Anyone wants to go from Zeebrugge to Bruges? Here are some options:

[Lair Bear]

In an earlier post I mentioned a nice walking tour of Bruges that starts at the railroad station. http://www.*****.com/Brugge%205.html

 

What I didn’t tell you was how to go from the cruise terminal in Zeebrugge (meaning Sea Brugge) to the city of Bruges (AKA Brugge), a distance of only about 8.5 miles as the crow flies.

 

Here are a few options about how to cover that seemingly short distance:

 

1. Sign up for a cruise ship tour or transport. Our least favorite for this port since it is so easy to see Bruges on your own and all cruise ships charge too much. Oceania, for example, charges $89 per person just to give you a ride on a bus.

 

2. Take a taxi. There are not too many at the dock if you are on a large ship. So, you should make advanced reservations. One company is “Brugse Taxi Service” email info@brugsetaxiservice.be Attn. Koen Keereman.

He charges 45 euros one way, meets you at the dock and will take you back later in the day for another 45 euros. Let him know in advance how many in your group. He can handle up to eight people for the same price. I am also trying to make contact with another taxi service to see if the price is about right and will post that info later.

 

3. Take the train.

Before I go any further, let me mention that public transportation in Europe is fast, safe and very economical. Americans are just not used to it and always shy away from taking a bus or train. Too bad. If you want to be a bit braver, consider the following options:

 

a. From the cruise ship terminal walk to the train station in the little town of Blankenberge. It is a long walk of about 2.5 miles due west along the coastal road “Kustlaan”. From there an eleven minute train ride takes to the starting point of the afore mentioned walking tour in Bruges.

b. If you’d rather not walk that far, take the coastal tram from Zeebrugge to Blankenberge. The tram costs you one euro per person. The train is four euros for seniors and five euros if you are not. So, for six euros or less you can be there and back (round trip).

 

Here are a few more details and schedules for the summer of 2008:

There is a direct train from Blankenberge to Bruges that leaves at 8:10, then 9:10 etc every hour. If you should miss that by a few minutes you can also take a bus right outside the station. Bus 33 goes to almost the same place and leaves at 8:20 for example. I don’t know if the fare is the same.

The tram from Zeebrugge to Blankenberge goes every ten minutes, so you can time yourselves from that. To catch the tram, walk outside the harbor area, go to the main road (Kustlaan) and turn west. In front of the little beach village of Strandwijk is one of the tram stops. It is a couple hundred yards walk. Ask anyone. Then tell the tram conductor that you want to go to the train station in Blankenberg. He will throw you off at the right place.

You might want to get some euros at an ATM in Blankenberge. There are three banks close near the railroad station. You will find that most people speak enough English to show you where to go. (No pun intended).

To go back the same way I suggest you consult the schedules that are posted at the train station. There is one website, but it is in Dutch, and I don’t want to translate all the instructions here.

http://hari.b-holding.be/Hafas/bin/query.exe/nn?OK#focus

 

Every cruise ship has its own schedule and everyone is afraid that they will miss it. However, It is quite doable to go back from the station in Bruges to the ship within an hour. When in doubt, you can still take a cab back if you can find one.

 

Oh, there is one more way to cover the 8.5 miles. You might find a bicycle rental place in Strandwijk and ride along the canal that connects Zeebrugge to Bruges. We have not tried that.

[smokey01]

Thanks for posting this. We will be going there on Queen Victoria May 28th and we will give the walk a try. I have just been to the train information link you posted:-http://hari.b-holding.be/Hafas/bin/query.exe/nn?OK#focus

and notice it does give you an 'EN' option for English. We may decide to buy the ticket online before we go to save the queue to buy tickets on the day.

 

I believe Cunard provide a free shuttle from the port to Blankenberge.

[Lair Bear]

One thing good about the larger ships is that they can provide the free shuttle service to the train station in Blankenberge. We will be on a smaller ship with Oceania and so far I have not been able to find out if they will or will not have a shuttle.

I would appreciate any feed back you might have later on about the walk. That goes for anyone else who has suggestions for additional stops, points of interest, restaurants, etc. Pictures of general interest are also nice to see. It is easy to add or change the web site.

[TLCOhio]

Bruges is super wonderful. Like being in a "real" Disney World, only larger, better, nicer and, of course, really historic. So much to enjoy there, including lunch in the square, watching people, enjoying the beer, etc., etc. Visited there last April on a day-trip from Paris. Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

[Toots]

Our ship provided a free shuttle to the train station in Blankenberge. If you're old enough, ask for the senior price to Bruge, it saved a lot. It was easyto take the train and to walk around Bruge on our own, such a lovely city. If time allows after your trip to Bruge and your return to Blankenberge, walk from the train station into town all the way to the sea. Fun boardwalk with outdoor tables, lots of shops on way back to train station.

[Missus Makkem]

In an earlier post I mentioned a nice walking tour of Bruges that starts at the railroad station. http://www.*****.com/Brugge%205.html

 

What I didn’t tell you was how to go from the cruise terminal in Zeebrugge (meaning Sea Brugge) to the city of Bruges (AKA Brugge), a distance of only about 8.5 miles as the crow flies.

 

Here are a few options about how to cover that seemingly short distance:

 

1. Sign up for a cruise ship tour or transport. Our least favorite for this port since it is so easy to see Bruges on your own and all cruise ships charge too much. Oceania, for example, charges $89 per person just to give you a ride on a bus.

 

2. Take a taxi. There are not too many at the dock if you are on a large ship. So, you should make advanced reservations. One company is “Brugse Taxi Service” email info@brugsetaxiservice.be Attn. Koen Keereman.

He charges 45 euros one way, meets you at the dock and will take you back later in the day for another 45 euros. Let him know in advance how many in your group. He can handle up to eight people for the same price. I am also trying to make contact with another taxi service to see if the price is about right and will post that info later.

 

3. Take the train.

Before I go any further, let me mention that public transportation in Europe is fast, safe and very economical. Americans are just not used to it and always shy away from taking a bus or train. Too bad. If you want to be a bit braver, consider the following options:

 

a. From the cruise ship terminal walk to the train station in the little town of Blankenberge. It is a long walk of about 2.5 miles due west along the coastal road “Kustlaan”. From there an eleven minute train ride takes to the starting point of the afore mentioned walking tour in Bruges.

b. If you’d rather not walk that far, take the coastal tram from Zeebrugge to Blankenberge. The tram costs you one euro per person. The train is four euros for seniors and five euros if you are not. So, for six euros or less you can be there and back (round trip).

 

Here are a few more details and schedules for the summer of 2008:

There is a direct train from Blankenberge to Bruges that leaves at 8:10, then 9:10 etc every hour. If you should miss that by a few minutes you can also take a bus right outside the station. Bus 33 goes to almost the same place and leaves at 8:20 for example. I don’t know if the fare is the same.

The tram from Zeebrugge to Blankenberge goes every ten minutes, so you can time yourselves from that. To catch the tram, walk outside the harbor area, go to the main road (Kustlaan) and turn west. In front of the little beach village of Strandwijk is one of the tram stops. It is a couple hundred yards walk. Ask anyone. Then tell the tram conductor that you want to go to the train station in Blankenberg. He will throw you off at the right place.

You might want to get some euros at an ATM in Blankenberge. There are three banks close near the railroad station. You will find that most people speak enough English to show you where to go. (No pun intended).

To go back the same way I suggest you consult the schedules that are posted at the train station. There is one website, but it is in Dutch, and I don’t want to translate all the instructions here.

http://hari.b-holding.be/Hafas/bin/query.exe/nn?OK#focus

 

Every cruise ship has its own schedule and everyone is afraid that they will miss it. However, It is quite doable to go back from the station in Bruges to the ship within an hour. When in doubt, you can still take a cab back if you can find one.

 

Oh, there is one more way to cover the 8.5 miles. You might find a bicycle rental place in Strandwijk and ride along the canal that connects Zeebrugge to Bruges. We have not tried that.

 

What about the train station at Zeebrugge -Dorp, that station is less than 2.5 miles

from here the train is direct

 

BG

[Lair Bear]

I know that one of the city web sites of Bruges (Brugge) mentioned that a train connection between Bruges and Zeebrugge is easy, but I have not found anyone or anything to confirm that.

Do you happen to know how and when? The Belgian train guide says no connection. All previous posts talk about walking or a ship shuttle to Blankenberge to catch the train from there, etc.

 

I wonder if this is something new. Does anyone know?

[Missus Makkem]

I know that one of the city web sites of Bruges (Brugge) mentioned that a train connection between Bruges and Zeebrugge is easy, but I have not found anyone or anything to confirm that.

Do you happen to know how and when? The Belgian train guide says no connection. All previous posts talk about walking or a ship shuttle to Blankenberge to catch the train from there, etc.

 

I wonder if this is something new. Does anyone know?

 

Hi,

was given this web site and directions from Zeebrugge tourist office for the train from Dorp.

 

Directions was to turn right at the port gates,look for the water tower,near fire station, opposite ,small sign for the station,

we did this last Sept07,train starts here for Brugge ,9.30 a.m bought return ticket on the train from guard/collector.,left Brugge just before the hour,same train

[Lair Bear]

Hi,

Directions was to turn right at the port gates,look for the water tower,near fire station, opposite ,small sign for the station,

we did this last Sept07,train starts here for Brugge ,9.30 a.m bought return ticket on the train from guard/collector.,left Brugge just before the hour,same train

 

I checked this out some more and indeed there is a train that goes from Zeebrugge direct to Brugge. It runs every hour; however, the schedules have changed. At least when I checked for the month of July (during the week) the train leaves from Zeebrugge-Strand station at 7;33, 8;33, etc.

The trains coming back from Brugge leave there at 15;12, 16;12, etc.

Here is the web site for the Belgian trains.

http://www.b-rail.be/main/E/

 

Be sure to include Zeebrugge-Strand or Zeebrugge-Dorp.

What threw me for a loop before was that I had simply used Zeebrugge and that does not compute. Furthermore, there seems to be a bit of confusion about the two names. The station described by Missus Makkem is the Zeebrugge-Strand, not the Zeebrugge-Dorp. (Strand means "beach", Dorp is "village"). The Dorp station is further along the line and ends at the small village area. Both are easy walking distance to the ships.

 

So now we can forget everything I wrote in the beginning of this post.

[Missus Makkem]

I checked this out some more and indeed there is a train that goes from Zeebrugge direct to Brugge. It runs every hour; however, the schedules have changed. At least when I checked for the month of July (during the week) the train leaves from Zeebrugge-Strand station at 7;33, 8;33, etc.

The trains coming back from Brugge leave there at 15;12, 16;12, etc.

Here is the web site for the Belgian trains.

http://www.b-rail.be/main/E/

 

Be sure to include Zeebrugge-Strand or Zeebrugge-Dorp.

What threw me for a loop before was that I had simply used Zeebrugge and that does not compute. Furthermore, there seems to be a bit of confusion about the two names. The station described by Missus Makkem is the Zeebrugge-Strand, not the Zeebrugge-Dorp. (Strand means "beach", Dorp is "village"). The Dorp station is further along the line and ends at the small village area. Both are easy walking distance to the ships.

 

So now we can forget everything I wrote in the beginning of this post.

 

Hi

No please not to forget your early post,we all like to learn something from such good postings.

Yes the station is called Zeebrugge-Dorp,the train was every hour,from here.left Dorp at 30 mins past the hour and returned on the hour from Brugges.

I would recommend it to cruises PASSENGERS to can get the the station either by tram or like us on foot.(10 MINS )

Thanks for all good advice and the web site.

BG

[MightyQuinn]

I checked the Belgian Railways site for the train schedule from Zeebrugge- Dorp to Brugge. Looks like an easy 16 min trip with frequent departures. But just to be sure, I contacted Tourism Brugge to confirm that this train really is the best. Here's their reply:

 

"The cruise ships dock in the port of Zeebrugge and not at a special terminal, therefore it would be quite a walk and potentially dangerous to get to the railway station. You can take a taxi from your ship to the railway station, trains leave hourly for Bruges. You could also take a taxi directly to Bruges as Zeebrugge is only 8 mile away."

 

Missus Makkem, since you did this very trip last year, may I ask how you would describe the walk from the ship to Zeebrugge rail station? I assume that any "danger" that Tourism Brugge mentions would be from industrial port traffic and congested roads rather than from friendly locals!

[Missus Makkem]

I checked the Belgian Railways site for the train schedule from Zeebrugge- Dorp to Brugge. Looks like an easy 16 min trip with frequent departures. But just to be sure, I contacted Tourism Brugge to confirm that this train really is the best. Here's their reply:

 

"The cruise ships dock in the port of Zeebrugge and not at a special terminal, therefore it would be quite a walk and potentially dangerous to get to the railway station. You can take a taxi from your ship to the railway station, trains leave hourly for Bruges. You could also take a taxi directly to Bruges as Zeebrugge is only 8 mile away."

 

Missus Makkem, since you did this very trip last year, may I ask how you would describe the walk from the ship to Zeebrugge rail station? I assume that any "danger" that Tourism Brugge mentions would be from industrial port traffic and congested roads rather than from friendly locals!

 

Yes we walked both ways from the port,throught the gates,very guiet along the highway to the train station, there is a tram 2 stops from the port to station.

The tourist officer who gave us info did not mention or need to of any danger,biggest danger, getting off the ships & tourist buses leaving from there.Turn right after leaving the dock compound.

As said the landmark is the water tower,which u can see from the the top of the ship.

Train station is down a narrow street,(opposite the tower), poorly marked,

there is a good deli,with coffee, if you are early just before the station

We are 2 seniors, & enjoyed the stroll,especially Brugge into centre.

[MightyQuinn]

Thanks Missus Makkem. I figured Tourism Brugge was being a tad dramatic with their description! We'll certainly use your directions to walk from the ship to the Zeebrugge-Dorp train station. And maybe grab a cup of that good coffee at the nearby deli.

 

Thanks also to Lair Bair for posting an excellent walking tour of Brugge. With this info in hand, we're looking forward to a wonderful day!

[cadreamer]

This information has been extremely helpful. I have printed the walking tour going from the station so iIfeel very prepared for Brugge. I was also able to access the web site for the train and checked the times for June, 2008. It is the same time going to Brugge but it departs Brugge at 09 past each hour. Again thanks so much for all your efforts.

[Lair Bear]

There still seems to be some confusion about the location and names of the train station in Zeebrugge. The map below still is not accurate enough. Apparently the Strand Station was moved closer to the beach. According to subsequent correspondence with Piet Vandenkerkhove the train schedules for the summer go to the 'Strand' Station (Beach Station) and not the 'Dorp' (or village in Dutch). He also mentioned that the Strand station is north of the main road (Kustlaan) and closer to the beach -about where the word 'strand' ends in the map below. This is a lot closer to the larger cruise ship docks.

The black lines on the map are the train rails.

 

Here is what I had shown before:

 

I have added the map below for those who arrive at Zeebrugge by ferry or cruise ship. This information came from private correspondence with Mrh. Piet Vandenkerkhove, Public Relations Department at the harbor. Cruise ships smaller than 180 meters (590 feet) usually dock at pier 35. Ships longer than 180 meters dock at pier 24. The ferry lands near 43.

Those who are interested in taking the train to Brugge can do so from the station Zeebrugge-Dorp, the station marked "D" (dorp is Dutch for village). However, during the months of July and August (2008) the train departs from the Strand station, marked "S" (strand is Dutch for beach). Depending on the dock, both are about 0.7 miles from the dock. Information about train schedules to and fro Bruges (Brugge) can be found at the web site of the Belgian railway system: http://www.b-rail.be/main/E/

 

[MightyQuinn]

There still seems to be some confusion about the location and names of the train station in Zeebrugge. The map below still is not accurate enough. Apparently the Strand Station was moved closer to the beach. According to subsequent correspondence with Piet Vandenkerkhove the train schedules for the summer go to the 'Strand' Station (Beach Station) and not the 'Dorp' (or village in Dutch). He also mentioned that the Strand station is north of the main road (Kustlaan) and closer to the beach -about where the word 'strand' ends in the map below. This is a lot closer to the larger cruise ship docks.

 

The train from Zeebrugge to Bruges is fast & easy but getting to the Rail Station (Zeebrugge Dorp) from the ship was an ordeal. We were docked at Swedish Quay, more or less in the centre of port and only 2 km from the rail station. Seemed easy enough. But Zeebrugge Port is a sprawling complex with multiple quays, busy roads and crisscrossing tracks serving container trucks, cargo ships, ferries and cruise ships. It is a huge place and not pedestrian-friendly. It took us at least 15 min of very fast walking to reach N34 (Kustlaan) the main artery out of the port. From there we walked another 7-8 long blocks along a very busy highway (no sidewalks, several traffic circles and tons of container trucks whizzing by) until we reached the little town. We wanted to bail at several points, but we were in the middle of nowhere and the only way out was to keep going. Along the way we passed Zeebrugge Strand, literally a station stop (closed) built into a highway underpass. It was a most unpleasant and harrowing 45-min walk. We arrived at Zeebrugge Dorp, breathless, just in time to hop the train to Bruges. We would not recommend this at all. If you choose to take the train from Zeebrugge Dorp, take a taxi from the ship to the station. In hindsight, we should have taken the shuttle (free) to Blankenburg and taken the train to Bruges from there. But the rocky start didn’t detract from our day in Bruges, which was delightful.

[eknightley]

Hi MQ,

 

Thanks very much for posting about your experience. I was hoping to try the walk to a Zeebrugge rail station, but it doesn't sound like a good idea! So here are some questions:

 

1) How did you return to your ship from Bruges? Did you take the same harrowing walk on your return?

 

2) Many cruise passengers reserve taxis at this port. Were other taxis available at the port for those without reservations? If yes, what time did you leave port? Do you think taxis would be available throughout the morning?

 

Thanks again. Hope you are still reading this thread.

 

Emma

[MightyQuinn]

Hi MQ,

 

Thanks very much for posting about your experience. I was hoping to try the walk to a Zeebrugge rail station, but it doesn't sound like a good idea! So here are some questions:

 

1) How did you return to your ship from Bruges? Did you take the same harrowing walk on your return?

 

2) Many cruise passengers reserve taxis at this port. Were other taxis available at the port for those without reservations? If yes, what time did you leave port? Do you think taxis would be available throughout the morning?

 

Thanks again. Hope you are still reading this thread.

 

Emma

We were wiser on the return trip! We took a train from Bruges to Blankenburg where we got the free shuttle back to the ship. The shuttle was provided by the port/town and not by the ship, so you may have the same option. It started at 9:00am (an hour after we arrived in port) and went every 1/2 hour until 4:30pm. It was about a 10 min ride to Blankenburg.

 

Taxis were available at Zeebrugge Port when we disembarked at 8:30am and as far as I could tell, not all of them were pre-reserved. I'm sure they "cruise" the port when a ship arrives looking for potential fares. We were out for the entire day so I really don't know if there were taxis around later. I would still recommend the train as an excellent way to get to Bruges - it's quick, reliable and cost-effective. As you probably know, the taxi fare to Bruges is ridiculous. I'd suggest either 1) hop the free shuttle to Blankenburg to catch the train to Bruges OR 2) if no shuttle is provided, take a taxi to either Zeebrugge Dorp or Blankenburg to make train connections.

 

Good luck - Bruges is certainly worth the effort!

[TAD520]

I have prebooked the taxi through Brugse Taxi Service as mentioned on cruise critic and can highly recommend the speed of return e-mails.

 

At 90 Euros return we have got together a group of 8 so the cost including a tip is 25 Euros per couple as compared to $59 dollars with Cunard per person.

 

I am not as brave as some to walk around the dock to the train station, so this seemed like the best way to go and I would imagine saves a fair amount of time compared to walking to the station then getting the train.

[cadreamer]

We were recently in Zeebrugge on the Regatta and had planned to take the train. The local tourist information lady who came onto the ship tried to discourage me but I went to have a look for myself from the top of the ship. i could see it would be a harrowing walk and decided to try the taxi. It was about 10:30 and there were still folks leaving the ship and looking to share a taxi. The taxis came one at a time but they did keep coming. Some took 4 and some 7 or 8. Reading the above I am so glad we did not try the walk. There was no shuttle at the ship but the TI lady told me there was one at the train station or somewhere along the walk but she did not recommend it. I think the train is stopping at Zeebrugge Strand in July but it sounds a little tough also. If there is a shuttle right at the ship that would be a fine way to go, but if you find yorself wanting a taxi in mid morning they are there. For the return we went to the taxi stand and waited for other passengers to come along and we found a van for 8 so it was reasonable. We did leave the town a little earlier -around 3:30

[Lair Bear]

Hi MQ. I am glad you had a great cruise. I have a couple more questions for you, but let me start with Zeebrugge.

 

As you know, I tried to find out as much as I could about the train from Zeebrugge to Bruges and I am sorry it did not work out too well for you. It sounds like the walk to the Dorp station was too much of a hassle.

However, in July and August the train leaves from the Strand station.

If we cannot take a shuttle bus to Blankenberg (the best option, of course), would you still say that a walk to the Strand Station is not advisable?

Is the Strand station on the ocean side of the Kustlaan?

I realize that there will be a lot of traffic along the road from the ship and taxi stands to the Strand Station and Kustlaan, but would you still say 'don't do it?'

 

Thanks for all the info. I will be asking some more on other threads.

Jay

[MightyQuinn]

Hi MQ. I am glad you had a great cruise. I have a couple more questions for you, but let me start with Zeebrugge.

 

As you know, I tried to find out as much as I could about the train from Zeebrugge to Bruges and I am sorry it did not work out too well for you. It sounds like the walk to the Dorp station was too much of a hassle.

However, in July and August the train leaves from the Strand station.

If we cannot take a shuttle bus to Blankenberg (the best option, of course), would you still say that a walk to the Strand Station is not advisable?

Is the Strand station on the ocean side of the Kustlaan?

I realize that there will be a lot of traffic along the road from the ship and taxi stands to the Strand Station and Kustlaan, but would you still say 'don't do it?'

 

Thanks for all the info. I will be asking some more on other threads.

Jay

Hi Lair Bear – Talk about the best laid plans not going so well! I thought we were so prepared for the walk to Zeebrugge Rail Station. We had maps, directions and train schedules. How difficult could a 2 km jaunt be? But the on-the-ground reality was not what we expected (and in hindsight more in line with what Tourism Bruges advised me). The biggest challenge was walking out of the port & along Kustlaan. I can’t say strongly enough that this highway is very busy & hazardous. It simply is not meant for pedestrians. Zeebrugge Strand is about 650 m closer to the port than Zeebrugge Dorp. That would be better, but there’d still be a considerable walk along the highway. Zeebrugge Strand is not really on the ocean side – it’s built into an underpass of Albert II Laan, which intersects with Kustlaan. Bottom line, I wouldn’t recommend walking this route at all. Take a taxi or a shuttle to Blankenburg. But having said all that, Bruges is utterly captivating and I know you’ll have a wonderful day. Cheers! MightyQuinn

[Lair Bear]

MQ. I appreciate your input but a little further digging showed that our ship will be at pier 103 which is along the north-west dock. That should be closer to the Strand Station and hopefully less of a traffic hazard. Unfortunately Oceania (the Regatta) does not provide a shuttle bus and, according to my contact at the port of Zeebrugge, the shuttle is not run by the port but under contract through the cruise line. So, we are left with a taxi or walk. A taxi from the ship to the train station may still be an option if we can find one willing to do this short ride (end of the taxi line, perhaps).

The web site that shows the arrival locations of ships in Zeebrugge is http://www.zedis.be/

[bardstowntraveller]

I'd like to download the timetable for the train from Blankenberge to Brugge. Which stations should I put in?

[Lair Bear]

I'd like to download the timetable for the train from Blankenberge to Brugge. Which stations should I put in?

Use the following web site for the Belgian trains: http://www.b-rail.be/main/E/

Then for Blankenberg to Brugge you should enter 'Blankenberg' for departure and 'Bruges' for the arrival. Then hit 'confirm' to get the various times.

 

Good luck and have fun in my favorite Belgian city.