These practical tips will be a little different than other trips since the idea is to explain just what we consider interesting and always from our experience. Being a European country we do not need to give much information.
PRACTICAL INFORMATION
transportation
Belgium is characterized by a good network of trains that let you quickly travel between different cities. We believe it is one of the best ways to visit the country while it is true that the price is not the cheapest. There are some discount packages (like the Go Pass for under 26) but found none that suited our trip. During our stay we took a total of 12 trains that cost us € 88.30 per person.
language
Language is an important thing to keep in mind when traveling to Belgium to not hurt feelings matter, we had read in the guidebooks and really check with our experience. Although i know French in Wallonia and Brussels area is the one we used in Flanders looked like it was not taken very well if you spoke to them in French and had to use English.
They are curious train travel where the area of Flanders and Wallonia is crossed. On one side the reviewer speaks to you in Dutch and in the other, this same reviewer goes to people in French!
Accommodation
The best way to stay in this country, as in many others in Europe, are the Bed & Breakfast called gastenkamers in Dutch and French chambre d'hôtes. Those who left us were familiar with good breakfast and good relationship with the owners. Must be sought well in advance since we could not go in this type of accommodation every day because everything was full. So we advise you book them in advance. The Brussels (438-1 Fish Markt) is highly recommended!
Some websites we used were:
Bed & Brussels
Bed & Breakfast Antwerp
Bed & Breakfast Gent
Hotel of Gastenkamer in Brugge
food
Before going to Belgium we were recommended the famous mussels and fries (moules frites in French). At first we thought it must be a bowl of mussels cooked with potatoes (all together), but nothing is further from reality. This is mussels cooked in various ways and of a plate of chips! Usually the mussels are steamed with white wine, but can be found in many forms. Chez Leon in Brussels we tried a gratin with cheese and spices not loved!
Between April and June is asparagus season, so when many restaurants were offered them as a starter. We take one day to eat dinner and the truth is that they were very juicy!
Another typical dishes we tried were the waterzooï both their version of chicken and fish. It is a kind of creamy stew made with cream. It was good but you could tell it was not a very elaborate dish.
As for the sweets, the waffle was definitely our most common food. We ate Belgian style, without any support and only with sugar. And it tasted great!
Drink
The country's quintessential drink is beer. There are many different types and try to try a few. It was our way to recover some of the hard day's sightseeing that pegábamos us.
Belgian Ale: Abbaye de Forest Blonde, Augustijn (abbey ale), Brugse Zot (Bruges own beer), Duvel, Gandavum Dry Hopping (draft beer) and Mammelokker (draft beer)
Fruity Lambic: Boon Kriek, Geuze Boon Kriek Lembeek and Mort Subite
Trappist: Westmalle Trappist Triple
Black: Bourgogne de Flandres
Lager: The Léon (own beer restaurant Chez Léon in Brussels), Maes, Stella Artois
TRAVEL GUIDES
As on every trip, we seek the best guide to buy and took some more of the library for more information. This time it cost us decide and end opted for the Lonely Planet Belgium and Luxembourg, eliminating more than conviction, the other did not like us. And the truth is that we were quite surprised because the tourist information, which is sometimes very short, well extended
From the library we took the Total Guide Belgium and Luxembourg was very well to complete the things that came very terse in Lonely Planet such as the visit to Dinant.
PRACTICAL INFORMATION
transportation
Belgium is characterized by a good network of trains that let you quickly travel between different cities. We believe it is one of the best ways to visit the country while it is true that the price is not the cheapest. There are some discount packages (like the Go Pass for under 26) but found none that suited our trip. During our stay we took a total of 12 trains that cost us € 88.30 per person.
language
Language is an important thing to keep in mind when traveling to Belgium to not hurt feelings matter, we had read in the guidebooks and really check with our experience. Although i know French in Wallonia and Brussels area is the one we used in Flanders looked like it was not taken very well if you spoke to them in French and had to use English.
They are curious train travel where the area of Flanders and Wallonia is crossed. On one side the reviewer speaks to you in Dutch and in the other, this same reviewer goes to people in French!
Accommodation
The best way to stay in this country, as in many others in Europe, are the Bed & Breakfast called gastenkamers in Dutch and French chambre d'hôtes. Those who left us were familiar with good breakfast and good relationship with the owners. Must be sought well in advance since we could not go in this type of accommodation every day because everything was full. So we advise you book them in advance. The Brussels (438-1 Fish Markt) is highly recommended!
Some websites we used were:
Bed & Brussels
Bed & Breakfast Antwerp
Bed & Breakfast Gent
Hotel of Gastenkamer in Brugge
food
Before going to Belgium we were recommended the famous mussels and fries (moules frites in French). At first we thought it must be a bowl of mussels cooked with potatoes (all together), but nothing is further from reality. This is mussels cooked in various ways and of a plate of chips! Usually the mussels are steamed with white wine, but can be found in many forms. Chez Leon in Brussels we tried a gratin with cheese and spices not loved!
Between April and June is asparagus season, so when many restaurants were offered them as a starter. We take one day to eat dinner and the truth is that they were very juicy!
Another typical dishes we tried were the waterzooï both their version of chicken and fish. It is a kind of creamy stew made with cream. It was good but you could tell it was not a very elaborate dish.
As for the sweets, the waffle was definitely our most common food. We ate Belgian style, without any support and only with sugar. And it tasted great!
Drink
The country's quintessential drink is beer. There are many different types and try to try a few. It was our way to recover some of the hard day's sightseeing that pegábamos us.
Belgian Ale: Abbaye de Forest Blonde, Augustijn (abbey ale), Brugse Zot (Bruges own beer), Duvel, Gandavum Dry Hopping (draft beer) and Mammelokker (draft beer)
Fruity Lambic: Boon Kriek, Geuze Boon Kriek Lembeek and Mort Subite
Trappist: Westmalle Trappist Triple
Black: Bourgogne de Flandres
Lager: The Léon (own beer restaurant Chez Léon in Brussels), Maes, Stella Artois
TRAVEL GUIDES
As on every trip, we seek the best guide to buy and took some more of the library for more information. This time it cost us decide and end opted for the Lonely Planet Belgium and Luxembourg, eliminating more than conviction, the other did not like us. And the truth is that we were quite surprised because the tourist information, which is sometimes very short, well extended
From the library we took the Total Guide Belgium and Luxembourg was very well to complete the things that came very terse in Lonely Planet such as the visit to Dinant.
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