Help please from those who have been on P&O to Zeebrugee

[StLucia]

We are calling at Zeebrugee in December and want to make our own way into Bruges by train. We know Bruges very well but have never been to Zeebruge. I've heard that P&O lay on a free shuttle from the port to a local train station. Do any of you know anything about this or have done this trip themselves.

 

Thanks for your help.

[DamianG]

Hi

We've done this many times and it is very straightforward as the P&O shuttle bus drops off at the Blankenberge train station.

Last time we went the return train fare from Blankenburge to Bruges was €5.40 per person and the journey took about 15 mins.

Once you arrive at Bruges the old town is a good 20 minute walk at a reasonable pace, but there are also buses into the centre from the bus station which is next to the train station.

I believe that there are other options from Zeebruge/Blankenberge such as the bus and tram but we have never tried it.

All the best

Damian

[StLucia]

Thank you for your help DamianG. Would you recommend buying our tickets online in advance or is it straightforward to purchase at the station.

[jojo67]

Hi, we've done this many times & have always bought our tickets at the station, which is very small so easy to navigate. As above, the free P&O shuttle drops you just opposite the train station,follow the crowd to the station & purchase your ticket. From memory trains run approx every half hour, and it was a short trip into Bruge. On our first trip we were advised to check what platform your return train would be leaving from on arrival as this station is much larger & it made our return trip less hassle. It was quite a walk into the town centre, but is all on one level, although the cobbles may be a problem for some. Even if booking the P&O coach transfer into Bruge (approx £28pp) you still have quite a long walk, as coaches are not allowed into the town, so if you are happy with the train there is quite a saving to be made :)

[StLucia]

Thank you Jo, we love Bruges and have stayed there many times, it will be good to visit again. We prefer to arrange shore excursions ourselves and the train sounds perfect.

Janet

[LibraLass41]

Just consider that Bruges will be VERY VERY BUSY in December with the christmas market and ice rink and thousands of tourists . I have done the Southampton-Zeebrugge 2 n cruise many times, including in November and December when the christmas market event is on and its hectic... What if the train is full, if its a Sunday, may not run as often, you could miss the ship. Just a thought to consider..

[StLucia]

Thank you for your advice Sue. We are visiting on a Saturday and I've checked the trains, they run every hour. Does anyone who has done this train journey in December think there could be a problem?

 

We have now been allocated our cabin, an aft on B, really looking forward to it now, a good upgrade.

[shoreham01]

We are going on this cruise too. We have opted for the P&O Bruge on your own tour for £28 each as we were a little afraid of the train service not being too frequent on a Saturday. I know it is a lot of money but we thought we would end up having more time really if the coach dropped us off rather than waiting around for a train there and back etc. We will get 6 or 7 hours in Bruges I think with the coach transfer. Never been there before so want to make the most of it but don't want to do a walking tour as we prefer to go at our own pace.

 

With regard to the Christmas markets, I thought I read that they are only open until around 2pm. Have you seen this information too? We have never visited either Bruges or Le Havre which is why we booked this cruise or rather why we booked the Oriana one which was cancelled with this one offered in place of it. From what I have read there will not be too much if anything open in Le Havre on a Sunday when we are there which is a great shame.

[DamianG]

Hi again

We have done the train journey in December and I doubt that you will have any problems in terms of getting on as the trains are usually very large and Blankenberge is the starting station.

As for the return journey we've never had a problem getting a seat but even if we hadn't it's only a 15-20 minute journey so for us wouldn't have been the end of the world if we had to stand. I consider the train service in Belgium far better than most of what we have in the UK!

Cheers

Damian

[StLucia]

Thank you everyone for your help. I think we are going to take the train. We have been wondering about doing the transfer in but feel £28 each is a lot for such a short transfer. If it was summer we would hire bikes but perhaps not in December.

 

We love Bruges, its very compact and very beautiful. Though you need to dress up warm as it can be rather cold by the canals. A good excuse for a nice hot chocolate and a waffle, delicious.

 

Not sure about Le Havre, never been before so I need to do some research.