Zeebrugge to Bruges diy

[Cardiff girl]

On 7/17/2023 at 1:20 AM, CRUIS4ME said:

We used a shuttle. We caught the shuttle outside the port terminal.  Cross the street and on the left corner, a line formed to get tickets and catch the shuttle.   Recommend get off ship immediately and try to be in the first bus that departs.   Coming back, recommend to catch shuttle by three o’clock.   It’s a 45 min trip.   

I used the local shuttle last Oct. It's Cruise Express, €20 direct or £21.80 through Viator. It runs from 8.30 - 12 noon every half hour. It comes back every half hour from 4 hrs before boarding.

It was a bit chaotic - those who'd prepaid told to wait with those queuing to pay, while the first bus went past empty. Other people found it fine so maybe I was unlucky. I left Bruges 2pm to be sure to get back. 

https://www.cruise-express.be/en/services/bruges

I read that taxis are fixed rate €62 each way. The P&O shuttle is currently £39 for a half day, £40 for a full day.

 

[Cardiff girl]

Has anyone got the train from Zeebrugge? It's supposed to be 30 mins walk from the cruise terminal & the trains go hourly. 

[gumshoe958]

35 minutes ago, Cardiff girl said:

Has anyone got the train from Zeebrugge? It's supposed to be 30 mins walk from the cruise terminal & the trains go hourly. 

That is indeed an option for the more adventurous. Trains leave Zeebrugge-Strand at roughly 5 past each hour and return from Bruges at about 35 past, taking 17 minutes.

[gumshoe958]

20 minutes ago, gumshoe958 said:

That is indeed an option for the more adventurous. Trains leave Zeebrugge-Strand at roughly 5 past each hour and return from Bruges at about 35 past, taking 17 minutes.

I should point out that Zeebrugge-Strand station is only served 7 days a week during the summer holidays. The rest of the year, it’s only served at weekends and during the week trains run to & from Zeebrugge-Dorp station instead, which is slightly closer to the cruise terminal (a 20-25 minute walk).

[Cardiff girl]

35 minutes ago, gumshoe958 said:

I should point out that Zeebrugge-Strand station is only served 7 days a week during the summer holidays. The rest of the year, it’s only served at weekends and during the week trains run to & from Zeebrugge-Dorp station instead, which is slightly closer to the cruise terminal (a 20-25 minute walk).

Thanks, that explains why I've seen both station names given. It seemed like it might be simpler than getting a shuttle to Blankenberge, also quicker & cheaper than shuttles. 

I guess we'll see how we feel on the day. 

Has anyone tried the 33 bus from Blankenberge? The cheapest but slowest option, I think. 

 

[Twilightstar18]

On 7/19/2023 at 4:51 PM, gumshoe958 said:

That is indeed an option for the more adventurous. Trains leave Zeebrugge-Strand at roughly 5 past each hour and return from Bruges at about 35 past, taking 17 minutes.

This is so good to know! Why more adventurous? It seems that both trains from Zeebrugge-Strand and Blankenberg only run once an hour- we might have more control with walking instead of waiting for the shuttle. We will be there in August so the train should be running? 

[gumshoe958]

38 minutes ago, Twilightstar18 said:

This is so good to know! Why more adventurous? It seems that both trains from Zeebrugge-Strand and Blankenberg only run once an hour- we might have more control with walking instead of waiting for the shuttle. We will be there in August so the train should be running? 

Until Sunday 27th August the trains run from Zeebrugge-Strand 7 days a week.
 

From Monday 28th they run from Zeebrugge-Dorp on weekdays and Zeebrugge-Strand at weekends.

 

Adventurous because people happy to walk for half an hour to get a train are a rare commodity on CC! I thought I was the only one who did that!

 

Don’t forget to factor into your timings the unavoidable shuttle bus ride between the ship and the cruise terminal. It takes less than 5 minutes but if you just miss one you may have to wait for the next one to fill up. Ship to train should take 45-50 mins but I’d allow a bit more to be safe.

[Cardiff girl]

1 hour ago, gumshoe958 said:

Until Sunday 27th August the trains run from Zeebrugge-Strand 7 days a week.
 

From Monday 28th they run from Zeebrugge-Dorp on weekdays and Zeebrugge-Strand at weekends.

 

Adventurous because people happy to walk for half an hour to get a train are a rare commodity on CC! I thought I was the only one who did that!

 

Don’t forget to factor into your timings the unavoidable shuttle bus ride between the ship and the cruise terminal. It takes less than 5 minutes but if you just miss one you may have to wait for the next one to fill up. Ship to train should take 45-50 mins but I’d allow a bit more to be safe.

Thanks, Gumshoe. I was straight off the ship in Oct, then sat on that port shuttle for ages waiting for others to come and fill it up!

It seems that, with the walk across the park from shuttles and trains, the short journey from Zeebrugge to Bruges takes at least an hour, or more with queuing/missed connections. 

So, if a taxi is €62x2 return, it'd be €31 each if they let four share. Are there many cabs, and do they drop closer to the centre? 🤔

[Cardiff girl]

Also, would a taxi drop off at Zeebrugge-Strand station, and how much would that cost, roughly? 

[gumshoe958]

2 hours ago, Cardiff girl said:

Thanks, Gumshoe. I was straight off the ship in Oct, then sat on that port shuttle for ages waiting for others to come and fill it up!

It seems that, with the walk across the park from shuttles and trains, the short journey from Zeebrugge to Bruges takes at least an hour, or more with queuing/missed connections. 

So, if a taxi is €62x2 return, it'd be €31 each if they let four share. Are there many cabs, and do they drop closer to the centre? 🤔

Cabs can take you right into the centre of Bruges, yes, so they’ll be the fastest option.

 

Having never taken one I couldn’t tell you how many there are. I have never seen a long line of them waiting at the terminal - or for that matter any waiting - but then I’ve never looked for them so maybe they’ve been there and I just haven’t noticed them. Sorry.

 

As for whether a cab would take you to Zeebrugge-Strand station, again I couldn’t tell you. My guess would be yes, and it would probably cost about €10 or less, but the driver wouldn’t be over the moon about it when they’re expecting a nice €62 fare into Bruges.

 

If you don’t want to walk to the train station you can catch the coastal tram which stops at ‘Kerk’, about a 5 minute walk from the cruise terminal. It’s only two stops to the ‘Strandwijk’ stop, then another 5 minute walk to Zeebrugge-Strand station. OR stay on the tram 4 more stops to Blankenberge and catch a train from there. 

[Cardiff girl]

2 hours ago, gumshoe958 said:

Cabs can take you right into the centre of Bruges, yes, so they’ll be the fastest option.

 

Having never taken one I couldn’t tell you how many there are. I have never seen a long line of them waiting at the terminal - or for that matter any waiting - but then I’ve never looked for them so maybe they’ve been there and I just haven’t noticed them. Sorry.

 

As for whether a cab would take you to Zeebrugge-Strand station, again I couldn’t tell you. My guess would be yes, and it would probably cost about €10 or less, but the driver wouldn’t be over the moon about it when they’re expecting a nice €62 fare into Bruges.

 

If you don’t want to walk to the train station you can catch the coastal tram which stops at ‘Kerk’, about a 5 minute walk from the cruise terminal. It’s only two stops to the ‘Strandwijk’ stop, then another 5 minute walk to Zeebrugge-Strand station. OR stay on the tram 4 more stops to Blankenberge and catch a train from there. 

Thanks again. I'd probably enjoy the walk, just trying to work out the fastest/easiest way to get there. 

Re taxis, I'm the same - I didn't see any last time, but I wasn't looking. 

Maybe the best thing is to enjoy the various stages of the journey and see them as part of the day out.

At least I know all the various options now (apart from the 33 bus from Blankenberge 🚍). 

[Twilightstar18]

22 hours ago, gumshoe958 said:

Until Sunday 27th August the trains run from Zeebrugge-Strand 7 days a week.
 

From Monday 28th they run from Zeebrugge-Dorp on weekdays and Zeebrugge-Strand at weekends.

 

Adventurous because people happy to walk for half an hour to get a train are a rare commodity on CC! I thought I was the only one who did that!

 

Don’t forget to factor into your timings the unavoidable shuttle bus ride between the ship and the cruise terminal. It takes less than 5 minutes but if you just miss one you may have to wait for the next one to fill up. Ship to train should take 45-50 mins but I’d allow a bit more to be safe.

Thank you! So good to know of these options. I'm presuming that the trains from both Zeebrugge-Strand and Blankenberge go to the same train station in Bruges- it will also allow for some options coming back if we can take either train to find our way back to the ship. 

[gumshoe958]

39 minutes ago, Twilightstar18 said:

Thank you! So good to know of these options. I'm presuming that the trains from both Zeebrugge-Strand and Blankenberge go to the same train station in Bruges- it will also allow for some options coming back if we can take either train to find our way back to the ship. 

Same station, yes.

 

And for a third straightforward rail option, there are hourly (sometimes half hourly) trains between Bruges and Knokke which, like Blankenberge, is on the coastal tram line which runs through Zeebrugge, but in the other direction.

[Travelicious]

Thanks for the info on the Coastal Tram.  We'll have 3 stops at this port within a few weeks, so it is good to know other options.

[beyondthepalace]

We will be in Zeebruge 12/27/23 on MSC Euribia. We don't mind an adventure but we are trying to get to Bruges the easiest way possible. Am I understanding this correctly as once we get off the boat, we will have to take a shuttle bus to the transportation center to get ANY form of transportation into Bruges? Yes I see that train/bus might be cheaper but with 2A & 2C, might be easier to get cab. 

[gumshoe958]

1 hour ago, beyondthepalace said:

We will be in Zeebruge 12/27/23 on MSC Euribia. We don't mind an adventure but we are trying to get to Bruges the easiest way possible. Am I understanding this correctly as once we get off the boat, we will have to take a shuttle bus to the transportation center to get ANY form of transportation into Bruges? Yes I see that train/bus might be cheaper but with 2A & 2C, might be easier to get cab. 

Yes. Zeebrugge is a huge commercial port and the cruise terminal is some distance from where the ship docks. As they don’t allow any walking within the port, everyone has to get on a shuttle bus to the terminal where cabs and buses to Bruges will be available.

[Cardiff girl]

On 7/25/2023 at 3:43 PM, beyondthepalace said:

We will be in Zeebruge 12/27/23 on MSC Euribia. We don't mind an adventure but we are trying to get to Bruges the easiest way possible. Am I understanding this correctly as once we get off the boat, we will have to take a shuttle bus to the transportation center to get ANY form of transportation into Bruges? Yes I see that train/bus might be cheaper but with 2A & 2C, might be easier to get cab. 

The easiest way to get to Bruges is probably an MSC excursion or a taxi from the port gates, assuming there are enough waiting. The local shuttle from near the port gates is cheaper & fairly straightforward.

Shuttles and trains stop around 10 /15 mins walk from the centre of Bruges, taxis get you closer. 

[Twilightstar18]

Is it true that all trains leaving Blankenberge goes through Bruges? When I looked at the train schedule it seems the trains to Bruges were hourly- 950/ 1053- are there additional trains that may not have been listed but have Bruges as a stop.

[gumshoe958]

1 hour ago, Twilightstar18 said:

Is it true that all trains leaving Blankenberge goes through Bruges? When I looked at the train schedule it seems the trains to Bruges were hourly- 950/ 1053- are there additional trains that may not have been listed but have Bruges as a stop.

Yes, all trains from Blankenberge stop at Bruges before (mostly) continuing on to other destinations in Belgium.

 

They generally run once an hour 7 days a week.

[Cardiff girl]

I've just done this journey with P&O.

We'd planned to walk to the Zeebrugge station. We were straight off the ship but would have missed the Zeebrugge hourly train waiting for others to fill the shuttle out of the port. We got the free shuttle to Blankenberge, just missed one train and caught the next an hour later. We had 3ish hours and returned at 2pm to be sure to be back onboard in good time. Day returns were two for €7 on a summer 2 for 1 offer. 

Someone who paid €40 ship excursion was annoyed she'd paid more than us but she'd had a full, straightforward day in Bruges.

We enjoy public transport, but it takes longer and can be unreliable. 

[Cardiff girl]

Also, on our return, we stopped to take photos of the ship but were told off by a port official and told to get straight on the ship - so it seems the shuttle across the port is unavoidable. 

[mycalpal]

On 7/17/2023 at 12:10 PM, Harters said:

By the by,  for anyone not wanting to go to Brugge, both Zeebrugge and Blankenberge have stops for the Coastal Tram which runs from there all along the coast to De Panne near the border with France. 

 

It's a lovely bit of coast with some nice towns - like Oostende, Nieuwpoort and Koksijde. Trams run every 10 - 20 minutes and  you can buy a day ticket which allows you to hop on and off.

 

https://www.delijn.be/en/content/kusttram/

Thank you!  Such beautiful towns and so much history.   I’m looking forward to seeing that coastline it was so important in 1588!  They sell a day pass for the Tram.  

[John Bull]

4 hours ago, mycalpal said:

Thank you!  Such beautiful towns and so much history.   I’m looking forward to seeing that coastline it was so important in 1588!  They sell a day pass for the Tram.  

 

Be aware that for most of its route between Zeebrugge and Ostend the tram route is behind high sand dunes so no view of the coast. There's a good stretch along the coast after Ostend  - on the dunes at Raversijde you'll see some of the fortifications built for WW1 and also used in WW2 as part of the Atlantic Wall.

Then mainly town streets between Nieuwpoort and the end of the line at the seaside resort of De Panne

1588 was a little further, off the French coast between Dunkirk & Calais

 

https://www.raversyde.be/nl/atlantikwall-raversyde/atlantikwall

To visit, get off the tram here https://goo.gl/maps/ZGY3MrgjLQaocjQt5 (it's the second Raversjide stop called Raversjide Provinciedomein, check with the driver) and take the wooden steps over the dunes to a lane at the back which leads to the entrance

 

JB 🙂 

[Harters]

In real life, I'm a military history researcher and author, specialising in the Great War. My trips to the coastal area have always been in connection with that, often to take photos for one of the books.

 

Niewpoort would be the place to visit for anyone with a general interest in the War. The Western Front started on the shoreline there, extending in a continuous trench line all the  way to Switzerland. And there's military cemeteries all over the area - always quiet, peaceful places to visit, even for those without a burning interest in the subject. I think there are still remnants of artillery emplacements near Nieupoort. These were actually British naval guns brought ashore and installed as long range siege guns, targetting German strongpoints. It was a specialist unit known as the Royal Naval Siege Guns. My pal, Mick, is an expert on the unit and the men who served with it. 

 

 

[Harters]

By the by, the port of Zeebrugge itself was the scene of one of the more daring actions of the Great War, when it was raided by Royal Marines, and supporting ships, on 23/4/18. Amongst many gallantry awards, there were eleven Victoria Crosses awarded - some allocated by ballot of the men involved as so much bravery had occurred, not everyone who might have deserved a VC could get one.

 

I'm not sure if there's anything left to see at the port (except a memorial) but, at least for those arriving by cruise ship, you'll know you are standing where history was made. 

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zeebrugge_Raid