6 Days 5 Nights Itinerary in Amsterdam and Belgium: Day Trip to Bruges

If you do not know what to do in Belgium, you can opt to go a day trip to Bruges. It was recommended by my colleagues. They mentioned that the place was beautiful. It is straight out of a fairy tale.

Travelling from Brussels to Bruges

Everyone is checking out the screen to see if their train is approaching.

You can take a train from Bruxelles Central to Bruges. You can check for the train timing on SNCB Official Website. You can buy your tickets online too. The price is the same regardless if you buy online or from the ticketing booth. I suggest that you purchase the train tickets on the day that you are going for the day trip, so that you won’t waste the money. You can purchase the tickets at the electronic booths with your credit card too. After you get the tickets, check out the screens to know which platform to go to.

When you are arrive at the train platform, always check the details on the screen to check if your train is approaching. If there is a delay, it will be reflected on the screen too. I know… It can be quite confusing. If you are confused, just check with the train conductor before you board. They will simply just wave their hand at you or they won’t allow you to board the train if it’s the wrong train. It’s like playing charades.

The journey to Bruges is about one and a half hours. I would highly recommend that you go to Bruges early to avoid the crowd.

Bruges City Map

Screen shot of the Bruges Map. Download it here.

It's good to download a copy of the Bruges City Map for reference. You could grab a copy when you are there too. It's useful to have the plan in hand because you can simply follow their recommendation ad check out the various attractions. All the attractions are within walking distance. Bruges is a really pretty place. I would recommend that you walk around all the unbeaten road to take in the beauty of the surrounding.

Story Time!

After having a scrumptious lunch in the city area, we wanted to check out the Markt area. I was checking Google Map for the direction. I was pretty engrossed with my phone at that point in time. Until I felt a tap on my shoulder and when I looked up, I saw a horse in front of me. That’s when I realised that I was blocking a horse carriage. I didn’t realise that I was blocking a horse carriage. A few strangers tried to get my attention to no avail. I was so apologetic and embarrassed at the same time. My mum had to take a photo of the horse carriage and Saint Saviour’s Cathedral to commemorate my silliness.

Lesson: Be mindful of your surrounding.

Hidden Attractions

Of course, there are some hidden attractions in Bruges that tourists don’t usually visit. Do you know that you could have a walk out of the main city area and see the windmills? They are off the beaten track. You would mainly see the locals jogging here. You can check out the windmills without going to the Netherlands. You can have all the time in the world to take Instagram worthy shots here as well. You can have a walk by the river too. It's really quiet and peaceful.

Before you proceed back to the train station, visit the Minnewaterpark. If you are lucky, you would be able to see a garden of flowers and a flock of swans paddling in the river.

You can easily get lost in the beauty of Bruges. The colourful building in Bruges create a joyful vibe. I felt like I was living in a world of fairy tales when I was in Bruges. The pathway that led us from one beautiful place to another surprise.

My favourite was the scenic walk. It’s because there weren’t a lot of people. You can have a peaceful walk and wind down for the day.

You are highly recommended to visit Bruges. This is a really great place to slow down your pace, go with the flow, and take in the beauty. You can enjoy living in a fairy tale setting, and have a scenic walk before you take a train back to Brussels.

x, Esther