Getting around · Bruges · Belgium
Getting around Bruges
Public transport, passes, airport connections and when a car makes sense.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Jim Linwood, CC BY 2.0
Quick answer
The old town is compact and almost entirely walkable, and most visitors never need transport inside it. Bikes are the local way to get around and out to Damme, while De Lijn buses link the railway station with the Markt. No.
Key facts
- Main way around
- Walking
- Airports
- BRU, CRL, OST
- Need a car?
- No
- Travel pass
- Musea Brugge Museum Pass
Ways to get around
Walking
The Markt to the Begijnhof is about 10 minutes on foot, and you can cross the whole old town in about 20–25 minutes. Cobbles are uneven, so wear comfortable shoes.
Cycling
Bruges is flat, with bike rental shops near the station and in the centre. Many one-way streets allow cyclists in both directions, and a cycle path runs along the canal to Damme.
Lock your bike to a fixed rack; bike theft is common in Belgian cities.
Bus
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.
Boat
Canal boats are a sightseeing trip rather than transport, running a loop from jetties near the Rozenhoedkaai and the Dijver.
Train
Bruges station, a 15–20-minute walk south-west of the Markt, has frequent trains to Ghent, Brussels, Antwerp, Ostend and Brussels Airport.
Taxi
Taxis wait at the station and the Markt and are useful with heavy luggage on cobbled streets.
Tickets and passes
Musea Brugge Museum Pass
A combined pass covering the city-run museums, including the Groeningemuseum, Old St. John's Hospital and the Gruuthusemuseum, valid for several consecutive days.
From the airport
Most visitors fly into Brussels Airport (BRU), which has direct trains to Bruges in about 1.5 hours. Brussels South Charleroi (CRL) is about 2–2.5 hours away by shuttle coach and train. Ostend-Bruges Airport (OST), about 25 km away, has a small number of mainly holiday flights.
Do you need a car?
No. The old town has a traffic circulation plan that makes driving slow, and parking is expensive; if you arrive by car, the station car park is the usual choice and its ticket includes bus travel to the centre.
Reaching the day trips
| Destination | Travel time | How |
|---|---|---|
| Ghent | About 25 minutes by train | SNCB train to Gent-Sint-Pieters, then tram |
| Damme | About 30 minutes by bike | Bike along the canal, or the Lamme Goedzak paddle steamer in season |
| Ostend | About 15 minutes by train | SNCB train to Oostende |
| De Haan | About 45 minutes by train and coastal tram | Train to Ostend, then the Coast Tram |
| Ypres and Flanders Fields | About 1.5 hours by train via Kortrijk, or a guided tour | Train via Kortrijk or a guided battlefield tour |
| Brussels | About 1 hour by direct train | SNCB train to Brussels-Central |
| Antwerp | About 1.5 hours by train | SNCB train to Antwerpen-Centraal |
Questions travellers ask
+Do you need a car in Bruges?
No. The old town has a traffic circulation plan that makes driving slow, and parking is expensive; if you arrive by car, the station car park is the usual choice and its ticket includes bus travel to the centre.
+How do you get from the airport to Bruges?
Most visitors fly into Brussels Airport (BRU), which has direct trains to Bruges in about 1.5 hours. Brussels South Charleroi (CRL) is about 2–2.5 hours away by shuttle coach and train. Ostend-Bruges Airport (OST), about 25 km away, has a small number of mainly holiday flights.
+What is the best way to get around Bruges?
Walking: The Markt to the Begijnhof is about 10 minutes on foot, and you can cross the whole old town in about 20–25 minutes. Cobbles are uneven, so wear comfortable shoes.