BELGIUM: RESOURCES GUIDE
About Belgium:
Belgium may be a small country, but it packs a big punch when it comes to things to see and do. From charming medieval towns to world-class cuisine, Belgium is a destination that is sure to leave you enchanted.
One of Belgium's most famous exports is its beer, and there's no better place to sample it than in the country itself. With over 1,500 varieties of beer, there's something for everyone. Be sure to try the Trappist beers made by the monks in the abbeys of Westmalle, Rochefort, and Orval.
Belgium is also famous for its chocolate, and for good reason. Belgian chocolate is some of the finest in the world, with chocolatiers like Neuhaus and Leonidas creating delicious treats that will satisfy any sweet tooth.
Beyond food and drink, Belgium is also home to some stunning architecture. The medieval city of Bruges, with its cobbled streets and picturesque canals, is like something out of a fairy tale. Meanwhile, the Art Nouveau architecture of Brussels is truly a sight to behold.
For the more adventurous, Belgium offers plenty of opportunities for outdoor activities such as hiking and cycling. The Ardennes region, in particular, is a beautiful area of forested hills and rivers that is perfect for exploring on foot or by bike.
With its rich culture, delicious cuisine, and stunning architecture, Belgium is a destination that will leave you feeling inspired and enchanted. So pack your bags, book your flights, and get ready to experience the magic of this beautiful country!
Welcome to Adventure Fares' Resources and Information Guide. These guides are compiled to provide a great "starting place" for planning. Here, we try to help you with the 4 big planning goals for any destination: Where to Stay / Where to Eat / What to See and Do / How to Budget. We even try to include some great itinerary links. Have fun planning your travel adventure! These resource pages are always being updated. If you would like to see a country / city / place not already in our resource guides, please email your requests or suggestions to: [email protected]
BUDGET RESOURCES:
We typically go to Budget Your Trip to research budgeting! We highly recommend their website. They do a fantastic job of compiling data from thousands of travelers around the world! This data is so useful for anyone who’s wanting to make the most of their travel budget. If you sign up and enter your own expenses - you contribute to the data and also get to access their fantastic planning tools - with charts, maps, graphs, and tables of your trip finances. Bookmark their site, and go there for a lot more in-depth budgeting research: BudgetYourTrip.com
With this chart, we just wanted to give you an idea of how your budget might look compared to a few familiar places here in the U.S
Rentals / Hotels / B&B Lists
Finding the perfect accommodation can make or break a trip. That's why we compile so many lodging lists - to help you find reliable and affordable recommendations for AirBNBs, VRBOs, boutique hotels, and B&Bs. These lists should give you a great starting place, and hopefully make that trip even better!
VRBO LISTS
(coming soon)
AIRBNB Resources:
airbnb.com - It has become a very popular resource for travelers. We try to limit our lists to rentals in great locations, with good pricing, and great views when we find them. We use AirBNB a lot. ALWAYS double-check reviews and avoid "new" listings most of the time. Be sure to double check for air conditioning in the summer, and feel free to reach out to the owner for tips / questions!
VRBO Resources:
vrbo.com - VRBO is another great one to use. Sometimes you find rentals here you won't see on AirBNB - its always great to have more options, especially during peak seasons when rentals book up fast. Always double-check reviews and avoid "new" listings when possible. The VRBO system won't let us filter neighborhoods as well as some others, so always double check location after finding a good property.
Bed and Breakfast Resources:
Booking.com - this is often our “go-to” for this category. We find their customer reviews to be very reliable!
bedandbreakfast.guide (B&B Guide) - this one screens out the worst-reviewed places, so their lists are pretty reliable.
bnbfinder.com - this one is promising, but they don’t have near as many listings as the others here. We hope they grow!
Boutique Hotels Resources:
BoutiqueHotel.me - this one is usually our favorite. However, their list will only provide you with hotels who allow booking through booking.com - so some great hotels won’t be on their lists.
MrandMrsSmith.com - This is fantastic and inspirational resource for finding places to stay around the world. Much of their focus is on premiere hotels (and not what we would call “budget” finds), but it can be a fantastic place to search. It’s fun to just click on their “Inspiration” tab and find some new places around the world.
TheHotelGuru.com - This site also links to booking.com, and can be a complimentary resource.
GreatSmallHotels.com - Another resource the books through booking.com, this one tends to go a little more upscale, especially in large European cities.
Some More Interesting Lodging Guides:
gounusual.com - Great Resource for those trying to find unique places to stay: Castles, igloos, boats, more!
eruoglamping.com - Just what it sounds like - a resource of upscale camping places in Europe:
goglamping.net - GoGlamping / More upscale camping experiences - UK and Europe
NOTE: No matter what form of lodging you book, we recommend you always confirm your booking one last time a week to 10 days ahead of your travel.
Restaurants / Dining Lists
Choosing dining options can be confusing and intimidating. We've compiled these lists to help you start planning some memorable meals. Lists are organized by city and include some of the best and most affordable dining destinations in each city/area. Every adventure deserves some great meals!
TripAdvisor Dining Lists:
TripAdvisor.com - We recommend using TripAdvisor’s dining directories whenever you find yourself needing good food in a place with which you’re unfamiliar. They have a huge volume of reviews, great genre help, and mapping.
Michelin Guide - Dining Lists:
Michelin Guide - For respected and relevant reviews of restaurants around the world, Michelin has been the Iconic dining guide since the 1800s. If you find a 1 star near you, book it. If you find a 2 star, you’re in for a treat. If you find a 3 star - make a travel detour if you need to and get there!
Wanderlog Dining Lists:
Wanderlog.com - Wanderlog is an interesting site - compiling lots of travel planning possibilities. Their trip-planning features are worth checking out, but we’ve come to really like their restaurant lists. They’re just a little pickier than TripAdvisor, but not as exclusive as Michelin. They’re worth checking out in most towns.
When trying to get a nicer restaurant into your travel plans, we recommend making reservations at least a couple of weeks ahead of time. Some of the Michelin star restaurants might even require more advance (varies).
Things to See and Do Lists
Finding what to see and do is always a travel priority. We've compiled lists/links from the world's most credible sources to help you find the best adventures for your destination. These lists will help you find the most popular attractions (and some hidden gems) for your travel adventures.
Things to See and Do Resources:
These are a few resources we trust. They will give you some great places to start. Rank your priorities (and your travel friends' priorities), see what works for your schedule, and plan an amazing travel adventure. *Don't try to cram too much in - it's those "unplanned" moments that often product the best adventures.
FodorsTravel.com - In our experience, Fodor’s is the best overall place to start when planning a trip. Once you search and find their guide to a city - they break the guide down into Sights, Nightlife, Shopping, Performing Arts, and Sports and Acitivities. There’s not tons of inspiration here, but good, reliable information. There are ads, but they do a good job of keeping the content credible. They also have a great “Map View” feature for the different sections so you can always check to see what’s close. Their Hotels and Restaurants guides are also pretty good.
RickSteves.com - Rick Steves has been an awesome resource for budget travelers for decades, and his content just keeps getting better. His reviews are reliable, his itineraries are fantastic, and his reputation for credibility is great. We check out his information on any destination we're thinking about visiting.
AtlasObscura.com - This is our favorite guide source! We don’t know how the team at Atlas Obscura finds so many cool, interesting, and odd things to see around the world - but they do it. It’s easy to find those top few things to do in any location, but these guys go beyond - and get you some off-the-beaten path adventures.
TripAdvisor - Trip Advisor is pretty commercial in nature, but they have really high traffic - so it's easy to see what's popular pretty much anywhere in the world. That can be helpful for planning what to see, and sometimes what to avoid. It's one of our go-to resources for seeing what might be in the town ahead on a road trip.
Wanderlog.com - Wanderlog is an interesting site - compiling lots of travel planning possibilities. Their trip-planning features are worth checking out, and we really like their “THINGS TO DO” lists. They’re pretty much ranked from most popular to least - so its a great place to figure out a priority list of things to see.
GetYourGuide.com - We really like this one! Get your guide is becoming a great source for planning as well as inspiration for travel adventures. Even if you aren’t looking for things to do on your trip, it’s a good place to get new trip ideas and browse exciting things to do. They have some "decent" pricing on local activities - worth considering for booking.
Nomadicmatt.com - Matt travels as much as any blogger / content creator we follow. He's a good writer, a good planner, and delivers entertaining content. We certainly recommend you check out his travel guides. If he's been somewhere, he shares great stuff!
OTHERS WORTH CHECKING OUT:
The Crazy Tourist - This is a travel resource that covers destinations all over the world. Just type the name of a country or city in their search section, and they have good
CultureTrip.com - This one is pretty commercial (lots of ads), but its also pretty reliable. They’ve been a travel industry leader for a long time, so there are enough reviews on things to know if you’re making good decisions. We always check out the Culture Trip guide for any location we’re planning on visiting.
Itineraries to Get You Started
Building an itinerary for your travel adventure can be a daunting task. Here are a few resources to help you get started without all the "noise" associated with online research. These are sample itineraries from travel pros who are credible, reliable, and know the places they're writing about. Itineraries are made to be broken, but hopefully these will start you out on the right path.
If you're planning a trip to Belgium, there's so much to see and do that it can be overwhelming to know where to start. To help you plan your itinerary, here's a comprehensive checklist of must-see destinations and off-the-beaten-path gems to explore. Below our checklist, you'll find several sample itineraries we recommend.
DON’T MISS:
- Explore the historic city of Brussels, including the iconic Grand Place, Manneken Pis statue, and the Atomium.
- Visit the charming city of Bruges, known for its picturesque canals, medieval architecture, and chocolate shops.
- Take a tour of the world-renowned breweries in the town of Leuven, and taste some of the best Belgian beers.
- Visit the ancient town of Ghent, with its stunning Gothic architecture and beautiful canals.
- Check out the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium in Brussels, with its impressive collection of artwork by Flemish masters such as Rubens and Bruegel.
IF YOU HAVE MORE TIME:
- Explore the beautiful Ardennes region, with its rolling hills, dense forests, and quaint villages.
- Visit the city of Antwerp, famous for its diamond district and the impressive Cathedral of Our Lady.
- Take a trip to the Belgian coast, with its sandy beaches and seaside towns such as Ostend and Knokke-Heist.
- Explore the picturesque countryside of Wallonia, with its scenic hiking trails and charming towns.
OFF THE BEATEN PATH
- Visit the town of Tournai, with its impressive Romanesque cathedral and medieval belfry.
- Check out the stunning town of Dinant, nestled in the Meuse Valley, and known for its dramatic citadel and scenic river views.
- Visit the quaint town of Mechelen, with its charming historic center and impressive St. Rumbold's Cathedral.
- Explore the fascinating Horta Museum in Brussels, dedicated to the life and work of Belgian Art Nouveau architect Victor Horta.
- Visit the town of Leuven during its famous student festival, the Ommegang, which takes place every July and celebrates the city's rich history and traditions.
9 Fantastic Things to do in Belgium with Kids / Learning Escapes
Learning Escapes has great content. We always love this family's advice, especially when you travel with kids. They do a fantastic job. We hope they keep traveling and making memories to share with us. There are also lots of fantastic hikes/walks in their content!
Belgium Itinerary / Rick Steves / 2 Days to 7 Days
Rick Steves itineraries page is simple, but good. With a few options (from 2 days to 7 weeks), he does a great job of hitting the highlights in Bruges, Brussels, Ghent and Antwerp. This should give you a fantastic starting place for planning your adventure.
The Ultimate Belgium Itinerary for 5 Days or 7 Days / Kate Abroad
This one is pretty basic, and hits all the popular spots in the 3 main cities. It packs a lot into one week - but it's pretty realistic in pace. worth a look.
Belgium Travel Guide / Nomadic Matt
Nomadi Matt is one of our favorite bloggers. He's all over the place - and writes great content no matter where he might be. In this guide - he basically lists his top 17 things to see/do in Belgium. Check this one out for sure.
The Perfect 7 Day Belgium Road Trip / A World to Travel
Nice, smooth, toll free roads make driving around Belgium pretty nice. This is a nice blog / Itinerary, that will take you through a couple of smaller towns in addition to the main cities.
*photos from pixabay.com, pexels.com, unsplash.com and Darrell Potts
EMAIL Us - We Want to Hear From You!
We believe that the best travel advice comes from those who have experienced it firsthand. That's why we're inviting our members to share their travel tips, and recommendations with us. Whether it's a hidden gem of a restaurant, a must-see attraction, or an off-the-beaten-path adventure, we want to hear about it. Your contributions are helping us build a new database of "Member Suggestions." Email us when you get a chance - links, maps, and reviews all help! Email us at [email protected]
These resource pages have been fun to work on! We hope they keep getting better. Are we missing something? Are we missing one of your favorite travel resources? Please email me - I'd love to learn anything that can help make travel adventures even better! Darrell Potts.
