Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with europe and belgium

Vegetarian seeks tasty food in Western Europe

embrangled — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 04:57:04 -0800

What tasty foods should an adventurous vegetarian eat in the UK and Western Europe? I eat eggs and dairy, but not meat and only rarely fish. I'm not overly uptight about trace animal products or stock. I'll be travelling through England, The Netherlands, Belgium, France and Germany. These countries aren't generally known as hotbeds of vegetarianism, but I'd still like to try as many interesting local foods as I can.

A meat-eating friend has been joking that I'll starve - I'm more optimistic, so help me prove him wrong. I'm not worried about what I'll eat, but I'd like to expand my culinary horizons beyond "That one vegan cafe in the hippy district". Which quintessential European meals and snacks just happen to be meat-free?

Screw Chevy Chase

Christ, what an asshole — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 14:03:51 -0800

I'm looking for underrated, obscure European vacation stops. A couple friends and I are going to Europe for a month (Nov/Dec), and we plan on doing the whole Eurorail/hostel thing across several countries. 1/3rd of the destination stops are for my choosing, and while I know they'll be making the saturated, obvious choices like Rome, Barcelona, Paris, Amsterdam, etc., I'd like to spice things up with places that don't automatically spring to mind but offer the same level (if not more) of awe. Ideally, cities that aren't automatic tourist stops where most everyone speaks English and there's a McDonald's on every corner (but also not so far out of the way from mid-Europe like some hole-in-the-wall, Eastern-European Caspian city).

What sort of places have you visited that you would recommend?

Help me see some of Europe!

bDiddy — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 11:07:06 -0800

I need advice for planning a trip to Europe next summer. The wife and I are looking to see some of Europe next summer. Neither of us have ever gone. She wants to see Prague and I want to drink beer in Brussels. So, here's what I think is the best plan, but I don't know. This is where I need advice.

Fly into Prague and spend a few days there. Take the train through Germany, spending a night in some of the cities the train goes through. (Berlin, maybe Koln?) Then continue on to Brussels for a few days there. Then, if time permits maybe continue on to France.

So, as I've never planned a trip like this ever, I have a few questions.

Is it easier to fly in and out of the same city or can I land in one city and depart from another? Would it be significantly cheaper to do it one way vs the other?

Should I book train tickets in advance or when we're there? I've seen the seat61.com site so I know the Eurail pass isn't always the best bet, but maybe it will be for us.

Is it worth renting a car in Belgium? I want to see more than just Brussels. I'd LOOOOOVE to see some of the abbeys and some of the smaller breweries there. And getting up to the coast would be nice too.

How early should I be looking at booking this? And would a travel agent be any help to me? I've used a travel agent twice and I find them somewhat helpful, but not sure if it would be worth it for a trip like this.

Any other advice is welcome. Thanks in advance.

Accomodations in London, Belgium & The Netherlands

dhammond — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 23:49:14 -0800

I'm going to London, Belgium and the Netherlands from May 10th-24th, and I'm looking for great places to stay. My tentative itinerary:

London (5 nights - 5/10-5/15)
Brussels (1 night - 5/15-5/16)
Bruges (2 nights - 5/16-5/18)
The Netherlands (6 nights - mostly Amsterdam, but other cities as well - 5/18-24)

I'm traveling alone, and I'm interested in hearing from those who are quite enthusiastic about a certain place and want to tell me how great it is.

My basic requirements:

-- Located in or very to close to the city center, preferably away from tourist areas as much as possible.

-- Decent value. Less than $200 a night in most places, though I will go up on that in London or if it's a really spectacular place and gives a nice bang for my (floudering) buck.

-- No hostels.

--Big bonus points for buildings with nice, old-timey architecture.

For the Netherlands, I'll be spending a good deal of time in Amsterdam, but I would also be interested in hearing about other towns and cities that might be worth an overnight stay or long day trip.

As a point of reference, I stayed at the Strand Palace in London last year and, though I found it a bit shabby, it was a steal at under $200 in an incredibly central but not too touristy area. I don't mind staying there again, but would love to try something different if you can recommend something.

Thanks, y'all!

Lookout Europe, here I come

barrakuda — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 11:20:01 -0800

What are some good job search websites/engines for Europe? I'm interested in jobs in international affairs, public relations, business and finance, advertising and marketing. I'm mostly looking for resources for Germany, Belgium, France and the UK, but pan-European websites are good too.

Trains to Calais, Boulogne or Dunkerque from Holland (or Belgium, or Germany)... with a bike?

handee — Tue, 15 Aug 2006 06:41:32 -0800

If I want to get a ferry to Dover, I'm starting from Holland, and I want to travel by bike or train, what route should I take? What I'd like to do is work out what places offer direct or near-direct trains to one of the 3 main ferry ports (Calais, Boulogne, Dunkerque).

I'll be travelling from Tilburg in Holland, and doing at least part of the route by bike. I've got about 5 days. I could cycle straight there - it's about 150 miles to Dunkerque I think. But it's all along the coast, and that might be a bit dull and windy. I'm actually happy to cycle in completely the wrong direction for 5 days and then catch a train, as long as it's interesting there aren't too many changes. Searching that famous German train site is proving awkward - it keeps wanting to send me via Osnabruck and Paris with 9 changes.

Things to do in Brussels

davar — Fri, 04 Aug 2006 13:49:07 -0800

Looking for vegan restaurants and things to do with a three year old in Brussels. We (my husband, three year old and myself) will be spending a couple of days in Brussels next week. We plan to visit Bruxelles les Bains. Are there any other things we should not miss? I searched for toy stores online and found Caisse Noisettes and Serneels. Any other recommendations?

I found this overview of vegan restaurants but if you have any personal recommendations, they would be very welcome, as would recommendations for health food or other food stores.

Enjoying NW Europe on the cheap?

knapah — Fri, 19 May 2006 10:14:22 -0800

TravelFilter: This summer I and 3 friends are planning on travelling around part of Europe by train and are looking for advice on the main areas we plan to stay in. Information on hostels or other cheap accommodation (first hand if possible) would be great (more inside) We are students in the UK and are planning on getting the Interrail pass for Zone E (France, Belgium, Netherlands and Luxembourg) so we can travel with relative freedom for 16 days.

We plan to stay in these cities primarily (although advice on other places in the general area would be accepted):

Lille (2 nights)
Brussels (3 nights)
Amsterdam (4 nights)
Luxembourg City (1 night)
Northern France including Paris (6 nights)

What I am looking for in particular are cheap (in the vicinity of €20 to €30 per night) hostels in each of the first 4 cities and also general advice for places to stay/see in Northern France.

Any other advice from people who have had InterRail or Eurail passes before would also be appreciated.

Many thanks

Why does so much good music come from Sweden and Belgium, and relatively little from Holland?

goodnewsfortheinsane — Tue, 20 Dec 2005 08:00:37 -0800

Why does so much good music come from Sweden and Belgium, and so little from Holland?

Should this Canadian pursue a philosophy degree in Belgium?

ori — Sun, 23 Jan 2005 21:09:29 -0800

I am currently a philosophy student at the University of British Columbia (Canada). I've applied to transfer to the Institute of Philosophy at Katholieke Universiteit Leuven for their strong involvement with continental philosophy, and because I want to live in Europe. Will getting a Belgian degree significantly complicate things for me if I choose the pursue a graduate degree in North America? Will it be detrimental to getting in to a good school?