Wagon Léo
What to order: the bistro at lunchtime, the restaurant for dinner.
McAuliffe Square · restaurant, bistro and hotel
geocalia
Day itinerary · 50.00° N · 5.72° E
Bastogne without a car, train to Libramont and TEC bus, about two and a half hours from Brussels.
IC train to Libramont and TEC bus to Bastogne. McAuliffe's cellar in the morning, lunch on the tank square, the battle museum and the Mardasson memorial as the evening draws in.
Leaving from
Direct flight to Bruselas fromBarcelona 2 hGirona 2 hSantander 2 hVitoria 2 hZaragoza 2 hMadrid 2 h 15Palma de Mallorca 2 h 15Valencia 2 h 15Alicante 2 h 30Málaga 3 h
Part of BastogneSecond World War routesBeers of Belgium
Add to my trip
Total time13 h
By car2 h each way
From BrusselsTrain + bus · about 2 h 30
TEC bus 6Libramont–Bastogne · about 35 min
Combined ticket€28 adult
On footAbout 6 km over the day
DifficultyEasy
The plan
The day at a glance
Any part can be swapped for another without spoiling the day.
-
Leave Brussels 2 h by train
IC towards Luxembourg; get off at Libramont
- 30 min by bus · TEC line 6 from the station to Bastogne
-
1
Bastogne War Rooms
rue de La Roche 38D · buy the €28 combined ticket online
- 15 min on foot
- 2
- 30 min on foot
-
3
Bastogne War Museum
or bus 6 to Pépinière and a 20-minute walk
- 5 min on foot
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4
Mardasson Memorial
free; there may be areas closed for works
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Back home 30 min by bus
walk back to the centre and take bus 6 to Libramont
- 2 h by train · IC to Brussels; you arrive around 20:30
Approximate cost
About €20–35 per person
Adds up the activities and meals in the plan at their published prices; travel and accommodation not included.
The route
Bastogne War Rooms
Bastogne has no train, but the IC line from Brussels to Luxembourg stops at Libramont and from its station the TEC bus 6 leaves, taking about 35 minutes and running every hour. It is about two and a half hours each way: a long day, but it covers the essentials of the town without a car. The order matters: you begin with the War Rooms, in the former military base, eat in the centre and devote the afternoon to the battle museum and the memorial, which are together on the Mardasson hill. The Bois Jacques, 4 km from the museum through the forest, is left for another time or for those who stay overnight.
The day, hour by hour
7:30 · Train to Libramont. IC from Brussels towards Luxembourg, about two hours. At Libramont, the TEC bus 6 leaves from the station and reaches Bastogne in about 35 minutes.
10:30 · Bastogne War Rooms. At rue de La Roche 38D, in the former military base. The cellar of the headquarters where McAuliffe answered "NUTS!" to the German ultimatum, reconstructed with scenery. One hour. Buy here or online the €28 combined ticket, which also serves for the museum.
11:45 · Lunch at Wagon Léo. On foot to the place McAuliffe, the Sherman tank square. The restaurant opens at 11:45, Tuesday to Sunday, with seasonal bistro dishes and a half-price menu for children.
13:30 · Bastogne War Museum. About 35 minutes' walk to the Mardasson hill, or bus 6 to the Pépinière stop and a twenty-minute walk. Two and a half hours with the audioguide of four characters.
16:00 · The Mardasson memorial. Next to the museum, the stone star dedicated to the American soldiers. Free; there may be areas closed for works.
16:45 · Return. Bus 6 to Libramont and train to Brussels; you arrive around half past eight.
Is it for me?
If you don't have a car and you are interested in the Battle of the Bulge, yes. It is a day with many hours of transport: if you can, stay at the Léo Station Hotel, above the restaurant, and do the Bois Jacques the next morning.
Time1 h
Change the route
If you are interested in vehicles: the Barracks is next to the War Rooms, €12, Tuesday to Sunday from 9:00 to 17:00:
Bastogne Barracks
To eat at the museum itself and save time:
Bistrot de la Paix
If you want to do it unhurried: sleep in the centre, above Wagon Léo, and add the Bois Jacques:
Léo Station Hotel
Where to eat
Where to eat?
Lunch is half the plan: book before you set off.
Brasserie Lamborelle
What to order: Belgian beer-based cooking.
At the end of rue Lamborelle, not on the main street
Bistrot de la Paix
What to order: something quick between the museum and the Bois Jacques.
At the Bastogne War Museum · open during museum hours, no ticket needed · terrace with 100 seats
À l'Ange Gardien
What to order: the Orval Vert, which is served only here, with Orval cheese.
Next to Orval Abbey · kitchen from 11:30 to 15:00 and from 18:00 to 20:00 · closed one day a week and in January open to groups only by reservation
Map
The stops, in order
With where to park at each one.
What to do
Eat
88 €Stay
Services
Getting there
By car or without one?
When to go
When to go to Bastogne
Tuesday to Sunday, when the Wagon Léo restaurant is open. With the long days, from April to September, the return is more comfortable. Check the museum calendar, whose hours change with the season.
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Best timeGood timeLow season
Tips
Worth knowing first
- 1Check the last bus before you set out
Bus 6 runs every hour; organise the afternoon around the one that connects with your return train.
- 2Comfortable shoes
Between the military base, the centre and the Mardasson you walk about 6 km.
- 3Buy the ticket online
It is valid for six months for whatever you have left to see.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Can you get to Bastogne by train?
As far as Libramont, on the IC line from Brussels to Luxembourg; from there, TEC bus 6, about 35 minutes.
How long does it take from Brussels without a car?
About two and a half hours each way by train and bus.
Is the museum far from the centre?
About 35 minutes on foot, or bus 6 to Pépinière and a twenty-minute walk.
What is left out without a car?
The Bois Jacques, 4 km from the museum through the forest. You can walk there, but it doesn't fit into the day.
More plans like this
Other days of walking and good food
geocalia.com/en/belgium/bastogne/itineraries/bastogne-by-train-from-brussels
Prices, opening hours and times are approximate: check them before you go. Each place has its own page on Geocalia.