When to Go & Travel Tips
The weather is changeable year-round. Crowds, not climate, are the bigger factor in Bruges. Trains, language, money and entry are here too.
When to go
Spring and early summer
Mild weather and long days. Bruges gets busy on weekends, so an overnight stay makes a big difference.
July and August
Peak day-trip season. Plan your sightseeing for early morning and evening, when the centre is calmest.
Autumn
Cooler and quieter — a good fit for museums and the Flanders battlefields. Remembrance Day ceremonies in Ypres on November 11 are significant and draw visitors from around the world.
Winter
Short, cold days, softened by Christmas markets and lights in December.
Getting there
- Brussels has non-stop flights from Montreal. Many travellers also arrive by train from Paris, Amsterdam or London.
- Trains leave from the station beneath Brussels Airport and reach Bruges in about an hour and a half.
- Brussels is about 1 hour 25 minutes from Paris by high-speed train, under two hours from Amsterdam, and about two hours from London by Eurostar.
Getting around
- Domestic train tickets usually cost the same whenever you buy them, so day trips can stay flexible.
- The Flanders battlefields are spread out and public transport is limited, so a guide or a car makes the day work.
Practical notes
- Stay at least one night in Bruges. Mornings and evenings are when it feels like itself.
- Bruges is Dutch-speaking. Leading with English or a simple “dank u” goes further than French.
- Dutch (Flemish) is spoken in Bruges and Flanders, French and Dutch in Brussels, and German in a small eastern region. English is widely spoken in tourist areas.
- The currency is the euro (€). Plugs are type C and E, 230 V.
- Canadians do not need a visa for stays of up to 90 days in any 180 days in the Schengen Area. The EU Entry/Exit System registers you at the border. ETIAS is not in operation yet.
- Several Bruges museums close on Mondays year-round, so plan around them.
Entry rules and advisories change. Before you book and again before you fly, check travel.gc.ca.
Belgium planning questions
Should I visit Bruges as a day trip or stay overnight?
Stay overnight if you can. Bruges is small and very popular with day-trippers, so midday can feel crowded. Early mornings and evenings are calm and lovely, and that is when the canals and squares are at their best.
How do I get from Brussels Airport to Bruges?
Trains leave from the station beneath Brussels Airport and reach Bruges in about an hour and a half. If you are arriving from Paris, Amsterdam or London, a high-speed train to Brussels and a connection to Bruges is often easier than a flight.
Can I visit Canadian First World War sites from Bruges?
Yes. Ypres is about an hour away by car, and a guided day can include the St. Julien Memorial, Passchendaele, Essex Farm and the Last Post at the Menin Gate at 8 p.m. A guide who focuses on Canadian history makes the day much more meaningful.
Bruges or Ghent — which is better?
They are different rather than better. Bruges is quieter and more storybook; Ghent is livelier, with a large student population and a little more grit. They are only 25 minutes apart by train, so many trips include both.
Let’s plan your Belgium trip
Tell me whether Bruges is the main event or one stop on a longer route, and whether Flanders Fields is part of it. I’ll plan the nights, trains and guided days.
The initial 30-minute consultation is complimentary. The professional research fee is $50 per traveller aged 2 or older, paid before research begins.