Travel Guide Tuesday||Brussels, Belgium
So its been quite a few weeks since I last did one of these Travel Guide Tuesday Posts, apologies for getting side tracked. Thought id start a new month with one city which has been in the media A LOT over the past few months, a place which understandably is going through one of the toughest times lately and that is Brussels in Belgium. This post was originally scheduled to be written around the time of the terrorist attacks in March but I thought I would wait out of respect to post my ramblings. As any writer does I of course still wanted to write about this amazing place and all it has to offer to its guests. If you are travelling to Brussels this is a great guide for you and hopefully it will put your mind at ease that Brussels is still safe to visit, and a wonderful city to explore. I wrote about Belgium as a entire country in my A-Z Top 2 Countries series a few weeks ago you can find that one here.
How to get there||Flights
Brussel just like most places in the EU is very easy to get to, but when looking up who actually flies to Brussels there are not as many Airlines as you may think. Here are the main airlines which serve Brussels International Airport directly. British Airways, Brussels Airlines and BMI Regional. Others include, Aer Lingus, Flybe Germanwings, KLM, Lufthansa, Swiss and SAS. Please remember Brussels also has this airport and Brussels S. Charleroi airport.
You can fly to Brussels from London Gatwick with Brussels Airlines for as low as £83.00 one way. Book here now to save.
A note on security: Following on from the disastrous attack in March this year on the airport & metro, all international (and national) flights are back to their usual schedules. Most of the airlines are still flying to, and out of the airport so if you are flying from the EU you should have no worries carrying on your trip. If you are flying international you should be okay also, but you may just want to check beforehand with your Airline carrier, as security measures often change.
Please expect security in the airport to be very tight. You wont find it unfamiliar to see plenty of guards, police and police dogs in the terminal buildings. The country itself is on maximum high terror alert, so all security has stepped up around the whole city but especially in public areas with public transport like the airports, metros/ train stations and bus stations. Make sure you factor this in and leave plenty of time to get to/from your destinations.
Brussel just like most places in the EU is very easy to get to, but when looking up who actually flies to Brussels there are not as many Airlines as you may think. Here are the main airlines which serve Brussels International Airport directly. British Airways, Brussels Airlines and BMI Regional. Others include, Aer Lingus, Flybe Germanwings, KLM, Lufthansa, Swiss and SAS. Please remember Brussels also has this airport and Brussels S. Charleroi airport.
You can fly to Brussels from London Gatwick with Brussels Airlines for as low as £83.00 one way. Book here now to save.
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| Photo Credit: newvision |
Please expect security in the airport to be very tight. You wont find it unfamiliar to see plenty of guards, police and police dogs in the terminal buildings. The country itself is on maximum high terror alert, so all security has stepped up around the whole city but especially in public areas with public transport like the airports, metros/ train stations and bus stations. Make sure you factor this in and leave plenty of time to get to/from your destinations.
Where to stay||Hotels
Choosing what hotel to stay in can be a bit of a mammoth task, especially if you are not someone like me who enjoys sifting through hotel after hotel on one of the THOUSANDS of hotel comparison sites (I really do get a lot of enjoyment out of it honest). We are all about the luxury here on GTG so I have come up with an example of my best luxury 5 star hotel for you in Brussels, you are going to want to book and stay here NOW.
1. Rocco Forte Hotel Amigo
This hotel may just be the hotel for you if you enjoy nothing but the finer things in life!! This 5 star luxury hotel offers elegant and comfortable rooms decorated with designer features. The rooms each include flat screen interactive cable TV's, minibar stocked with drinks and snacks and lovely spacious bathrooms with mosaic detailing. The hotel also has its own gym and an award winning restaurant on site called Ristorante Bocconi which serves some delicious and well reviewed Italian and Mediterranean dishes.
The best thing for me about this hotel is the convenient location. It is situated right in the heart of Brussels city centre, on the corner of Grand Place (a very touristy road with good walking links to the main sights). If you want to go sight seeing whilst here make sure you check out The Manneken Pis Statue which is a mere 200 yards away from the hotel. Or go by to the Magritte Museum or Le Sabion antiques area which are both less than a 15 minute walk away If you need to get further out of town Bourse Metro Station is right on your doorstep, around a 5 minute walk away. (More on Public transport later).
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| Photo Credit: Weekenddesk.be |
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| Photo Credit: Hotel Experts |
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| Photo Credit: En.hrs |
What to do||Sights
Next up we have some of the most famous sights to see in Brussels, you must explore all of these places. They are centrally located and very easy to find by foot or public transport.
1. Grand- Place
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| Photo Credit: Telegraph |
2. Town Hall
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| Photo Credit: travelonhere |
3. Notre Dame du Sablon
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| Photo Credit: panoromio |
4. Parlamentarium
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| Photo Credit: Wiki |
5. Mini Europe
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| Photo Credit: icosnap |
6. Museums
(Musical Instruments Museum, Royal Museum of Armed Forces & of Military History, Museum of Natural Sciences, Royal Museum of Fine Arts Belgium)
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| Photo Credit: commons.wiki |
Where to Eat||Restaurants
Finding somewhere to east in Brussels is extremely easy. There is great range of foods from Street Vendors to Michelin Star restaurants this city has it all.
If you are looking for somewhere which offers fine dining you need to check out 'Bon Bon' a two Michelin star gourmet restaurant in the heart of the city (Woluwe-Saint-Pierre). Its setting is very unusual, it is in a large white house in a very green residential part of Woluwe-Saint-Pierre. They have an amazing garden terrace which is enjoyed in the warm summer months.
The restaurant is run by head chef Christophe Hardiquest. Hardiquest and his very talented team and when you come to dine here you will get a choice of a la carte (36-80 euros), A five course 'Menu Impro' (145 euros or 200 euros with wine) or a seven course 'Menu Passion' (175 euros or 255 with wine). Of course it should be noted here that all menu's differ slightly in price and the staff are always on hand with their recommendations to help you decide what is right for you.
For more info click here to be taken to their website.
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| Photo Credit: Elizbethonfood |
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| Photo Credit: bon bon website |
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| Photo Credit: Observador.pt |
How to get around||Transport
Most people choose to get around either on foot or by use of the Metro. The public transport system here in Brussels is very efficient and cheap as well here is all the low down on navigating your way around the city via Metro.
The Metro system in Brussels is very much like most European underground systems. It looks confusing from an outside perspective but once you get to grips with the routes (shown in the map above) you can easily navigate yourself around the city and beyond (It is the quickest way after all). It is made up of 4 main lines, M1, M2, M5 and M6 with some shared sections and 3 premetro lines (also known as tram) T3, T4 and T7. As of 2008 there are 59 main stations (not including premetro lines).
Line M1 goes from Gare de L'Ouest/Weststation to the west to Stockel/Stokkel at the east end.
Line M2 is a loop which starts and ends in Simonis via the eastern side (former line 2 from Delacroix to Simonis)
Line M5 goes from Erasme/Erasmus (south west) to Hermann-Debroux (South east)
Line M6 goes from Roi Bandouin to the north west and then to Simonis.
The Premetro lines are as follows:
Line T3 goes from Esplanade to Churchill
Line T4 goes from Gare du Nord/ Noordstation to Stalle Car Park
Line T7 from Haysel/Heizel to Vanderkindere
In terms of ticketing, it is very simple and quite like what we have here in the London. In 2007 MoBIB introduced a contactless smart card based on the Calypso-system called the STIB/MIVB smart card. It works exactly like the Oyster Card does here in London. You yourself need to make sure you top up your card frequently and definitely each time you wish to travel via the Metro, bus or tram. You can buy monthly passes, yearly passes, 1 and 10 trip tickets as well as daily or 3 day passes, you do this via the GO vending machines you can find in all stations.
So there we have it! Another Guide ticked off the list. Really hope you have enjoyed reading some more about Brussels in Belgium. Who has been to Brussels recently? how did you feel whilst there, and what amazing things did you see? drop me a comment below and let me know!  |
| Photo Credit: brussels-at-heart.be |
The Metro system in Brussels is very much like most European underground systems. It looks confusing from an outside perspective but once you get to grips with the routes (shown in the map above) you can easily navigate yourself around the city and beyond (It is the quickest way after all). It is made up of 4 main lines, M1, M2, M5 and M6 with some shared sections and 3 premetro lines (also known as tram) T3, T4 and T7. As of 2008 there are 59 main stations (not including premetro lines).
Line M1 goes from Gare de L'Ouest/Weststation to the west to Stockel/Stokkel at the east end.
Line M2 is a loop which starts and ends in Simonis via the eastern side (former line 2 from Delacroix to Simonis)
Line M5 goes from Erasme/Erasmus (south west) to Hermann-Debroux (South east)
Line M6 goes from Roi Bandouin to the north west and then to Simonis.
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| Photo Credit: english.net |
Line T3 goes from Esplanade to Churchill
Line T4 goes from Gare du Nord/ Noordstation to Stalle Car Park
Line T7 from Haysel/Heizel to Vanderkindere
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| Photo Credit: commons.wiki |
In terms of ticketing, it is very simple and quite like what we have here in the London. In 2007 MoBIB introduced a contactless smart card based on the Calypso-system called the STIB/MIVB smart card. It works exactly like the Oyster Card does here in London. You yourself need to make sure you top up your card frequently and definitely each time you wish to travel via the Metro, bus or tram. You can buy monthly passes, yearly passes, 1 and 10 trip tickets as well as daily or 3 day passes, you do this via the GO vending machines you can find in all stations.
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| Photo Credit: cometandnova.org |
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