Paris to Belgium

We had a wonderful stay in Paris (read our blog post Jardin des Plantes, A Day of La Seine, Cafes, and Art, and The Eiffel Tower, Cathedrals, and Gardens), but we made a small mistake. During all the stress of planning and researching the European sights and then actually going to all the attractions in Paris, we forgot to book our train tickets from Paris to Belgium ahead of time.  And, evidently, when you wait until the last minute, train tickets are >100 euros per person instead of 50 euros. So, we ended up booking a bus trip that took 3 hr 50 min instead of the anticipated 1.5 hours from Paris to Brussels but costed just 18 euros per person. Not a big deal, but definitely something to watch out for in the future.

Since we had a long journey ahead of us, we had to pick up some pastries and espresso for the road. I originally thought I would get a pain aux raisins like usual, but then I saw it. Chocolate chips and pistachios. WOW!! Where has this been all my life??

There are several buses that go from Paris to Brussels. Megabus is one familiar name since they also operate in the USA, but they took 5 hours, an hour longer than the other bus companies. Euroline was also familiar  to us, but you can’t book within 24 hours of your trip. So, we ended up going with a company called Flixbus. The fare was cheap, the bus was clean and comfortable (for a bus), and it was on time, so I would definitely give them a thumbs up if you can’t take the train.

Once we got to Brussels, we had technically made it from Paris to Belgium, but we still had to take a train to our final destination of Bruges. (I have also seen it spelled Brugges, Brugge, etc….  different languages) The trains leave a couple of times an hour and it was easy enough to buy a ticket from the office. It was around 28 euros for both of us. The lady at the ticket office told me the next train left in 4 minutes from platform 3 so off we ran to catch the train. As soon as we got to the platform, sure enough, a train arrived. Luckily we asked the conductor if it was the right one, and he said no. hmmm.. We checked the departure board and it informed us that we were indeed on the right platform. After much confusion, our train switching platforms 3 times, and being delayed 20+ minutes, we finally boarded the train. And what a terrible train it was. It felt like I had been transported into a 3rd world country. Nisheet confirmed this when the toilet flushed directly onto the tracks!! Not a great first impression of Belgium! After sitting on the train for another 10 minutes in the station we were informed that they couldn’t find a driver but we had 1 minute to catch a different train to Bruges, so off we ran again. This time our train was much nicer and on time.

Dinner, Beer, and a Stroll in Bruges

After all the traveling, we finally made it from Paris to Belgium! And we were starving! So immediately after checking into the hostel we headed out in search of dinner. We ended up at a super romantic restaurant called Poule & Moules. Obviously we ordered the Moules (mussels) and it came with a side of the famous frites and mayo. It was delicious!!!! Tips: Sit upstairs for a lovely view. If you don’t like mussels, try the Flemish stew. The people sitting next to us got it, and it looked yummy. Also, they don’t serve tap water so you might as well just order beer for only 1 euro more over the bottled water 🙂

By the time we finished dinner, it was dark outside. The rain had mostly cleared away, but it was slightly foggy making the city lights take on a beautiful glow. We walked around the city taking in the charming and romantic sights. There are canals criss-crossing through the city, beautifully preserved medieval buildings, and cute little squares lined with chocolate shops, waffle stands, and frite shops.  It is seriously the most romantic city I’ve ever seen, and the shimmer of lights thru the fog made it pure magic.

All the walking made us thirsty for a good Belgian beer, so we ducked into a secret tiny dark alley to find a hidden gem of a bar called De Garr. This over a century old bar was a perfect little place to end the evening. Everything was super rustic from the wooden floors and ceiling beams to the stone and brick walls to the dimly lit rooms. I obviously had a raspberry lambic (my favorite) and Nisheet had a house Belgian trippel that was at an insane 11.5% gravity!