7 best day trips from Bruges

Day trips compared

The day trips

45 km · About 25 minutes by train

1.Ghent

A larger, livelier university city with the Van Eyck brothers' Ghent Altarpiece in St Bavo's Cathedral, the moated Gravensteen castle and the guild houses along the Graslei. It has a good bar scene and is a natural pair with Bruges.

Getting there

SNCB train to Gent-Sint-Pieters, then tram

Best for

Culture, Food lovers, Couples

7 km · About 30 minutes by bike

2.Damme

A tiny medieval town along a poplar-lined canal, with a Gothic town hall, a ruined church tower you can climb and several bookshops. The flat ride from Bruges's Dampoort along the canal is one of the classic Flemish bike trips.

Getting there

Bike along the canal, or the Lamme Goedzak paddle steamer in season

Best for

Couples, Families, Quiet stays

25 km · About 15 minutes by train

3.Ostend

Belgium's biggest seaside town has a long promenade and sandy beach, seafood stalls along the harbour selling grey shrimp and fish soup, and the Mu.ZEE art museum with works by James Ensor.

Getting there

SNCB train to Oostende

Best for

Families, Beach, Food lovers

20 km · About 45 minutes by train and coastal tram

4.De Haan

A small resort of Belle Époque villas set among dunes, with a wide sandy beach and no high-rise buildings, a quiet contrast to the larger coastal towns. The Coast Tram along the whole Belgian coast stops here.

Getting there

Train to Ostend, then the Coast Tram

Best for

Families, Beach, Quiet stays

60 km · About 1.5 hours by train via Kortrijk, or a guided tour

5.Ypres and Flanders Fields

Rebuilt after the First World War, Ypres has the In Flanders Fields Museum in its Cloth Hall and the Menin Gate, where the Last Post is sounded every evening. Tours visit the war cemeteries and memorials around the town, including Tyne Cot.

Getting there

Train via Kortrijk or a guided battlefield tour

Best for

Culture

95 km · About 1 hour by direct train

6.Brussels

The Belgian capital's Grand-Place, the Magritte Museum, the Atomium and Art Nouveau houses make a full day out, with frites, waffles and beer cafés in between.

Getting there

SNCB train to Brussels-Central

Best for

First-timers, Culture, Shopping

90 km · About 1.5 hours by train

7.Antwerp

A port city with the grand Antwerpen-Centraal station, Rubens altarpieces in the Cathedral of Our Lady, the MAS museum's rooftop views and a strong fashion and design scene.

Getting there

SNCB train to Antwerpen-Centraal

Best for

Culture, Shopping

Day-trip tips

• Leave early: most trips are more relaxed with a morning departure and a return before dinner.
• De Lijn buses run frequently from the railway station to the Markt and other central stops in about 10 minutes; most buses from the station head for the centre.
• Bruges station, a 15–20-minute walk south-west of the Markt, has frequent trains to Ghent, Brussels, Antwerp, Ostend and Brussels Airport.
• For trips over about 150 km, an overnight stay or an organised tour saves a lot of travelling.

Questions travellers ask