to Berchem then the 82 to Schareek, so I could get full value for my 7.50 Euro day ticket ! - I then caught the 82 tram to Weil and changed to the 97 to get back to my hotel to collect my luggage and then to Brussels Midi to catch the 16.56 Eurostar to St Pancras, this time we went Standard Premier and although it was nice, I am not sure I would pay 84 Euros again for it, expecially as it was only 29 Euros going out.
Thank you to the others who put up with me over the trip, but I really did enjoy myself and I hope you did to !
(I recommend that IBIS hotel as somewhere to stay, it was 217.50 Euros (inc Tourist Tax) for 3 nights including breakfast and the trams stop right outside the Hotel ! to get there you catch the Line 6 Metro to Louisa and then catch the 97 tram)
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