Zeebrugge. Advice re using train from Blakenberge to Bruge

[Tilly20]

Hi, we travel to Zeebrugge next February and have been researching the various ways of getting from ship to Bruce. I wonder if anyone who has done the train from Blakenberge to Bruge has any advice or comments? Thank you!

Edited November 21, 2019 by Tilly20
spelling of bruge

[dogs4fun]

1 hour ago, Tilly20 said:

Hi, we travel to Zeebrugge next February and have been researching the various ways of getting from ship to Bruce. I wonder if anyone who has done the train from Blakenberge to Bruge has any advice or comments? Thank you!

We walked to Zeebrugge Kirk (church) and took the tram to the train station. Your ship may provide a shuttle to the train station.  It took about 15 minutes for our train to arrive in Bruge. Tom's Port Guide has useful info (see attachment). Once in Bruge, we used the attached walking tour.

 

Brugge_Zeebrugge-08-28-2012.pdf

Bruges Walking Tour.pdf

[John Bull]

We did it by train.

 

But that was before a local operator started up a shuttlebus port-to-city and back. 

I think it's this one https://www.cruise-express.be/en/

€49 return, more expensive than the train but a whole lot quicker and simpler.

 

And do look into pre-booking a taxi.

Last I heard it was €50 each-way, so about the same cost as the train if you get 4+ togetherbut quicker & simpler. And it drops you right in the cobbled centre, banned for large buses. Ask to be dropped at the Grotemarkt.

 

But for the train ................

Blankenberge station is about 3 miles from the port. 

Altho the kusttram (local coastal tram) goes there you have to get to a tram-stop & faff around with tickets.

So take the ship's shuttle to Blankenberge station. If you're on P&O it might be free if you booked "select", otherwise it's around £10 / $10 return.

The train takes about 12 to 15 minutes & costs something like €8 return. 

But - and it's a big but - the train is only hourly. And because of needing the shuttle to the station you won't be able to plan your arrival time at the station. If you're lucky you might only have to wait, if you're unlucky you'll have an hour's wait. 

The station is a 10 - 15 minute walk from the Grotemarkt.

(The direct shuttlebus that I mentioned at the top, and ship's "Bruges on-your-own" buses  drop at Bargeplein, a walk of similar distance to Grotemarkt).

You can of course figure your return time to coincide with a train, but - unless things have changed -  the train comes in from Brussels and splits into two trains at Bruges - so make sure you get on the right part (front or back, sorry, can't remember) of

the train

 

JB