Easter trip around Belgium

[BayCatOne]

We're planning a trip down to Belgium in April 12-21, Easter holiday with the kids. The plan looks something like this (still in the works), range and time is from Google maps. Day one and two might be just one day depending on the weather. Other days can be merged too if we want more days at a campsite.

1. Jönköping or Malmö - Lübeck (597km, 7h / 303km, 4h 10m)
2. Lübeck - Antwerpen (626km, 6h 20m)
3. *Camping*
4. Antwerpen - Brygge (90km, 1h 20m)
5. Brygge - Niewpoort - Ieper - Kortrijk - Domain of the Caves of Han (325km, 3h 45m)
6. *Camping*
7. Domain of the Caves of Han - Bastogne - Foy - La Gleize - Spa (126km, 1h 55m)
8. Spa - Liége - Arnhem (231km, 2h 40m)
9. Arnhem - Flensburg (551km, 5h 50m)
10. Flensburg - Jönköping (639km, 6h 35m)

Main event, if you will, will be Domain of the Caves of Han with cave exploration and the wildlife park, if they're open (waiting confirmation). For the rest it's exploring cities with a mix of fun for the children. Tips on the latter is very much wanted as they're not (yet) as history orientated as myself. I guess you could see a theme based on the above places

Also if you have other ideas on places to visit or skip along the way we'd gladly take any advice.

Tips on good campsites in our around Antwerpen, Brygge and Spa would be nice. I've done some digging but it's always nice to hear from locals or others that have been there.
Antwerpen, I only seem to find this one
https://www.campercontact.com/en/belgium/antwerpen--anvers/antwerpen/3913/camping-municipal-de-molen

 

[Hotel California]

Hi @BayCatOne , nice to see people are intrested in visiting Belgium !

There's lots to see and great city's to explore .

The campsite in Antwerp you got pointed out above is one of the two "in" Antwerp .
Here's the otherone ,
https://www.camperparkvogelzang.be/en/

more conveniant to hop on public transport in to town center but the site itself is not all that much , next to an event hall and the Antwerp ringway(motorway) .

Brugge it's camping Memling you need to be
http://www.brugescamping.be/en/home/

If you want to visit the WW memorials or the last post in Ieper you do good staying here
http://www.jeugdstadion.be/E/index.php
Needs pre-booking specialy in easterperiode .

As for the Belgian Ardennes there are lots campsites but never used one exept for these
https://www.campingbertrix.be/en/
As my brother has a permanent caravan located there .

Spa is nice with the nearby F1 circuit , the Han caves i only been 35y ago on a schooltrip ....

One tip you need to know is :
Driving thru Holland means.....yes indeed ....visiting CCN Amersfoort !

https://www.campercentrumnederland.nl/



@MattBW visited Antwerp and Brugge just last september and he was very pleased with it !

 

[Hotel California]

Regarding the caves in Han :
They have a campsite
http://www.grotte-de-han.be/en/caves-of-han-campsite

Sure the caves are open round easter .

 

[BayCatOne]

Thanks!

I'd like to be in Ieper, Menen-poort, at 20.00 too, but I don't think we'll have time this time around. So it was either Brugge or Ieper and I think the kids will like Brugge more(?).
Do you know if Kortrijk is a good place to strech your legs?

Didn't know about Amersfoort but we'll be passing there anyway so I guess we'll check that box

Anything we 'must know' about Belgium? Tips and tricks so to say.

 

[Hotel California]

Don't know much about Kortrijk but guess as a small city it should have a nice town center to walk in .
Gent is bigger and therefore more to see .

Must know ....

Traffic can be hell round Antwerp and Brussels .
Lots of speedcamera's all arround .
No toll roads , only one tunnel in Antwerp but you don't have to take you go the other way arround.
There are LEZ (emmision zones ) but your T6 will give you no problem with that , no stickers or vignette needed.
Buy beer&choclate in a warehouse and not in the tourist places (much cheaper)
Try the Belgian frittes with "stoofvlees" .
....

 

[flying banana]

Be careful. Belgium is closed at weekends.

 

[Jonathan Duke]

I would highly recommend Bruges, Gent & Antwerp.... I’ve traveled a fair bit in Europe and find the Flemish know how to do it. Lambic Beers, Frites, Mustard, Farmers Pate, Breads, Chocolates..... The list goes on..... I’m salivating just thinking about it.

Depending on your schedule, the Spring Classic Cycle races are quite a spectacle. I’ve watched “La Fleche Wallonne” a few times, a great place to spectate from is on the steep climb the “Mur de Huy”

Bruges is more “Touristy” whereas Antwerp is more “City-Life” with Gent maybe somewhere inbetween the two size/touristy wise.

We stayed in a nice campsite in Gent,
Speeltuin Blaarmeersen Camping - It was quite good from memory, and walkable into the Centrum.

I’m sure you’ll enjoy your time in Belgium! Do as the locals do, and you’ll have a great time.

 

[Wesel]

Be careful. Belgium is closed at weekends.

? ? ?

 

[Wesel]

Regarding the caves in Han :
They have a campsite
http://www.grotte-de-han.be/en/caves-of-han-campsite

Sure the caves are open round easter .

And all the other information here on the same site

 

[Wesel]

And all the other information here on the same site

http://www.grotte-de-han.be/en

 

[BayCatOne]

Yup, I've got that part about the caves covered - however they don't really say when they're open, that I can see, and you can't book further than January as of now... so I shot them an e-mail just to make sure they're not closed for Easter.

 

[No_heroes]

Don't know much about Kortrijk but guess as a small city it should have a nice town center to walk in .
Gent is bigger and therefore more to see .

Must know ....

Traffic can be hell round Antwerp and Brussels .
Lots of speedcamera's all arround .
No toll roads , only one tunnel in Antwerp but you don't have to take you go the other way arround.
There are LEZ (emmision zones ) but your T6 will give you no problem with that , no stickers or vignette needed.
Buy beer&choclate in a warehouse and not in the tourist places (much cheaper)
Try the Belgian frittes with "stoofvlees" .
....

Many years ago I used to drive from London to Amsterdam every week. I really enjoyed it other that the crazy Antwerp traffic. A bridge and a tunnel back then- I thought they were planning to put a proper highway bypass in?

Hit that at rush hour on a Friday and you need to get comfortable!!

 

[sapto]

I loved Antwerpen and Leuven many years ago (city centre and people were so nice amd friendly). We travelled by public transport/interail and visited a friend.

 

[calibusje]

Hellow BayCatOne

Very nice of you to visit Belgium; we went already to Denmark but Sweden is on our list.
"Be careful. Belgium is closed at weekends.": that was true but now a lot of shops/musea are open at sunday. In Bruges (also a very good movie ) you'll find some shops open, some closed but every first sunday of the month a lot of them are open.
If you and/or your children like comics: De Striep, Katelijnestraat 42 https://www.brugge.be/booksmusictour-nieuw. Funny and informative: frietmuseum http://www.frietmuseum.be/en/ + the chocolate museum: http://choco-story-brugge.be/ENG/
Chocolates.... if you come to Bruges and want to buy delicious pralines, buy them at the specialized shops. Tasteful pralines are made in little factories (some are aroud Bruges e.g. 'The Chocolate Line'. Unfortunately you cannot visit it; Shop's in town https://www.thechocolateline.be/en/), they don't make them in their cellar anymore and yes, they are quite expensive. Pralines bought at a warehouse are cheaper and taste... like pralines all over the world (made by bigger companies and sold everywhere). Some chocolateshops: https://www.brugge.be/chocolattour-nieuw. May I recommend two of them? Chocolaterie Dumon at Simon Stevinplein 11 or Eiermarkt 6 or Walstraat 6 and Roose's Chocolate World. Roose's is just outside town, not much more expensive than a warehouse: https://www.chocolate-world.be/
Beer: savour it at a local pub (my advice: café La Trappiste, Kuipersstraat 33, opens at 17h but also De Garre and brewery Bourgogne des Flandres, Kartuizerinnenstraat 6) and maybe try something new/special? There are about 1600 belgian beer brands . And indeed, beer to enjoy at home (or at the campervan) you can buy at a warehouse: same beer, same taste and much more cheaper.
After Ieper and before you set off to the Ardennes, a tip: the little town Kemmel at Heuvelland and take the Kemmelbergweg (cobbled road) to the top. http://www.toerismeheuvelland.be/nl/ + also the command bunker (Lettingstraat 64, 8956 Kemmel): http://www.toerismeheuvelland.be/en/command-bunker-kemmel
At Han: There's a -I think free- museum in town: it's eclectic but lovely.
Other idea of places to visit? Dinant: https://www.valleedelameuse-tourisme.be/?lang=en and just drive around the Ardennes & enjoy the scenery. At La Gleize, you are already in a beautiful area. Maybe something to eat at Baraque Michel? Baraque Michel 36, B-4845 Jalhay
At Antwerp: https://www.redstarline.be/en We loved it; it's also interactive and child friendly.
We are off to Scotland at Easter leave and are back home April 16;
we live close to campsite Memling and if you are still there, let us know and I'll say hellow

Enjoy your trip!
Greetings
Calibusje

 

[tanne]

that schedule seems somewhat 'overloaded' to me ( driving to a city + finding a parking spot + getting to the centre might take up a lot of time too) .... but sure, i really don't like to rush when visiting places, especially if kids should be entertained too

enjoy

 

[calibusje]

that schedule seems somewhat 'overloaded' to me ( driving to a city + finding a parking spot + getting to the centre might take up a lot of time too)

Could be true: you could 'pass by' a lot of those sities (Arnhem, Kortrijk, Luik, Spa, Dinant, Bastogne) and enjoy the scenery instead of realy visiting them.

 

[soulstyledevon]

Could be true: you could 'pass by' a lot of those sities (Arnhem, Kortrijk, Luik, Spa, Dinant, Bastogne) and enjoy the scenery instead of realy visiting them.

Went to Brugge a few years ago in the Cali for the Easter weekend and that place alone fills 4 days.
Don’t try to do much.
You can always go back

 

[BayCatOne]

Hellow BayCatOne

Very nice of you to visit Belgium; we went already to Denmark but Sweden is on our list.
"Be careful. Belgium is closed at weekends.": that was true but now a lot of shops/musea are open at we live close to campsite Memling and if you are still there, let us know and I'll say hellow

Enjoy your trip!
Greetings
Calibusje

Thank you very much for that write up!

that schedule seems somewhat 'overloaded' to me ( driving to a city + finding a parking spot + getting to the centre might take up a lot of time too) .... but sure, i really don't like to rush when visiting places, especially if kids should be entertained too

enjoy

Could be true: you could 'pass by' a lot of those sities (Arnhem, Kortrijk, Luik, Spa, Dinant, Bastogne) and enjoy the scenery instead of realy visiting them.

Yes @calibusje is right. We won't be really stopping and exploring all those towns. Some of them are just marked down as placeholders so that I know how I've planned the route in addition to the map. For example Bastogne - Foy - La Gleize we'll only be stopping at Bastogne to visit the museum if it's open and if we don't feel like it, well, we don't... Foy is just down the road from Bastogne and I just want to drive through it. Our oldest likes to play World of Tanks and I think he'll appreciate a quick 10-15 minute stop at La Gleize to see the King Tiger tank.

The 'want to see list' is huge but I do understand the limitations as I've been traveling and hiking quite a lot myself. It'll be on a day-to-day basis in the end.

Still thanks for the concern.

 

[calibusje]

stop at La Gleize to see the King Tiger tank

there's a remarkable story about that tank but you'll find out when you're over there
When we plan a trip, we also write down many places to visit and pass by and then we'll see where we get

 

[larrylamb]

Went to Brugge a few years ago in the Cali for the Easter weekend and that place alone fills 4 days.
Don’t try to do much.
You can always go back

Don't forget the credit card for Brugge, definitely tourist "tax" on everything.

 

[calibusje]

Don't forget the credit card for Brugge, definitely tourist "tax" on everything.

just stay away from the 'tourist traps' like everywhere; for instance mind the biggest tourist trap: food and drink at the market place (However, the fries vans (“Frietkot”) on the Markt are an institution, just add mayonnaise like we do). You can eat Flemish throughout Bruges so avoid the restaurants around the market place; they are clearly for tourists. Then you'll be fine

 

[Amarillo]

Went to Brugge a few years ago in the Cali for the Easter weekend and that place alone fills 4 days.
Don’t try to do much.
You can always go back

I have twice done Brugge as a day trip - £1 round trip for a car and passengers on the ferry with vouchers from The Sun. Brugge is only an hour drive from Calais.


Follow my blog: www.au-revoir.eu

 

[soulstyledevon]

I have twice done Brugge as a day trip - £1 round trip for a car and passengers on the ferry with vouchers from The Sun. Brugge is only an hour drive from Calais.


Follow my blog: www.au-revoir.eu

That’s why I internet shop at Tesco and use their credit card for purchasing. I collect the points and exchange them for Eurotunnel crossings.
Brugge is a lovely easy escape for a weekend

Saying that Amarillo.
That Sun deal works out better value. Need to look out for that.

(Edit, just read the word Ferry. I don’t get on with boats anymore. Sorry, the wife doesn’t. I do prefer an easy life)

 

[larrylamb]

Leper/Ypres is definitely worth a visit. Campsite 10 mins walk from the centre. Lots to see like the Menin Gate, In Flanders Fields Museum plus a lovely square with reasonably priced restaurants, chocolateries and family friendly bars. Worth dropping a night elsewhere but Ghent, Brugge and Antwerp are must visits.

 

[Esandar#1]

Hellow BayCatOne

Very nice of you to visit Belgium; we went already to Denmark but Sweden is on our list.
"Be careful. Belgium is closed at weekends.": that was true but now a lot of shops/musea are open at sunday. In Bruges (also a very good movie ) you'll find some shops open, some closed but every first sunday of the month a lot of them are open.
If you and/or your children like comics: De Striep, Katelijnestraat 42 https://www.brugge.be/booksmusictour-nieuw. Funny and informative: frietmuseum http://www.frietmuseum.be/en/ + the chocolate museum: http://choco-story-brugge.be/ENG/
Chocolates.... if you come to Bruges and want to buy delicious pralines, buy them at the specialized shops. Tasteful pralines are made in little factories (some are aroud Bruges e.g. 'The Chocolate Line'. Unfortunately you cannot visit it; Shop's in town https://www.thechocolateline.be/en/), they don't make them in their cellar anymore and yes, they are quite expensive. Pralines bought at a warehouse are cheaper and taste... like pralines all over the world (made by bigger companies and sold everywhere). Some chocolateshops: https://www.brugge.be/chocolattour-nieuw. May I recommend two of them? Chocolaterie Dumon at Simon Stevinplein 11 or Eiermarkt 6 or Walstraat 6 and Roose's Chocolate World. Roose's is just outside town, not much more expensive than a warehouse: https://www.chocolate-world.be/
Beer: savour it at a local pub (my advice: café La Trappiste, Kuipersstraat 33, opens at 17h but also De Garre and brewery Bourgogne des Flandres, Kartuizerinnenstraat 6) and maybe try something new/special? There are about 1600 belgian beer brands . And indeed, beer to enjoy at home (or at the campervan) you can buy at a warehouse: same beer, same taste and much more cheaper.
After Ieper and before you set off to the Ardennes, a tip: the little town Kemmel at Heuvelland and take the Kemmelbergweg (cobbled road) to the top. http://www.toerismeheuvelland.be/nl/ + also the command bunker (Lettingstraat 64, 8956 Kemmel): http://www.toerismeheuvelland.be/en/command-bunker-kemmel
At Han: There's a -I think free- museum in town: it's eclectic but lovely.
Other idea of places to visit? Dinant: https://www.valleedelameuse-tourisme.be/?lang=en and just drive around the Ardennes & enjoy the scenery. At La Gleize, you are already in a beautiful area. Maybe something to eat at Baraque Michel? Baraque Michel 36, B-4845 Jalhay
At Antwerp: https://www.redstarline.be/en We loved it; it's also interactive and child friendly.
We are off to Scotland at Easter leave and are back home April 16;
we live close to campsite Memling and if you are still there, let us know and I'll say hellow

Enjoy your trip!
Greetings
Calibusje

Hi @BayCatOne (Calibuje)
We visited Brugge and stayed at Memling campsite which was very nice. (There is a swimming pool near it - within walking distance - but it is not a part of the site). We set up camp and took the local bus into Brugge and then caught a taxi home, neither of which were very expensive or difficult (5-10mins). We would have walked into Brugge but we were running short of time. It is a walled city with many gates, but it is all very beautiful... though clearly is focused on serving the many tourists. There are many great spots to 'sit and watch the world go by' whilst enjoying a Belgium beer! Next day we drove cross country to visit the 'Tyne Cot' WW1 War memorial which is a very worthwhile and moving experience that I would highly recommend. We were on route to the ferry ports but stopped of in Ypres and saw (and drove through) the Menin Gate etc, which is another significant place to have ticked off. Otherwise our experience of Belgium is (so far) limitied to driving on their excellent (and free!) motorways which are empty in the middle of the night when we have been on them driving to Austria for ski trips!!!