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Food and culture

Belgium City Escape

Waffles, chocolate, beer and three of Europe's best-preserved medieval centres, an hour apart. Bruges on foot, Ghent by tram, Antwerp for the fashion and the museum on the water.

  • Bruges before the day coaches arrive
  • Ghent's Graslei at dusk
  • Antwerp's Grote Markt and fashion quarter
Duration
6 nights · 7 days
Destinations
3 stops
Travel style
Gentle city break, trams and short hops
Indicative budget
£1,150–£1,560
Ferry crossing
Dover – Calais
Customise this holiday

Every detail is editable: change the dates, add a stop, swap a hotel or start again from the ferry.

The route

494 km · about 6 hours driving in total

Drawing the route…

P · ferry port1–3 · overnight stopDashed line · suggested route, illustrative

Night by night

The suggested shape of the trip, in driving order. Take it as it is, or treat it as a starting point and move a night, swap a hotel or drop a stop.

  1. Outbound · Dover – Calais1h 30m crossing
  2. Drive from Calais · 1h 35m · 122 kmillustrative estimate
  3. 1

    BrugesBelgium

    2 nights · nights 1–2

    A city that rewards an early start: bell towers, still water and waffle steam on cobbles that stay empty until the coaches arrive. Park the car on the edge and walk the rest.

    Suggested stay

    Canal House on the Groenerei · hotel · from £168 a night

    Suggested attractions

    • Rozenhoedkaai · free
    • Belfry of Bruges · £14
  4. Drive from Bruges · 35m · 47 kmillustrative estimate
  5. 2

    GhentBelgium

    2 nights · nights 3–4

    Ghent has the canals and the step-gabled houses without the crowds Bruges draws. It is also a working university city, which means better coffee, later kitchens and cheaper beer.

    Suggested stay

    Leie Lofts · apartment · from £145 a night

    Suggested attractions

    • Gravensteen · £13
    • Graslei · free
  6. Drive from Ghent · 50m · 62 kmillustrative estimate
  7. 3

    AntwerpBelgium

    2 nights · nights 5–6

    A port city with a cathedral you can see from the motorway, a fashion scene that outgrew its own reputation, and a station worth arriving early for.

    Suggested stay

    Het Zuid Townhouse · bed and breakfast · from £132 a night

    Suggested attractions

    • Grote Markt · free
    • MAS Museum · £15
  8. Drive from Antwerp · 3h 20m · 263 kmillustrative estimate
  9. Return · Dover – CalaisSailing home