TRAVEL SPECIAL........... TRIP PLANNER BELGIUM

TRIP PLANNER BELGIUM 

Culture, architecture, naturescapes, chocolates…this tiny country packs quite a punch. Since Wallonia, the southern half of Belgium beyond Brussels, is French-speaking, we focus on the northern half, called Flanders.

DON’T MISS...
Flanders is the ultimate festival destination, with over 280 lined up through the year. There’s a dance festival in late July, a jazz festival in August, and one dedicated to beer and hop in September. One of the major events in 2014 is ‘The Great War Centenary’, a project by the Flemish government to commemorate the victims of World War I who perished in Flanders Fields, including over 57,000 Indian soldiers. A recent consumer survey by Tourism Flanders shows that 76% of participating Indians are interested in the event.
BEST TIME TO VISIT
April to December each year is the best time to visit, and many Indian honeymooners like the winters in Flanders. BEFORE YOU LEAVE...
AIR FARE
There is a good flight connection between the two countries. Jet Airways and Brussels Airlines offer direct, daily flights between Delhi and Brussels ( 60,000 for a round trip). If you are willing to have a stopover, air fares drop to around 50,000 per head. A Mumbai-Brussels return flight will cost upwards of 43,600.
EXCHANGE RATE
Belgium uses the Euro. Currently 100 will fetch Euro 1.28. The depreciating Euro forecast should bring cheer to Indians. According to a July 2013 report by The Bank of Nova Scotia (Scotiabank), ‘The Euro will be immersed in a gradual depreciation phase due to poor growth dynamics and relative monetary policy.’
VISA
Unfortunately, there is no e-visa option for Indian nationals to enter Belgium. One needs to apply for a Schengen visa through the VFS Global Visa Application Centers. The visa fee is €60, or 4,692.
TRIP EXPENSE
If breakfast is included in accommodation, you could spend about €70-75 ( 5,500-5,900) per person, per day, on an average, covering meals, transportation and sightseeing. That’s for a mid-range budget. For a luxury break, it will cost €200 ( 15,700) per person, per day.
ACCOMMODATION
According to Tourism Flanders and Brussels, tourists have a wide choice of hotel rooms available across different categories and price segments. For budget travellers, there are bed-and-breakfast options starting from €50 (almost 4,000) per person, per night. On the other hand, luxury hotel rooms start from €150 (close to 12,000) per person, per night.
LOCAL COMMUTE
An extensive rail network connects all of Belgium. Purchase train tickets after you arrive in the country. Use the train planning tool on www.visitflanders.in to figure out connections. All the cities and towns have good local bus networks, including hopon, hop-off tours.
TOURIST
ATTRACTIONS
FREE

• The Grand Place, Brussels

• The Atomium, Brussels

• Manneken Pis, Brussels

• St Michael and St Gudula Cathedrals, Brussels

• Royal Palace, Brussels (only during summer)

• Lover’s Lake, Bruges

• Burg Square, Bruges

• Historic Centre of Bruges

• Minnewater Lake, Bruges
PAID
(approximate per person rates)

• Mini-Europe: €14.20 ( 1,115)

• Cantillon Brewery, Brussels: €6 ( 470)

• Horta Museum, Brussels:
€8 ( 630)

• Antwerp Cathedral, Antwerp:
€5 ( 400)

• Rubens House, Antwerp: €8

• Gruuthuse House and Museum, Bruges: €6

• The Belfry, Bruges: €5

• Castle of the Counts, Ghent:
€8

• St Baafs Cathedral, Ghent:
€4 ( 315)
SAVING TIPS

• To explore each city, invest in separate city cards that cover most tourist attractions and public transportation. They promise discounts on F&B and shopping. The 48-hour Brussels card costs €34.

• As towns and cities are small in area, consider walking tours.

• Belgian Rail is offering a summer deal, whereby you can buy a single 2nd class ticket to any place for €7.50 ( 590). The offer is valid for Monday-Friday till 30 August.

    TRIP   TRAIL
According to Tourism Flanders and Brussels (Belgium), the ideal trip duration is 4-5 nights. After landing in Brussels, make time for sights like the Museum of Ancient Art, Cathedral of St Michael and Grand Place. On Day 2, spend a few hours at Mini-Europe to see perfect scaled-down replicas of the best monuments and attractions in the continent. Also consider visiting Cantillion—The Brussels Gueuze Museum, which includes a brewery tour. The following day, take a train or bus to Antwerp, the birthplace of Rubens, and a world-famous diamond centre. A night’s stay would be enough to catch the local sights. On Day 4, move on to Bruges via Ghent. A few hours will suffice for the latter, the must-dos being Castle of the Counts, St Baafs Cathedral and St Michael’s bridge. Move on to Bruges, 30 minutes away, known as the Venice of the North. Apart from being home to Europe’s best-preserved medieval buildings, it’s a chocolate lover’s paradise. On Day 6, time your train ride back to Brussels with your flight back home. Also check out http://www.visitflanders.in.