Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with europe and brussels

What is the best way to move from London, UK, to Brussels, Belgium?

meso — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 07:07:30 -0800

Hey there! I'm moving to Brussels for a job early November, and I'm trying to plan my move from London. What is the best way to do this move? My latest plan is to drive there in a van with a friend, stay with him for a couple of days, and have him drive the empty van back to London. Am I missing something? Is there an obvious way to make it easier/cheaper?

Right now the costs would involve paying the van rental, the Eurotunnel transfer between the UK and the continent, paying for a hotel, and packing stuff myself.

More information: I don't have any furniture, just books and clothes. It's not a massive amount. I don't have a driving licence myself. I'm also hesitating between driving there with a friend, gonig there on Eurostar and leave my stuff, or send them to myself by post.

Any suggestion would be immensely appreciated... thank you!

How to get from Toronto to Brussels (and what to do with a 4-year-old once there)?

fsmontenegro — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 13:22:58 -0800

Hi. Two questions related to an upcoming family trip - from Toronto to Brussels: - cost-effective (but not too tiring) ways to get from Toronto to Brussels? Non-stop flight? Connect elsewhere (London, Paris, Frankfurt, ...)? Fly into large hub (Paris, Frankfurt, ...) and book secondary flight or train? - things to do in Brussels with a 4-year-old?

Is it practical to take Rail Europe from Paris at 1pm and spend an afternoon in Brussels, Belgium before taking a train that evening to our final destination, Amsterdam? [mi]

seinfeld — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 14:32:09 -0800

Is it practical to take Rail Europe from Paris at 1pm and spend an afternoon in Brussels, Belgium before taking a train that evening to our final destination, Amsterdam? [mi] The regional trains do not require a seat, but is there a place to stash our luggage so we can enjoy Brussels without lugging our luggage around the city?

- Where in Brussels is the train station? In the center of town? (Bruxelles Midi)

- Anything we need to see or do while spending one afternoon in Brussels? (I've searched and found a post from 2006 -- wondering if there is more current info)

Thanks for the help.

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!

Where and how can I store luggage in Brussels, Belgium for ~8 days?

ejames — Sat, 16 Jun 2007 10:27:35 -0800

Where and how can I store luggage in Brussels, Belgium for ~8 days? I'm traveling to Europe next weekend for a study abroad program in The Netherlands. I'm flying into Brussels, Belgium and need to store my luggage (2 large duffel bags) while I travel to Italy for a week before classes start. I'm flying into Brussels airport, then need to store my luggage somewhere, and go to Charleroi airport. When I return, I'll need to go from Charleroi, pick up my luggage, and take a train to Maastricht, Netherlands. So storing at a train station might be a good idea.

1. I've heard that I can store luggage at the Gare du Midi train station for longer than 24 hours, but I don't have that confirmed. I'd rather not have to make an international call to find out ($$).

2. Is Gare du Midi the right train station I'd want to store it at to then be able to take a train to Maastricht? Would it be better to store it at Gare du Nord or Centrale? Or would it be best to store it in Charleroi, and then could I head to Maastricht right from Charleroi?

3. What's the best way for me to get from Brussels airport to Charleroi airport for cheap? Taxi, bus, train?

I'm a little new to this. It's my first time in Europe and I'm also on a budget.

Has anyone had to store baggage while traveling in Europe? I'd rather not lug my huge bag around with me that first week. What did you do?

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.

Shopping in Brussels

Wilder — Fri, 23 Jun 2006 14:39:47 -0800

Shopping in Brussels? A friend and I will be in Brussels for one afternoon and she wants to buy a dress for a wedding. Semi-formal but she is not into designer. Any tips on shopping in Brussels? I only know the main square and a few streets around that?

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