Guess The Crowd Posted October 1, 2019 Share Posted October 1, 2019 On holiday next week, and have booked a return flight to Amsterdam, where we are spending the first half of the week. Intended spending second half of week in Brussels. But looking at hotel prices, Bruges or Antwerp might be better bets, and perhaps are nicer cities. Has anyone been / any suggestions? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jambos_1874 Posted October 1, 2019 Share Posted October 1, 2019 Antwerp is meant to be very nice/fun but I've never been myself. I'd recommend Ghent though; lovely city althiugh relatively quiet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3fingersreid Posted October 1, 2019 Share Posted October 1, 2019 Bruges or Ghent before Brussels every time . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auld Reekin' Posted October 1, 2019 Share Posted October 1, 2019 9 minutes ago, Jambos_1874 said: Antwerp is meant to be very nice/fun but I've never been myself. I'd recommend Ghent though; lovely city althiugh relatively quiet. Just now, 3fingersreid said: Bruges or Ghent before Brussels every time . Another vote for Ghent: a really interesting and historical small city. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CostaJambo Posted October 1, 2019 Share Posted October 1, 2019 Lived in both Antwerp and Amsterdam over the years. There is plenty to do in Holland for a week, e,g. Scheveningen, Den Haag and Haarlem plus a good Nike outlet and other shopping in Utrecht all very accessible from Amsterdam for a day trip, but if you fancy venturing into Belgium too then Bruges is far more scenic than both Antwerp and Brussels. Never been to Ghent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greenbank2 Posted October 1, 2019 Share Posted October 1, 2019 Brussels = expensive, geared towards expense account Eurocrats Bruges = scenic canals and Saga tours Antwerp = modern centre and a medieval old town. Some good bars and restaurants and reasonably priced. Take your pick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Francis Albert Posted October 1, 2019 Share Posted October 1, 2019 (edited) Antwerp for me. Brussels is big and expensive and pretty ugly beyond the Grand Place and a few touristy streets nearby. Bruges is very pretty but small and even more touristy in season but probably OK next week unless a cruise ship has dropped off thousands at Zeebrugge. Antwerp a decent sized city with historical old town and good shopping. Ghent nice but too student dominated for my liking Edited October 1, 2019 by Francis Albert Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AW1 Posted October 1, 2019 Share Posted October 1, 2019 (edited) Off to Liege on Friday. Anyone been there?Also doing Maastricht in Holland and Aachen in Germany over the coming weekend Edited October 1, 2019 by AW1 Typo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EIEIO Posted October 1, 2019 Share Posted October 1, 2019 Just now, AW1 said: Off to Liege on Friday. Anyone been there?Also doing Maastricht in Holland and Aachen in Germany over the coming weekend Only been to Liege for a Heart's game so can't comment, Maastricht great wee town for a day or so. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guess The Crowd Posted October 1, 2019 Author Share Posted October 1, 2019 Thanks for all the replies, appreciated. Ghent to be further researched I think! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guess The Crowd Posted October 1, 2019 Author Share Posted October 1, 2019 15 minutes ago, jonesy said: Saw a Turkish woman implant her stiletto in a bloke’s eye once when I was in Antwerp. Go there... 😊 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyNic Posted October 1, 2019 Share Posted October 1, 2019 Nothing wrong with Brussels. Beautiful city. Same with Bruges. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AW1 Posted October 1, 2019 Share Posted October 1, 2019 44 minutes ago, EIEIO said: Only been to Liege for a Heart's game so can't comment, Maastricht great wee town for a day or so. Nice one. Staying in Liege the Friday night just as a stop over, maastricht we are going for lunch and a stroll about then onto aachen for a Saturday night out and stay in Germany. Heard from others Maastricht is a very nice place as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
N Lincs Jambo Posted October 1, 2019 Share Posted October 1, 2019 45 minutes ago, jonesy said: Saw a Turkish woman implant her stiletto in a bloke’s eye once when I was in Antwerp. Go there... Saw a Dundonian woman take off her stiletto and implant it into some poor bloke’s John Thomas on the dance floor at Dundee Uni students union main hall disco in 1984. She was some operator. The speed she moved at from extracting the poor guy’s knob and planting the pointy end of her pointy shoe in it reminded me of the fastest ever change tyres and refuel in Formula 1. There used to be a saying about Dundonian women....... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auld Reekin' Posted October 1, 2019 Share Posted October 1, 2019 (edited) 1 hour ago, AW1 said: Nice one. Staying in Liege the Friday night just as a stop over, maastricht we are going for lunch and a stroll about then onto aachen for a Saturday night out and stay in Germany. Heard from others Maastricht is a very nice place as well. Yeah, liked Maastricht. Luxembourg city is also well worth a visit - not too far away from where you'll be either. Aachen is OK, but not exactly the most exciting and vibrant of Germany's cities. As long as you don't expect too much of it, you'll probably have a good time however... Edited October 1, 2019 by Auld Reekin' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Montgomery Brewster Posted October 2, 2019 Share Posted October 2, 2019 Never been to antwerp however Bruges over Brussels all day long for me Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarah O Posted October 2, 2019 Share Posted October 2, 2019 Belgium is as dull a country as you're ever likely to visit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Notts1874 Posted October 2, 2019 Share Posted October 2, 2019 8 minutes ago, Sarah O said: Belgium is as dull a country as you're ever likely to visit. After a few of their beers it's a fantastic place. Anyway to answer the OP....Antwerp. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benny Posted October 2, 2019 Share Posted October 2, 2019 Antwerp is the next place I will visit next time in Belgium. Been to Brussels,Ghent and Bruges.All 3 are well worth a visit. The cherry beer is superb. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jamboross Posted October 2, 2019 Share Posted October 2, 2019 Another vote for Ghent here. Just as stunning as Bruges but it is an actual living, vibrant city rather than a tourist trap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tasavallan Posted October 2, 2019 Share Posted October 2, 2019 (edited) Stick with Flanders. Antwerp over Brugge then Ghent. Give Brussels a miss. Oostende is a lovely seaside town. Anywhere that has beer listed on a menu by strength is OK with me. Edited October 2, 2019 by Tasavallan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inspector Posted October 2, 2019 Share Posted October 2, 2019 Enjoyed Brussels. Went to Bruges on a day trip. We didn't have the same beer twice, so many to choose from. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
annushorribilis III Posted October 2, 2019 Share Posted October 2, 2019 I've been to all these places several times and I'd say Ghent is the best by far. Fantastic UNESCO medieval parts of the town , beautiful old town centre with cathedral and you can do a quick & cheap boat trip (would recommend). I'd give Brussels a miss. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
annushorribilis III Posted October 2, 2019 Share Posted October 2, 2019 20 hours ago, AW1 said: Off to Liege on Friday. Anyone been there?Also doing Maastricht in Holland and Aachen in Germany over the coming weekend Liege is a very industrial city and there isn't much to see there. Get the train to Maastricht - very close. I've been to Maastricht (lived there for a while) and Aachen loads of times. If you have a car & the weather is decent , go to drielandenpunt (where BL, NL & D borders meet). Maastricht is a great place: not that big but nice to walk around. Loads of places to eat & drink up by the vrijthof (main sq). If you're staying on the other side of the river near the train station it's not very attractive but the main sq area is great. It's a university city and the totty is incredible. Aachen - not much to say. The Yanks nearly destroyed the city in WWII but there is a nice area in the town centre (around a park area) where there's still a few old bars and some nice places to eat ( I couldn't find it on "Maps" but there's a smallish triangular area of streets with an enclosed area with some decent pubs and lots of bistros etc - spent a few days here when i last stayed in Aachen) . The cathedral is stunning and well worth a visit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hugh Phamism Posted October 4, 2019 Share Posted October 4, 2019 (edited) How about Leuven (home of Stella Artois). Been many times with work and its always a pleasure to visit. Only half an hour by train from Brussels and is a great wee university town. Very picturesque city centre and much cheaper than Brussels. Edited October 4, 2019 by Hugh Phamism Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AW1 Posted October 5, 2019 Share Posted October 5, 2019 (edited) Liege was really good by the way, had some good bars and some hidden gems Maastricht really nice busy little city and people clearly have a lot of money here. Now off to Aachen Edited October 5, 2019 by AW1 Typo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jamb0_1874 Posted October 5, 2019 Share Posted October 5, 2019 I really liked Brugge so would highly recommend it. Brussels is lovely also. Ghent is nice as a day trip but I found it quite grotty. All three places are on the same same train line so it's really easy to go between the three. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BelgeJambo Posted October 5, 2019 Share Posted October 5, 2019 1. Antwerp 2. Ghent 3. Brugge Depends what you want to do really Leuven is good if you want a sesh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leginten Posted October 6, 2019 Share Posted October 6, 2019 On 02/10/2019 at 15:01, Tasavallan said: Stick with Flanders. Antwerp over Brugge then Ghent. Give Brussels a miss. Oostende is a lovely seaside town. Anywhere that has beer listed on a menu by strength is OK with me. I really want to go to Antwerp. Sounds like a great place. Regenerated dockland area is good, I hear. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seymour M Hersh Posted October 6, 2019 Share Posted October 6, 2019 Brugge is a lovely city. Venice of the north. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guess The Crowd Posted October 13, 2019 Author Share Posted October 13, 2019 On 02/10/2019 at 10:19, Notts1874 said: After a few of their beers it's a fantastic place. Anyway to answer the OP....Antwerp. Went for Antwerp, which we really enjoyed. So thanks to you and others on here. Live in Inverness, which has a direct flight to Amsterdam, hence the reason we were flying to and from there, and spending first half of the week there too. So location wise, and taking account comments on here, Antwerp seemed to make the most sense. I'd hoped to have time for a day trip to Bruges and/or Ghent, but that will have to wait for another visit. Managed a half-day visit to Brussels on Friday. So, yes, I'd recommend Antwerp to anyone, particularly a city centre place called Bier Central, with 300+ beers available! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AW1 Posted October 13, 2019 Share Posted October 13, 2019 Just avoid CHARLEROI!!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benny Posted October 13, 2019 Share Posted October 13, 2019 57 minutes ago, AW1 said: Just avoid CHARLEROI!!!!!! Small but never had any hold ups there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AW1 Posted October 13, 2019 Share Posted October 13, 2019 2 minutes ago, benny said: Small but never had any hold ups there. Train station area was full of utter dregs of society. Only found one pub as we had a long wait before heading to the airport. Total hole of a place. Shopping centre was OK though but its a "have your wits about you" type place around the station area Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auld Reekin' Posted October 13, 2019 Share Posted October 13, 2019 1 hour ago, AW1 said: Train station area was full of utter dregs of society. Only found one pub as we had a long wait before heading to the airport. Total hole of a place. Shopping centre was OK though but its a "have your wits about you" type place around the station area Seems to be a thing in quite a bit of northern Europe - Germany, Belgium, Netherlands, France, for example - that the main railway stations, and the immediate area around them, are dodgy and attract all sorts of low-lifes; not sure why. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AW1 Posted October 13, 2019 Share Posted October 13, 2019 4 hours ago, Auld Reekin' said: Seems to be a thing in quite a bit of northern Europe - Germany, Belgium, Netherlands, France, for example - that the main railway stations, and the immediate area around them, are dodgy and attract all sorts of low-lifes; not sure why. Pickpockets paradise. Hardly any cctv we noticed all weekend, plenty of unsuspecting people pass through places like Charleroi and its train station. coming from Brussels Charleroi airport. Its an absolute gift for the lowlifes to be honest. We must've been asked for money at least 5 times going from the platform, through the station and towards the city centre. Saying "Non" loudly with the palm of my hand out nearly touching their face every time worked a treat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darren Posted October 14, 2019 Share Posted October 14, 2019 Bruges is a tourist trap for a reason. Beautiful city. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unknown user Posted October 14, 2019 Share Posted October 14, 2019 6 hours ago, Darren said: Bruges is a tourist trap for a reason. Beautiful city. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Perth to Paisley Posted October 16, 2019 Share Posted October 16, 2019 On 01/10/2019 at 22:32, AW1 said: Nice one. Staying in Liege the Friday night just as a stop over, maastricht we are going for lunch and a stroll about then onto aachen for a Saturday night out and stay in Germany. Heard from others Maastricht is a very nice place as well. Worked in Mass for about 10 months and loved it. (Only weekend I didn't come home was our game v Barcelona!!) It's about 3 hours on the train from Amsterdam . (Make sure you are on the correct half of the train as I think it splits at Eindhoven ??) Liege is about 30 minutes further on but it was a dirty industrial city _ wouldn't recommend it tbh. Utrecht which is only 30 mins on the train from the Dam is worth a day trip. Bruges and Antwerp are nicer than Brussels. Plan to go back to Mass myself soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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