Hotel Jan Brito
Why we like it: Four-star hotel in a 16th-century house with a Renaissance garden and private sauna, 500 metres from the Markt and outside the restricted traffic zone.
Length2 nights
From BrusselsTrain · about 1 h
Between Bruges and GhentTrain · half an hour
Budget€280–450 pp
Best timeApril – June · September · December
The plan
The plan, hour by hour
Designed for leaving Brussels on Friday morning by train, spending one night in Bruges and another in Ghent and returning on Sunday afternoon, without a car. Bruges at night, when the groups have gone, and Ghent on Saturday, when it is liveliest.
Friday
- 108:00Train from Brussels to Bruges
About an hour from Bruxelles-Central or Midi. Drop your bag at the Hotel Jan Brito, 500 metres from the Markt.
- 209:30The belfry and the Burg
The 366 steps with the first slot of the day, and the Basilica of the Holy Blood next door.
- 311:30Boat along the canals
Half an hour from the Rozenhoedkaai.
- 413:00Lunch and tour at De Halve Maan
The brewery's brasserie and the 45-minute tour with one beer.
- 516:00Béguinage and Minnewater
And back to the hotel along the canals, as the city empties.
Saturday
- 109:00The windmills and Sint-Anna
The locals' Bruges, along the Kruisvest ramparts, before catching the train.
- 212:00Train to Ghent
Half an hour. Bags to the Ghent River Hotel, by the Vrijdagmarkt.
- 313:00Waterzooi at Du Progrès
On the Korenmarkt; it is open on Saturdays.
- 415:00Castle of the Counts and boat
An hour and a half at the castle and 40 minutes on the Lys with De Bootjes van Gent. In the evening, the illuminated quays.
Sunday
- 113:00The Mystic Lamb
On Sundays the cathedral opens at 13:00. Afterwards, the train to Brussels, just over half an hour.
Bruges and Ghent can be seen on two day trips from Brussels, but with two nights the trip changes: you sleep inside both cities, see Bruges at night and first thing without the groups, and Ghent with its Saturday buzz. They are half an hour apart by train, and Brussels an hour away: you never need a car.
What does it cost?
| What | How much | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Bruges belfry | €15–16 | With a booked slot |
| Boat along the Bruges canals | €15 | €9 for ages 4 to 11 |
| De Halve Maan tour | €16 | With one beer |
| Mystic Lamb | €12.50 | €16 with augmented reality |
| Castle of the Counts | €15 | Free under 12 |
| Boat in Ghent | €11 | €7.50 for ages 3 to 12 |
Where to stay?
In Bruges, the Hotel Jan Brito, a 16th-century house with a garden and private sauna, or the Snuffel hostel if the budget is tight. In Ghent, the Ghent River Hotel, on the banks of the Lys, or the Hostel Uppelink, with the view of the three towers.
Where to eat?
In Bruges, Brasserie De Halve Maan at lunchtime and Cambrinus in the evening, which serves until 22:00. In Ghent, Du Progrès for waterzooi, Tuesday to Saturday.
Map
The stops, in order
What to do
Eat
88 €Stay
Services
Plan the trip
Bruges, step by step
Each choice narrows the next: the season shapes how best to travel, and how you travel decides where you stay and where you eat.
When to go
When to go to Bruges
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Best timeGood timeLow season
How you travel
The same break, your way
The plan stays the same. What changes is where you sleep, how you get there and how much you spend.
Flight to Brussels or Charleroi and train to Bruges
Bruges has no airport with flights from Spain: you fly to Brussels-Zaventem or Charleroi, both with direct flights from Madrid, Barcelona and other Spanish cities, and continue by train or bus. From Zaventem there is a direct train every hour; from Charleroi, a direct shuttle bus. In Bruges you don't need a car.
- Getting thereBrussels-Zaventem (BRU): direct train to…
- Getting aroundOn foot around the centre…
- StayHotel Jan Brito, 500 metres…
- ServicesBruges station
Getting there
- Brussels-Zaventem (BRU): direct train to Bruges every hour, or any train to Brussels and change
- Charleroi (CRL): direct Flibco coach to Bruges, or shuttle to Bruxelles-Midi and train
- From Brussels, three trains an hour taking about an hour
Getting around
- On foot around the centre, which is small
- De Lijn buses 1 and 2 between the station and the centre
- A hire bike for the windmills and the outskirts
Stay
- Hotel Jan Brito, 500 metres from the Markt
- Snuffel, the youth hostel in the centre
Services
- Bruges station
- Tourist offices on the Markt and at the station
Bruges by train and on foot
Bruges is a city to visit without a car: the centre is small, has streets closed to traffic and a cycle zone, and the train from Brussels takes about an hour. From the station, take the bus or walk for twenty minutes.
100–190 €per person per day, approximate
- StayHotel Jan Brito, four stars…
- Getting aroundThree trains an hour from…
- EatCambrinus, every day from 11:00…
- ServicesBruges station
Stay
- Hotel Jan Brito, four stars 500 metres from the Markt
- Snuffel Youth Hostel, private and shared rooms
Getting around
- Three trains an hour from Brussels
- Buses 1 and 2 to the centre, 3 € ticket
- On foot or by bike inside the city walls
Eat
- Cambrinus, every day from 11:00 to 22:00
- Brasserie De Halve Maan, next to the brewery
Services
- Bruges station
- Tourist office at the station
How much does it cost?
People2
Nights2
Where to stay
Where to stay if you're flyingwithout a car
We show you what suits the way you travel.Change how you travel
Snuffel Youth Hostel
Why we like it: Youth hostel on the Ezelstraat, ten minutes from the Markt, with private and shared rooms, a bar with a terrace and free gigs.
Relais Bourgondisch Cruyce
Why we like it: 16-room boutique hotel in a half-timbered house where two canals meet, by the Rozenhoedkaai; some rooms look onto the water.
Services for this trip
Where to eat
Where to eat in Bruges
Cambrinus
What to order: the Flemish beer stew with chips, and a beer from the list to go with it
Open every day from 11:00 to 22:00 · walk-ins welcome
De Vlaamsche Pot
What to order: the beef stew (stoofvlees), the dish the house is proudest of
Wednesday to Friday from 17:30 · Saturday and Sunday from 12:00 · over-14s only
Brasserie De Halve Maan
What to order: the Flemish stew made with Brugse Zot Dubbel, or the Zeeland mussels
Kitchen every day from 12:00 to 15:00 · Thursday to Saturday also from 18:00 to 21:00
t Brugs Beertje
What to order: ask for advice at the bar and try one of the draught beers, which change
Opens at 16:00 · closed on Wednesdays
Bistro Bruut
What to order: the dinner menu, nine small dishes, with the wine pairing if you're not driving
Monday to Friday from 12:00 to 14:00 and from 19:00 to 21:00 · booking with a €135 per person deposit
Tante Marie, in Damme
What to order: the house shrimp croquettes at lunchtime, and for dessert a pancake with their jam or the cake of the day
Open 10:00 to 18:00 · kitchen 11:30 to 17:45 · closed on Saturdays
Takeaway and markets
The Chocolate Line, Bruges · Simon Stevinplein, five minutes from the Markt
Tips
Worth knowing first
Local tip
If you fly into Charleroi, there is a direct bus to Bruges: start there and return from Ghent to Brussels.
We'd skip it
Doing both cities in a single day from Brussels. It can be done, but you spend three hours on trains and see neither properly.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
How much does the Bruges and Ghent break cost?
With trains, two hotel nights, tickets and meals, between €280 and €450 per person depending on accommodation.
In what order should I see them?
Bruges first, to sleep there and see it at night; Ghent afterwards, as it is closer to Brussels for the return.
Do I need a car?
No. Everything is done by train and on foot.