Bruges with Fred

We have booked onto the 70's mini cruise in December which includes an overnight stay in Zeebrugges. We were hoping to get to Bruges itself independently by train but I am wondering if it is just going to be a lot easier to take the ship's transfer.

Has anyone been with FO to Bruges & do they do a shuttle to Blankenburg where I understand you can get a train directly to Bruges or any other advice please?

Also was wondering if there are any tips on what to do on our 2nd day there.

I always think you can get anywhere by yourself.

But, on a cruise you have only limited time.

So after looking for the station, finding the tickets and office, the correct platform, then finding you have to wait for next train in 30 minutes, then arriving at destination and attempting to find the sights, then worrying about the return etc etc.

Now we have travelled the worlds cities independently so we are not adverse to doing our own thing but on a cruise we usually go for the safe option.

Ok if you can walk to the centre or a shuttle bus fine, do it yourself, we do, but train connections or bus connections are not for me on a cruise day.

Ok you will pay a few pounds more but heck you pay a £1000 plus each for a cruise then worry about a few pounds more to be relaxed at a port of call.

Sorry it's a three day cruise so not £1000, but you get my drift.

I know a lot of folk do not agree with me but we are all different.

What ever you do have a great time.

I have due respect to the previous post as we always err on the cautious side. However, the shuttle busses stop right next to the train station from that port, (or used to a couple of years ago). Trains are frequent and you should be able to check timetables and cost on the net easily. If you are there overnight and go to Bruges on the first day, I do not see any risk at all. I have a friend who got a taxi to Bruges as a foursome and it was not that expensive, but not as cheap as the train. You could also search this site for forum + Bruges and will likely come up with a lot on the ports of call section - could post there yourself if info not up to date enough for you. Watch for season changes in the timetables of course and perhaps check how many ships are in port.

We have visited Bruges on a land holiday so did not go there on the three times we have docked in Zeebrugge, but lots of people do. Regarding the second day, Blankenberg is a seaside resort so I suspect some stuff will be closed, but now so many ships port there it is unlikely to be a ghost town. If well clad, a walk along the front with a stop for a drink with a sea view or at somewhere further into the town easily fills the day. It is quite a big place, but not specifically any more interesting than Blackpool or Brighton without the lanes, for instance. There are trams along the coast to other resorts (Knocke is a more upmarket), but I would not think it is worth bothering and other places are more likely to be closed for the season. I can see a Christmas mini being very different to other Fred cruises, so another option is to have a 'dam good night before' and spend the day sleeping it off!

I think you may find time limited on a Fred's 'Bruges on your Own' type of excursion as they are often half day - but I may be wrong on that and there will still be a walk in from the drop off point if I remember correctly (I could be wrong) - I do not know where the train station is in Bruges.

Don't forget the money to buy the chocolates - probably best not bought in the square in Bruges. There are lots of choccy shops in Blankenberge.

Thank you for both your replies - I agree with both of you actually; we like to be independent which is why I am thinking train but I'm also thinking ease with the transfer - there is a full day & half day trip so I think we would make the most of it & do a full day!

Thank you to Tring for your advice on day 2; I like your thinking with the 'have a damn good night the night before & sleep it off'. That's my style but I don't like to miss out on the lovely Fred breakfasts so can't sleep too long!

I am going with my 19 year old daughter & my Mum will just have turned 70 - hence the reason for the trip; to celebrate my Mum's birthday!! We all like to party & enjoy ourselves so we are really looking forward to it - it's my Mum's first time with FO (but certainly not her first cruise!) so it will be nice for her to have a 'taster' as we are all sailing together next year with the rest of the family!

Thanks for your help & I'm open to other hints & suggestions too!

If it is a big celebration and there are 3 or 4 of you, then it could be worth pricing a taxi as it is not far to Bruges from Zeebrugge, (Bing is coming up with '12.0 miles, 24 min driving 38 min with traffic'). I think it is an open road so unlikely to be any real delays. I suspect a taxi will be much less than 3 excursion prices and you will have complete freedom over start and finish times for the day, with no waiting around for the coach. My friend took her sons and a daughter in law for her sixtieth, so a similar situation for them and it worked well.

Then again a trip will be a taster of Fred's organisation of trips - or not as the case may be. We had some really bad problems on their trips in Canada this summer, but Greenland trips worked fairly well a couple of years ago.

I must get back to packing as we are off to a Manchester airport hotel tomorrow and Istanbul on Wednesday for a cruise to Piraeus (five port days in Turkey and 5 in Greece en route). The price of that one went right down a couple of months back - I wonder why

Hope mum has a good birthday and it is also enjoyed by all.

Cheers,

Barbara

If it is a big celebration and there are 3 or 4 of you, then it could be worth pricing a taxi as it is not far to Bruges from Zeebrugge, (Bing is coming up with '12.0 miles, 24 min driving 38 min with traffic'). I think it is an open road so unlikely to be any real delays. I suspect a taxi will be much less than 3 excursion prices and you will have complete freedom over start and finish times for the day, with no waiting around for the coach. My friend took her sons and a daughter in law for her sixtieth, so a similar situation for them and it worked well.

 

Then again a trip will be a taster of Fred's organisation of trips - or not as the case may be. We had some really bad problems on their trips in Canada this summer, but Greenland trips worked fairly well a couple of years ago.

 

I must get back to packing as we are off to a Manchester airport hotel tomorrow and Istanbul on Wednesday for a cruise to Piraeus (five port days in Turkey and 5 in Greece en route). The price of that one went right down a couple of months back - I wonder why

 

Hope mum has a good birthday and it is also enjoyed by all.

 

Cheers,

 

Barbara

Thanks for all your help - I think the Fred trip is about £30. We experienced a bit of dis-organisation on our recent Ireland mini cruise; Dublin was fine but the shuttle buses in Waterford were not not well organised - at least 45 minutes wait both ways including stood in the cold pouring rain on the way back - we cooed as we are young but I did feel for the older people!

Lucky you heading to Greece & Turkey; have a lovely time; my favourite parts of the Med!

It is not often that a ship o/nights in Zeebrugge - have you considered going on the first day to Ypres / Ieper. As you are not under any pressure to get back on board on the first evening it would allow you to stay there to see the last post being played at the Menin Gate.

Just something different to do ex Zeebrugge than the usual foray into Brugge which in my opinion is overrated when compared to Brussels, Ghent or Antwerp.

It is not often that a ship o/nights in Zeebrugge - have you considered going on the first day to Ypres / Ieper. As you are not under any pressure to get back on board on the first evening it would allow you to stay there to see the last post being played at the Menin Gate.

 

Just something different to do ex Zeebrugge than the usual foray into Brugge which in my opinion is overrated when compared to Brussels, Ghent or Antwerp.

I would love to go there - this is somewhere I have always wanted to visit having visited a lot if the WW2 sites in Normandy & taken an interest in the history of the Dardanellles - doesn't look like Fred are operating a trip there so would have to be DIY; any pointers?

I would love to go there - this is somewhere I have always wanted to visit having visited a lot if the WW2 sites in Normandy & taken an interest in the history of the Dardanellles - doesn't look like Fred are operating a trip there so would have to be DIY; any pointers?

You can easily travel by train. When you disembark in Zeebrugge take the Kusttram to Blankenberge. Train from their to Brugge, change for train to Kortrijk and another change for Ypres. The journey will take 1hour and 50 mins. IEPER train station is about 10 mins from the Cathedral and Flanders Field Museum all located on the main Square. A cemetery is just 5 mins walk out of town (there are larger ones out of town!) - then if you walk along the city ramparts you come to the Menin Gate - then it is 2 mins walk back to the main train station. The Last Post is played at 8pm so it might be a late return to the ship. IF dinner onboard or the show is important to you - this is not a DIY tour for you!

The train journey will cost €35 approx. but if there are more than 2 and not more than 5 of you then the €76 for 10 journeys anywhere in Belgium is worth the money - works out at €15.20 for the return trip.

I posted some pictures here.

http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=6159&hilit=ypres

and a friend here

http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=280&t=6431&p=103301&hilit=ypres#p103301

You can easily travel by train. When you disembark in Zeebrugge take the Kusttram to Blankenberge. Train from their to Brugge, change for train to Kortrijk and another change for Ypres. The journey will take 1hour and 50 mins. IEPER train station is about 10 mins from the Cathedral and Flanders Field Museum all located on the main Square. A cemetery is just 5 mins walk out of town (there are larger ones out of town!) - then if you walk along the city ramparts you come to the Menin Gate - then it is 2 mins walk back to the main train station. The Last Post is played at 8pm so it might be a late return to the ship. IF dinner onboard or the show is important to you - this is not a DIY tour for you!

 

The train journey will cost €35 approx. but if there are more than 2 and not more than 5 of you then the €76 for 10 journeys anywhere in Belgium is worth the money - works out at €15.20 for the return trip.

 

I posted some pictures here.

 

http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=6159&hilit=ypres

 

and a friend here

 

http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=280&t=6431&p=103301&hilit=ypres#p103301

Thank you for all this information - I will have a good look through. We keep saying we will do a land based holiday to that area which we may well plan as a family if we don't get there this time. We visit France a lot but have not got as far over into that area as we tend to use Plymouth or Portsmouth as a ferry port so stick to the more Westerly parts.