I will be traveling through Belgium in the middle of September and attending Zwanze Day in Brussels and was hoping for some advice. I have been looking at places to stay while I am there and was curious which regions of town are the best/safest while still putting me close enough to Cantillon. I generally am not worried about where I stay when I travel but this time I will be with my girlfriend. Due to a combination of me being a little overly protective and her not having a much traveling experience as me I want to make sure I find a place that she can feel comfortable and safe in walking around. Also any advice or recommendations on locations that I should definitely make time for would be amazing as well. My schedule is pretty open and I want to dedicate a good amount of time looking for and finding some hidden gems as well as places were I might be able to find some very rare bottles both in Brussels or anywhere else in Belgium. -Cheers
Stay in Brugge and take the 58 min train ride to Brussels, if you want a more comfortable and safe feel. I've stayed in Brussels once and Brugge 12 times. Brugge has more of a safe vacation feel. They also have some nice bars to discover via the places tab on this site.
I actually plan to go to Brugge for 3 days but my concern about not staying in Brussels is the fact that I plan to be at Cantillon until closing Zwanze Day as well as will mostly be at the different bars and locations till very late at night so I'd prefer to not have to drunkenly travel an hour to get back. I also have to take the train to London early in the morning after Zwanze to catch a flight from London to Munich.
maybe this place then? http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g188644-d258862-Reviews-s1-Hotel_Aris-Brussels.html
I used Airbnb & stayed about a mile NE of Gare de Bruxelles-Central, which seemed safe enough. That's a little over 2 miles from Cantillon, but the metro system in Brussels is pretty good from what I hear (I walked everywhere). I believe they also have a bike share program now.
Brussels Marriott right at the Grand Place has been a good location for us. We easily walked to Cantillion and back, even loads down with the beer we bought. Quite close to Moder Lambic as well...always felt perfectly safe.
We stay at the Brussels Marriott. Great location for walking around and great amenities. My wife and I have walked all around Brussels and have always felt safe. Have a great time!
As long as you stay near Grand Place it's completely safe. I have stayed right in that area twice and not once felt unsafe. I've also walked from there to Cantillon and while Cantillon is in a bit of an odd area, I again never felt unsafe.
first off, when you asking for trip advice, please include budget for lodging. 2nd do want a/c or ruff it? it can be HOT as hell in September and it can be cool..... do you want hotel or B&B as far as safe goes. Brussels is safer than 99% of the US. If out late at night, try not to be drunk and wave crazy amounts of money anywhere but in a money belt. after going to Europe for over 30 years the worse I seen in northern Europe is pick pockets. buy Rick Steves' book. Amsterdam, Brussels and Bruges buy a money belt. enjoy. help us help you. many stay at Hotel Ibis you can spend allot or allot less, depends on how much cash you have...
Thanks for all the input guys, I think I will definitely look into the Marriot since I can probably stay for free due to travel points. The other option I have been looking at is using Airbnb so we had a kitchen. That is also really good to know about the a/c I'll be sure to take that into consideration. I'm trying not to spend a fortune on where I'm going to be staying because I am bringing 3+ suitcases of beer to trade as well as purchasing however many bottles I can fit in the bags after I get rid of the beer I'm bringing. Price range for lodging I was looking at is somewhere between $60 to $120 a night. Also, will it be an issue dragging a bunch of suitcases of beer on the train from Brussels to London? I plan on leaving all of my beer with some friends I have that live in London for the second half of the trip so I do not have to lug it around for 2 weeks. This is good to hear as well lol...I haven't been able to find much information about this through my friends. Is there nothing going on at the brewery or at Moder Lambic for Zwanze? Like to I for sure want to be in Bruges for that day? I was planning on spending time there regardless so I would just have to switch a few dates around based on where I would be staying but that wouldn't be a challenge.
We used points to stay at the Marriott due to business travel too - if not it will definitely exceed your budget. I just looked at it for my trip in February and it was over 200 Euros per night. I dragged several suitcases of beer all over Belgium via the train last year, and honestly it was a pain. Many streets in Brussels and Bruges are cobblestone - so wheels are not as helpful as on smoother surfaces. That being said I'm sure I'll be doing the same thing this year - It's worth it!
yea we like B&B to lower the costs, but to each his own. HOTELS in the center of town are usually 200euro a night and up, stuff.
Zwanze Day is a bar-based event -- more info in other threads in this forum. Given that, the Marriott is a good choice (if you're staying on points rather than paying!) b/c close to Moeder Fontainas. I would say that it's not an easy walk to the brewery -- doable but not something that I would do schlepping bottles. It's generally safe for the two of you walking around but watch your back -- I know people who've been assaulted in the area. Moving here from DC felt liberating but things do happen.
Zwanze Day in Bruges is at Cafe Rose Red I believe. I stayed in the a adjoined hotel a few months ago and the bar is pretty small. Great selection of bottles but I would say there's maybe 5 - 10 tables at most in there just as a warning. Never noticed it very crowded though so you may be safe.
