Zeebrugge & Bruges

[LymingtonLad]

We're booked onto a Queen Anne cruise this December which will call at Zeebrugge, and we'd like to take the opportunity to visit Bruges.

 

There are two Cunard excursion tours to Bruges available, but neither is really what we're looking for...all we really want is convenient transport to Bruges.

 

For those of you who have done the same trip would you pay for the Cunard excursion, or would you make your own way to and from Bruges via Blankenberge (assuming that Cunard offers a free shuttle to Blankenberge)?

 

Thank you!

Edited June 1 by LymingtonLad

[Pushpit]

There are a number of ways of doing this, Personally I walk to the church (under 10 minutes) and take the tram to Blankenberge. That tram is a remarkable institution, it goes along virtually the entire coastline of Belgium so it opens up a long list of towns and villages.  Then as you suggest the train to Bruges. Ship to the SNCB station in Brugge is about one hour. The main tourist sites of Bruges / Brugge are mainly within 2 km of the station.

 

You can also use the Belgian equivalent of Boris Bikes to get to Blankenberge and back, you best register in advance for that and you are at the mercy of the bike supply at both ends. There's one train an hour on that route. There are other stations you can use, notably Ostend and Duinbergen to get around that, it still takes about an hour - this is worth knowing for the return to the ship if you just miss the Blankenberge train and don't want to hang around for an hour.

 

Some people just take a taxi there and back, it's the sort of thing you can raise with people dining around your table. If there are 4 in a taxi it's quite cost effective. It's 20 km and about 30 minutes that way. Around 60€ each way.

 

Other people find the convenience, and safety of not missing the boat, gives Cunard excursions value for money, it's all about one's own approach to life really, there isn't a right or wrong answer.

[LymingtonLad]

Smashing answer, thank you Pushpit! I've also found Solent Richard's excellent guide to Zeebrugge.

 

I think I'll listen to my inner wuss and book the Cunard excursion!

[Host Hattie]

On our last trip to Bruges we booked a taxi in advance with others from our roll call. The advantage is that they can drop you in the centre of town and you can stay as long as you like. 

[majortom10]

Get shuttle bus to Blankenberge and then train to Bruges. Easy, convenient and cheap.

[Winifred 22]

We had a taxi each way it was 50 euros each way so for 5 it was brilliant value. He dropped us right in the main square and agreed a pick time af the same place which he turned  up to on  time. The train station is a good 15 -20 min walk from Bruges centre so a taxi is a perfect way to save time and for convenience. The driver told us the fares are fixed by local authorities at 50 euros per journey. There were plenty of taxis at the terminal drop off point.

 

Edited June 1 by Winifred 22

[Winifred 22]

7 minutes ago, Winifred 22 said:

We had a taxi each way it was 50 euros each way so for 5 it was brilliant value. He dropped us right in the main square and agreed a pick time af the same place which he turned up on time. The train station is a good 15 -20 min walk from Bruges centre so a taxi so perfect to save time and for convenience. The driver told us the fares are fixed by local authorities at 50 euros per journey. There were plenty of taxis at the terminal drop off point.

 

 

[Lanky Lad]

2 hours ago, majortom10 said:

Get shuttle bus to Blankenberge and then train to Bruges. Easy, convenient and cheap.

There is only one train an hour. I think it goes at about 56 past the hour. 

[techteach]

@LymingtonLad We’re perhaps on the same cruise with you. We’ve never been to Zeebrugge, and I expect it to be raining. I got tired of trying to figure it all out, and worrying about it, so I booked the excursion that includes the canal and the afternoon on our own.

[majortom10]

1 hour ago, Winifred 22 said:

 

No good if there is only 2 of you makes it expensive.

[majortom10]

1 hour ago, Lanky Lad said:

There is only one train an hour. I think it goes at about 56 past the hour. 

No great issue because it is only a very short train ride and very cheap.

[exlondoner]

1 minute ago, majortom10 said:

No great issue because it is only a very short train ride and very cheap.

I think the issue is more the long wait if there is a cancellation.

[RK-NC]

5 hours ago, Pushpit said:

Personally I walk to the church (under 10 minutes) and take the tram to Blankenberge. That tram is a remarkable institution, it goes along virtually the entire coastline of Belgium so it opens up a long list of towns and villages.

@Pushpit thanks for this information! The tram looks very interesting, where is the church you refer to, I can't seem to find where to get onto the tram in Zeebrugge, but I do see tram stops a long the way to Blankenberge.

[Winifred 22]

14 minutes ago, RK-NC said:

@Pushpit thanks for this information! The tram looks very interesting, where is the church you refer to, I can't seem to find where to get onto the tram in Zeebrugge, but I do see tram stops a long the way to Blankenberge.

You need take  the Cunard shuttle to Blankenberge then get the tram from there. Zeebrugge Port is quite away out. You have to take a port shuttle as soon as you disembark the ship. No pedestrians allowed in port area . The port shuttle takes you to customs terminal building. There you can either take the Cunard shuttle to Blankenberge then walk to tram station or pick up a taxi 

Edited June 1 by Winifred 22

[RK-NC]

23 minutes ago, Winifred 22 said:

The port shuttle takes you to customs terminal building.

 

6 hours ago, Pushpit said:

I walk to the church (under 10 minutes)

@Pushpit I found the tram stop Zeebrugge Kustlaan which is less than 10 minute walk from Cruise Terminal, as you stated.  Which will then take you to Blankenberge.  THANKS!!

[Pushpit]

47 minutes ago, RK-NC said:

 

@Pushpit I found the tram stop Zeebrugge Kustlaan which is less than 10 minute walk from Cruise Terminal, as you stated.  Which will then take you to Blankenberge.  THANKS!!

It's Zeebrugge Kerk in Flemish, Église in Walloon.  Kustlaan (coast line in English) is the name of the service or KT = Kusttram. There are all within a few metres of each other, and as you probably have seen it's just right out of the terminal building. I've never been stopped walking in or out, occasionally they want to see your passport and cruise card at the gate but mostly they aren't bothered. They sometimes do that in taxis too.

 

Just note that KT has a huge numbers of stops (67 apparently). It's one of the longest transit systems of its sort in the world. Because it goes from the French border to the Dutch border, all the larger coast towns have a train service to Bruges or Brussels, so it's quite a flexible thing. 

 

Website:

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

 

Edited June 1 by Pushpit

[NavyPanda]

As mentioned by others, the ships shuttle is likely to take you to Blankenberge (possibly at a cost if you haven't booked the Cunard fare). From there you can take the train into Bruges then walk into the centre from there.

 

Alternatively, from the cruise terminal you can walk (about 20 minutes, 1 mile) to Zeebrugge-Dorp station then take the train into Bruges, trains are hourly, just like Blankenberge (although the trains from Dorp are Mon-Fri only, I believe)  

[Victoria2]

We took the train into Bruges well before Covid and it worked well but wouldn't do it now. It's a good ten to fifteen minute walk over cobbled /uneven streets and pavements.

We would bear the cost of a taxi. Quicker, reliable and definitely more a central drop off/pick up.

[Winifred 22]

9 minutes ago, NavyPanda said:

As mentioned by others, the ships shuttle is likely to take you to Blankenberge (possibly at a cost if you haven't booked the Cunard fare). From there you can take the train into Bruges then walk into the centre from there.

 

Alternatively, from the cruise terminal you can walk (about 20 minutes, 1 mile) to Zeebrugge-Dorp station then take the train into Bruges, trains are hourly, just like Blankenberge (although the trains from Dorp are Mon-Fri only, I believe)  

I have never been charged on Cunard shuttles whatever my fare type  don’t scan your card so no way of charging. They just do a visual check.

[Winifred 22]

8 minutes ago, Victoria2 said:

We took the train into Bruges well before Covid and it worked well but wouldn't do it now. It's a good ten to fifteen minute walk over cobbled /uneven streets and pavements.

We would bear the cost of a taxi. Quicker, reliable and definitely more a central drop off/pick up.

Definitely taxi was so convenient from terminal to square and a pick time  to suit us. 

[Pushpit]

8 minutes ago, Winifred 22 said:

I have never been charged on Cunard shuttles whatever my fare type  don’t scan your card so no way of charging. They just do a visual check.

Yes, that thing about Saver (charged) and Cunard (free) fares for bus shuttles is clearly on the webpage but in reality on the ground no-one cares. I suspect there are so many fare variations globally, once you factor in travel agents, that it's impossible to police.

[elmsliebev]

we got the port shuttle to the gates, then a coach from there to the big car park/drop off point in Bruges. It's about a 15minute walk through a nice park to the centre. It all worked very well. I think Solent Richard's blog gave the info. If more than 2 of you, a taxi is probably better value. I think it was 18euro each for the bus, but not certain. 

[MozzaG]

21 hours ago, majortom10 said:

Get shuttle bus to Blankenberge and then train to Bruges. Easy, convenient and cheap.

We are on the same cruise and are planning to do just this. Been on Cunard stops in Zeebrugge previously and the shuttle bus has dropped us off in Blankenburge by the church.

[vistaman]

sorry for late reply ; zeebrugge is a terrible cruise port imho one of the weakest on the line lisbon hamburg

in december during weekdays there is one train to brugge every hour from zeebrugge station 

under normal circumstances  i will be pax on queen anne dep 15th december 2024

maybe as a belgian i should do a consultation parlour 😄

blankenberge is a weak rather low classed village  the upper classed village on the belgian seaside is knokke the opposite direction of blankenberge  there is a statin as well ome train every hour 

being belgian i will not going to brugge  but going to a nice restaurant either in knokke or heist 

unfortunately that day a nice and friendly place opposite the church of zeebrugge is closed during that december cruise call

people from antwerp dislike zeebruggge  heavily !!!