|
Post by bixaorellana on May 24, 2018 22:15:29 GMT
I need guidance in making some decisions, please. I need to be in Amsterdam on the 1st of July. I will be in Brussels for a couple of days and my plan is to leave Brussels on the 24th of June and go to Ghent for four nights (24th thru 27th). From Ghent I'll go to Antwerp for three nights (28th thru 30th). Question one: Is this a good division of my time in Belgium? Question two: My impulse for both Ghent and Antwerp is to stay near the train station to keep from trundling around with luggage. Does this make sense for either or both cities? Please help me proceed past the dithering stage in which I'm now caught, especially since time is getting tight for making reservations. Answers to other questions I didn't know to ask will also be greatly appreciated! Thanks! amboseliwhatagain
|
|
|
Post by bixaorellana on May 24, 2018 22:54:47 GMT
To clarify, part of my question about division of time regards side trips, so suggestions on those are solicited as well.
|
|
|
Post by mich64 on May 25, 2018 1:20:43 GMT
My sister arrived in Amsterdam this morning and this evening she is in Antwerp! And she is staying at a hotel quite close to the train station. I will question her tomorrow on her choice and how the area seems. She too will be spending time in Ghent, 3 nights I believe. She tends to stay near the train stations as they travel by rail. She is on a 2 week holiday, her third trip there, she absolutely adores it there and usually goes in September but thought she would love to see the gardens in bloom.
We have been twice as well and loved Brugge, but I would imagine it will be really busy there in July. Even though many believe it is over commercialized, I think still worth a day trip and it is not a far train ride from Ghent. Ypres is amazing as well, we were only there for an evening but I think there is a tapestry museum there that might interest you!
Exciting Bixa! I enjoy doing research, hotels/restaurants/trains, so if you want assistance, let me know!
|
|
|
Post by bixaorellana on May 25, 2018 1:35:25 GMT
Oh, Mich -- you're the best! Thank you so much. I will absolutely turn to you when I get caught up in my planning dithers. Sorry your sister & I will be missing each other, as it would have been lovely to meet. One of my sisters was in Brugge in March & urged me to spend four nights there. I know myself, though, and prefer bigger places although of course I will spend a day in Brugge. I got to see some of Ypres in 2016 and yes, it is amazing. Didn't see the tapestry museum, although it's on my list if I ever get to go back. After starting this thread I got offered a nice hotel deal in Ghent with free cancellation, so I took it. I figured you all can give me feedback about whether to cancel or not. Depending on the reviewer, it is 5, 10, or 15 minutes walking distance from the train station and from the historic center. It's the red pin: www.flickr.com/gp/17499332@N00/6HY7EY
|
|
|
Post by mich64 on May 25, 2018 1:51:16 GMT
Just looked at the area on a satellite view, looks like a beautiful area Bixa and a variety of restaurants are nearby. A reminder when looking at B&B's there, sometimes their rooms for offer are on the third or fourth floors with no elevators, not sure if this is an issue for you or not, but something to keep in mind especially carrying luggage.
You would have loved my sister, she is the youngest of us and quite a delightful ladybird, as we call her!
|
|
|
Post by bixaorellana on May 25, 2018 5:58:19 GMT
What an adorable nickname! Thanks for the input, Mich. It's only a three-story building, but with old skinny stairs. I've kept that reservation, but made another at a place that's only slightly more expensive, but seems nicer & also serves breakfast. The new one is apparently right by the tram stop showed by the red pin here: www.google.com/maps/search/stop+Rabotstraat+ghent/@51.0587997,3.7050309,15z
|
|
|
Post by whatagain on May 25, 2018 12:24:55 GMT
Hi Bixa, in case of any problem remember I live 20 kms of Bruxelles. I'll see if we can organize something but to be honest my wife is not into forums and doesn't get the idea behind it (if there is one ).
Gent is imo by far the most beautiful city in Belgium. Antwerpen is nice and has some interesting archtecture, albeit I'm not a fan of mixing modern and old. 4 nights in Gent may be overkill though. I'd recommend staying one night in Bruggge, as the city empties at the end of the day and is more 'normal' in the evening. Antwerpen trainstation is splendid and the area is not gritty contrary to a lot of transtations areas (in Belgium at least - avoid at all cost Bruxelles Midi trainstation area to sleep for example). I can only recommend a hotl in Bruxelles (hotel de la tour noire) as I obviously hardly ever sleep in one in Belgium. Msot cities are close to each other - Bruxelles Gent and Antwerpen are all less than one hour train from each other.
If you want to see smaller cities, Lier is fantastic.
Not willing to start a debate here but you are only seeing parts of Flanders, don't you want a glimpse of Wallonia ? Mons is a very nice city, Tournai is beautiful too, Dinant is a great place to go (small along the river Meuse) Kerouac made reports about these cities.
Ps : I put the names of the places in lcoal languages. Can be useful to know the spelling in both language though so here it is : Antwerpen - Anvers Bruxelles - Brussel stations are : Bruxelles Central - Brussel Centraal, Nord- Noord, Midi - zuid (south). Mons - Bergen Tournai - Doornik (!) Brugge - Bruges (brug = bridge)
|
|
|
Post by bixaorellana on May 25, 2018 16:09:45 GMT
Hi Whatagain and thanks for the input! Just be clear, I am not at all avoiding Wallonia. However I am being taken by car from Paris to Brussels, thus am starting my time in Belgium there. Admittedly, after the two nights already reserved in Brussels, I could backtrack to the places you mention. I've seen those reports and yes, they all look very appealing. However, since my end destination is Amsterdam, it seemed more logical to keep moving north. Also, since the journey to Brussels will be by car, I'll get to see more of Belgium along the way. The last train from Brugge to Gent is after 11 pm. From various things I've read online, it seems a good way to enjoy Brugge is to stay late and see it emptier and all lit up. I felt that was a better plan for me than to add in another hotel change. Lier was already on my radar, with the idea that I could visit it from Antwerp, since they're less than 20 minutes apart by train. I'm very glad to get your recommendation for it. Would an Antwerp > Mechelen > Lier > Antwerp day trip make sense? I think I'm going with my second hotel option in Gent, but still have nothing in Antwerpen. I am eager to see the train station there & it's good to know that the area is nice. Does anyone know if it's a comfortable walking distance from the station to the town center, or does that not matter in that particular city? Thanks for the local language list. You'll see that I'm trying to incorporate it already. I did not know until I started researching this trip that Antwerp and Anvers were the same place!
|
|
|
Post by whatagain on May 25, 2018 17:48:40 GMT
I don't remember Mechelen, been to, but ... I had no problem walking from Antwerpen station to center of town but it was 20 kgms ago... Don't forget to drink Jenever !
If you drive from Paris to Bxl, there are two places you can stop - or not - Lille in France and Mons in Belgium. Pay attention to traffic, this highway is always under repair and is right now. Avoid rush hour.
|
|
|
Post by bjd on May 25, 2018 19:02:50 GMT
I can confirm that walking from Antwerp train station to the centre is not a big deal.
|
|
|
Post by bixaorellana on May 25, 2018 19:40:08 GMT
I will, Whatagain, I will drink jenever! Any tips?
The driver of the car will not be me, but I have faith that it will be a good trip.
Thanks for that, Bjd. I can now proceed with more confidence in securing lodging.
|
|
|
Post by mich64 on May 25, 2018 21:01:58 GMT
Hi Bixa, in case of any problem remember I live 20 kms of Bruxelles. I'll see if we can organize something but to be honest my wife is not into forums and doesn't get the idea behind it (if there is one ). Gent is imo by far the most beautiful city in Belgium. Antwerpen is nice and has some interesting archtecture, albeit I'm not a fan of mixing modern and old. 4 nights in Gent may be overkill though. I'd recommend staying one night in Bruggge, as the city empties at the end of the day and is more 'normal' in the evening. Antwerpen trainstation is splendid and the area is not gritty contrary to a lot of transtations areas (in Belgium at least - avoid at all cost Bruxelles Midi trainstation area to sleep for example). I can only recommend a hotl in Bruxelles (hotel de la tour noire) as I obviously hardly ever sleep in one in Belgium. Msot cities are close to each other - Bruxelles Gent and Antwerpen are all less than one hour train from each other. If you want to see smaller cities, Lier is fantastic. Not willing to start a debate here but you are only seeing parts of Flanders, don't you want a glimpse of Wallonia ? Mons is a very nice city, Tournai is beautiful too, Dinant is a great place to go (small along the river Meuse) Kerouac made reports about these cities. Ps : I put the names of the places in lcoal languages. Can be useful to know the spelling in both language though so here it is : Antwerpen - Anvers Bruxelles - Brussel stations are : Bruxelles Central - Brussel Centraal, Nord- Noord, Midi - zuid (south). Mons - Bergen Tournai - Doornik (!) Brugge - Bruges (brug = bridge) Great information! I for one am happy to learn about the towns you enjoy whatagain. One can not receive better advice than from those who live in the Country. I will now be investigating Lier as I did not know of it and we enjoy smaller cities. I do remember Kerouac's report on Dinant and have that written down as a reminder. Being that we usually travel by car, your insights have been quite valuable.
|
|
|
Post by amboseli on May 25, 2018 22:30:04 GMT
My two cents ...
The hotel in Gent (the red pin on the map) is about 2 kms from the historical city. Personally, I would prefer something closer to the very centre. The centre of Gent is pretty far away from the main train station Gent-Sint-Pieters. Maybe see if you can find something around Korenmarkt, St.-Baafskathedraal, Sint-Jacobskerk. There are quite some Airbnb's in that area.
Brugge is an easy daytrip from Gent. So is the Belgian coast. Brugge is not particularly busy in July/August.
Antwerpen: As said by whatagain, the area around Central Station is not gritty at all. There are various hotels in different price categories. You can easily walk to the historical centre (along the main shopping axe) in about 20 min. There are major road works going on around the Opera building, so that area doesn't look very attractive these days. It is what it is. I have never stayed in a hotel in Antwerpen because I live at only 20 kms from the city.
Antwerpen has various neighbourhoods. There is the medieval city centre with Our Lady's Cathedral, various museums, cobblestoned streets, etc. and the very trendy 'Eilandje' quarter to the north of the city. You can walk there from the historical centre along the river Schelde in about 15 mins. You will see a huge glass & brick building at the marina: the MAS museum. Even if you don't want to visit the museum, you can take the escalators (for free) to the top floor to enjoy the view over the city and the harbour (Antwerp is a major world port!).
Just outside the city borders is a very pretty art déco quarter, near Antwerpen-Berchem. Cogels-Osylei (=street) has the nicest houses. You can get there by tram, bus or by train (1 stop from Antwerpen Centraal).
If you need more info on any of these, just let me know.
Antwerp > Mechelen > Lier > Antwerp: makes for a great daytrip.
|
|
|
Post by questa on May 25, 2018 22:52:01 GMT
What a wonderful thing this forum is! Just reading the Q&A above shows how this merry bunch of travellers support each other and share the joys of the trip. Like Mich, I love the planning and researching for a trip, specially as my destinations are a bit offbeat.
Oh Mark, I am practising my Swahili, thanks.
|
|
|
Post by lagatta on May 26, 2018 0:26:57 GMT
This is very useful for me too, as I have Belgian friends (Flemish, but also perfectly conversant in French, as well as English ang German) who retired to a town near Albi in southwestern France but who have returned to Gent. My budget is slender, and I'd be fine in a hostel but no shared bedrooms.
|
|
|
Post by bixaorellana on May 26, 2018 1:43:52 GMT
Yes, Questa -- I was thinking the same thing! It would be great if over time more guests asked for and received travel advice here. LaGatta, my experience overall with browsing lodging is that the hostels often charge more for private rooms than do the regular hotels for a commensurate room. I can't imagine why this would be. Hmmmm, Amboseli, hmmmm hmmmm hmmmm! About the hotel in Gent: 1st, excellent price comparatively. 2nd, tram goes direct from the station to in front of the hotel. 3rd, I trusted in the hotel's blurb, which I hope is true: ... a 9-minute walk from Ghent’s Patershol District, the oldest part of this historical town. It is less than 1 km from the shopping district, the Castle of the Counts and Korenmarkt Square. 4th, Buffet breakfast is included. 5th, Wifi in the hotel is rated as excellent. I can still cancel without penalty. I'm PMing you the details of the hotel, if you don't mind, and hoping you'll agree it's a good choice for me. Remember, this is a long trip (7 weeks), so I'm trying to save where I can. Speaking of which, I've scored a tiny room with bath & patio (& coffee maker & wifi) in Antwerp for $53 usd a night. It's a new listing on airbnb, so came with a discount: The studio is located in a bustling area, 600m from the Central Station, 1500m from the MAS on the Eilandje and 1800m from the Groenplaats and Cathedral. Metro station Elisabeth (300m) and Astrid (500m) are within easy reach. The Central Station is located at 600m from the studio.It's is @ the intersection of Rotterdamstraat and Muizenstraat & from looking at Google streetview, not the prettiest part of town. But that price! Amboseli, I can't thank you enough for the wonderful information on the neighborhoods and tips on what to see. Nothing like insider insights!
|
|
|
Post by mich64 on May 26, 2018 16:41:41 GMT
Speaking of which, I've scored a tiny room with bath & patio (& coffee maker & wifi) in Antwerp for $53 usd a night. It's a new listing on airbnb, so came with a discount: The studio is located in a bustling area, 600m from the Central Station, 1500m from the MAS on the Eilandje and 1800m from the Groenplaats and Cathedral. Metro station Elisabeth (300m) and Astrid (500m) are within easy reach. The Central Station is located at 600m from the studio.It's is @ the intersection of Rotterdamstraat and Muizenstraat & from looking at Google streetview, not the prettiest part of town. But that price! Bixa, I too recently was questioning an excellent rate on a hotel in Belfast, I kept going back to it and wondering why the rate was so different for similar hotels in the same area. After doing a google view search, I realized the hotel was still under construction so that is why I could not find any reviews! So I went on the Hotels web page and confirmed that they were now taking reservations for August 1st, 2018. I immediately went back on booking.com and reserved for my dates in September at a great rate that included breakfast and cancellation options.
|
|
|
Post by mich64 on May 26, 2018 16:56:46 GMT
This is very useful for me too, as I have Belgian friends (Flemish, but also perfectly conversant in French, as well as English ang German) who retired to a town near Albi in southwestern France but who have returned to Gent. My budget is slender, and I'd be fine in a hostel but no shared bedrooms. Hi Lagatta! I too have found hostel rates, in some areas, are becoming as expensive as B&B rates that include a bathroom. I was actually having this discussion with a friend yesterday as she is researching for her son who hopes to so spend a month backpacking in Europe soon. She was realizing this as well. While he will probably still do the hostel option because it will be easier in meeting people in his age group with similar interests, she was hoping to convince him of other options that were sometimes less expensive. I am sure there are still some great deals at hostels as well, but there seems to be more and more B&B options as well, perhaps with the popularity of AirBnB, I think it is resulting in some good deals especially outside the popular pedestrian areas.
|
|
|
Post by whatagain on May 26, 2018 17:59:50 GMT
"I have Belgian friends (Flemish, but also perfectly conversant in French..." Funnily, I was at the shop at the corner, held by Iranians. The guy is answering a client in english, so I talk to him in English and ask him if his Flemish is as good, and he tells me that he is ... Flemish actually. 5 years that I go every week, never had I noticed a trace of accent in his French. Btw Bixa, if you ahve time, try to watch this theater play, a classic in Belgium : fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bossemans_et_CoppenolleI found some sites where it was undertitled in english. I don't understand myself all the words ...
|
|
|
Post by bixaorellana on May 26, 2018 20:07:47 GMT
After doing a google view search, I realized the hotel was still under construction so that is why I could not find any reviews! Mich, that's such a good idea about the google streetview search. Year before last I had terrible directions for getting to the airbnb studio I'd rented. Luckily I had scrutinized the area online, so was able to get there without trouble. ... perhaps with the popularity of AirBnB, I think it is resulting in some good deals especially outside the popular pedestrian areas. I absolutely love the fact that we now have all these alternate choices and bitterly resent the strictures special-interest groups try to put on airbnb & similar sites. Amsterdam now limits whole-house rental to a total of 30 days in a calendar year, down from 60 days last year: The Amsterdam private vacation rental rules only allow you to rent out your primary home and only if it remains your primary home. sourceLondon & Paris are on the same path. More here: www.engadget.com/2018/01/10/amsterdam-airbnb-rental-30-day-limit/There is a way around this, although if you're me and the situation comes up the first time you try to use Airbnb (I always used Homeaway before), you will act like a complete dunce when someone attempts to help you maneuver your way around the 30-day limit roadblock. All's well that ends well, in that case though. For the record, to anyone following this thread: Amboseli did put her imprimatur on my second choice for Gent lodging after I realized that I'd led her astray with too many red pins. A big relief and I am most grateful for that and for her generous sharing of insider knowledge. Huge thanks also to Mich for putting her eagle eye on both properties and pinpointing the right choice. Of course Whatagain is also an invaluable resource and generous with ideas and suggestion, so tons of gratitude is due there as well.
|
|
|
Post by bjd on May 27, 2018 5:41:17 GMT
]I absolutely love the fact that we now have all these alternate choices and bitterly resent the strictures special-interest groups try to put on airbnb & similar sites. Amsterdam now limits whole-house rental to a total of 30 days in a calendar year, down from 60 days last year: The Amsterdam private vacation rental rules only allow you to rent out your primary home and only if it remains your primary home. sourceLondon & Paris are on the same path. More here: www.engadget.com/2018/01/10/amsterdam-airbnb-rental-30-day-limit/There is a way around this, although if you're me and the situation comes up the first time you try to use Airbnb (I always used Homeaway before), you will act like a complete dunce when someone attempts to help you maneuver your way around the 30-day limit roadblock. All's well that ends well, in that case though. Bixa, your assumption seems to be that anyone who wants to be able to rent something cheaper for a week or month should be able to do so, especially in places where there is a high number of tourists. The reason behind popular cities like Amsterdam,Paris and Barcelona cracking down is that some people buy out small apartments and rent them only on a short-term basis, while there is a huge shortage of affordable housing in these cities. This is the reason for the Amsterdam rule you mention above. And if you recall Chexbres talking about tourists acting badly in her apartment building in Paris, dragging their wheelie-bags up and down the stairs at all hours, making noise and generally not respecting the place, you should understand the locals' point of view too. I agree that it's nice to find a place to stay that isn't a hotel, and the municipal authorities are often influenced by the hotel industry, but all these small renters don't pay taxes on their earnings either. So the argument is not that people shouldn't be allowed to rent out a spare room or their whole place while they are away on vacation themselves, but to crack down on the professional short-term renters.
|
|
|
Post by amboseli on May 27, 2018 19:04:07 GMT
|
|
|
Post by bixaorellana on May 27, 2018 19:05:36 GMT
Bixa, your assumption seems to be that anyone who wants to be able to rent something cheaper for a week or month should be able to do so, especially in places where there is a high number of tourists. The reason behind popular cities like Amsterdam,Paris and Barcelona cracking down is that some people buy out small apartments and rent them only on a short-term basis, while there is a huge shortage of affordable housing in these cities. This is the reason for the Amsterdam rule you mention above. And if you recall Chexbres talking about tourists acting badly in her apartment building in Paris, dragging their wheelie-bags up and down the stairs at all hours, making noise and generally not respecting the place, you should understand the locals' point of view too. I agree that it's nice to find a place to stay that isn't a hotel, and the municipal authorities are often influenced by the hotel industry, but all these small renters don't pay taxes on their earnings either. So the argument is not that people shouldn't be allowed to rent out a spare room or their whole place while they are away on vacation themselves, but to crack down on the professional short-term renters. Yes, that is exactly my assumption. People who are able to secure such lodgings are more likely to stay longer, plus often it allows them to bring family members with them. Every extra day such tourists stay in a place is one more day they're putting money into the local economy. As for the hosts paying taxes ~ First of all, they are by default paying property tax. And second, it would appear that quite often they're also paying taxes on the rental income. Here and also here. As far as people buying up apartments to use as short-term rentals ~ [you wrote:] the argument is ... to crack down on the professional short-term renters. Undoubtedly there are pros at this, just as there are speculators buying up large numbers of properties in places like London. But sweeping up small renters who have converted part of their house or who wind up with an extra dwelling because of inheritance or recent marriage seems like either a panicky solution, or a smoke screen. Really, to a great degree it feels like other media-created boogey-men: "all pitbulls are vicious!", "immigrants steal our jobs!", "my neighbor's airbnb basement conversion keeps me from finding housing". I do recall Chexbres talking about inconsiderate tourists in her building and the point is taken. However that seems something that should be addressed by the building's association. I also recall that Chexbres was speaking from the point of view of her membership in a special-interest group, as she owns or owned a b&b in New Orleans.
|
|
|
Post by bixaorellana on May 27, 2018 19:10:24 GMT
Yes! Thank you, Amboseli. I have that link safely stashed to be consulted once I get to Antwerp. Absolutely looking forward to it! This is the part of the pre-trip that gets so frustrating, when I realize there is not enough time alloted in a place to get to do everything I want to do. Day trips from Antwerp? Immersion in Antwerp? Decisions! Decisions!
|
|
|
Post by kerouac2 on May 27, 2018 20:58:02 GMT
It's true that our rules are more for the protection of local residents than tourists. Frankly, that seems quite normal to me.
|
|
|
Post by whatagain on May 28, 2018 10:51:14 GMT
In Belgium tax evasion is a national sport. So is it in france too. Making it mandatory to register, be followed and pay tax is quite an incentive for authorities. My colleagues in paris cannot afford to rent apartment nor buy and find themselves in the suburbs. 1 m2 coats 8000 eur in paris. So a toilet of 1,5m2 means you pay 2 euros per day during 20 years to go to your own loo...
|
|