Trip to Belgium in October

Trains are good, but not particularly cheap. Look into the 10 ride pass. The staffed ticket desk at Midi station was great; very helpful people.

As for things to do and places to see, how long are you planning on going?

 

If you want to see the countryside (and want to split up driving with your wive), I would recommend a car. It is just easier getting around to the nice places, and if you like you can hop over the boarder to Germany, France or The Netherlands easily (there is just a sign at the road that you're in a new country, nothing more!) and see lots of the country itself. And as nearly all Belgium Breweries sell their beers bottled, it is not too bad that then only one of you can drink on such a trip.

For the neighbourhood someone local to Brussel might be better with advices. And for Restaurants you should let us know what you prefer - great food (which direction) and really great beer? A combination of both might be tough, but should be found somewhere.

 

Perhaps, but Belgium is small so it is not expensive to get around.

 

Cantillon, 3 fonteinen, Orval are my top 3 favorite breweries to visit.

Travelling by train is expensive in Belgium, but it's better to take a "railpass". It costs 76€ for 10 travels, you can travel anywhere you want within Belgium with that railpass. For example, Gent too Antwerpen will cost the same as travelling from Gent too Brussels. But, travelling too Westvleteren and Orval by train is difficult. Rochefort for example is easy to go by train, but visiting the abbey or seeing some monks is not possible.

Renting a car in Belgium is not that difficult, but remember that a lot of Belgian people don't love traffic rules

 

If you're looking for a good beer bar check out Moeder Lambic. Close to the square in Brussels and near many popular attractions. We were in Brussels a few months ago and enjoyed it there. We had dinner at drug opera which was pretty nice.

 

Pick-up a copy of the 'The Good Beer Guide to Belgium' - a must have for planning purposes.

 

I've done this -- 2 days in Brussels; Thalys to Paris (90min) for 2 days then home. Kinda cool seeing Cantillon one day and the Eiffel Tower the next. Didn't make it out of Brussels at all and didn't see much beyond Cantillon and the Grand Place and Paris felt seriously rushed.

For an anniversary week I'd nudge you towards staying in Belgium and spending at least 2 days in Brugge. Not the best beer destination but there are plenty of good pubs and it's just amazingly cool. You could also squeeze in a day trip from Brussels to any of the other breweries.

 

I think in Brussels Nuetnigenough is pretty universally recommended. It's not fancy but it's nice enough to feel special and the beer & food are great. Easy to find, close to all the tourist stuff.

 

I second atpca's recommendation of Staying in Brugge. Visit the Park restaurant for your anniversary diner. It's only 58 minutes to Brussels when you are ready to visit Cantillon etc. If you beermail me I can recommend a few rentals there, otherwise you might consider the Crown Plaza, it's close to the square. Day trips to London, Paris and Amsterdam are fun. Brugge has one non stop train to Paris, but you have to get up early. I think it leaves around 6. Otherwise you can pick up the trains at Brussels Midi. Cheers

 

My advice is to get in touch with @Stevenwings he will set you up. Trust the locals

 

This! @Stevenwings is great!

 

Bruge is awesome, I think about an hour by train, really awesome town, decent beer. Enjoy!

 

Hi all, thanks for recommending me ... was a busy beersummer so looks like i am just back here on time ....

PM is send ....

and for those who are waiting for Cantillon bottles the moment they are there ... it will be shipped

 

Within Brussels, you can walk to most of the city locations (Delirium, Moeder, Circus, etc.) without much effort. Cantillon included. Staying in the general vicinity of the Grand Place area was kind to us.
Having a car is very handy for anything outside of the main "ring" though. Driving is Brussels can be VERY frustrating, but once you leave downtown driving anywhere is a breeze. Not sure if it's your thing, but I liked that the German brewing cities of Cologne and Dusseldorf were within easy (2 hours) driving distance. I like lambics and Belgian beers as much as the next guy, but breaking them up with fresh altbier was a fantastic decision.

 

Brugge (or Bruges) is definitely worth the trip as it is one of the most beautiful towns in Europe. One there, be sure to visit the Straffe Hendrik Brewery.

 

if you're planning to do something else than beer tourism and the usual Brussels-Gent-Bruges tour, you may want to check out the Wallonie part of the country like the Meuse valley (there are a fair bit of breweries in there too). The trip down from Liège to Dinant (via Huy and Namur, both medieval cities, with citadels looking over them) is definitely worth the detour and not too "tourist-trap" paved.