Bruges and Ghent from Brussels: Day Tour or Train on Your Own?
4 min read
If you have one day and want both cities, the guided coach tour is the easier choice; if you can spare two days, the train gives you more time in each city. The most-reviewed option, the guided day trip to Bruges and Ghent, costs €29 per person, is rated 4.6 from 10,435 reviews and lasts 10.5 hours.
What the coach tours actually give you
The booking page of that tour says it departs Brussels at 8:30 and returns around 19:00, depending on traffic. The meeting point is Carrefour de l’Europe in central Brussels, and the page asks you to arrive 15 minutes early because the bus leaves on time and late arrivals are not refunded. The itinerary lists roughly an hour and a half of bus travel to Bruges, a guided walk, then free time, then Ghent with a shorter guided walk and free time again. For operational reasons the order can be reversed.
You choose a format when you book. The guided option includes the walking tours; the “at your pace” options replace them with an audio guide in Bruges, and a canal cruise or beer tasting appears only where the selected option names it. Lunch, drinks and entrance tickets are not part of the tour. Guides work in Spanish, English and Italian.
A second, similar offer, the Bruges and Ghent day tour, costs €26.10, is rated 4.7 from 9,439 reviews and also takes 10.5 hours. It starts near Brussels Central Station and returns about 19:30. If you only want Bruges, the Bruges day trip with optional boat trip costs €34.02, takes 10 hours, adds a panoramic stop in Damme on the way back when the day’s route allows, and sells a canal ride, or a canal ride plus beer tasting, as separate options.
Doing it by train
SNCB, the Belgian national railway, gives an average of about one hour from Brussels to Bruges, with 65 trains a day, and an average of about 36 minutes to Ghent. Fares depend on distance, and SNCB lists a reduction at weekends, so check the price for your date on its site or app. In Bruges, the Market Square is roughly a 20-minute walk from the station, or a short city-bus ride.
Going alone costs you the guide’s stories and the single meeting point, but it lets you leave when you like, stay for dinner and keep lunch where you want it. One more guided option sits in between: a small-group day trip by train to Bruges and Ghent for €72, with guides in Spanish and English and the train fare included on the booking page. It does not allow luggage or large bags.
At a glance
| Tour | Duration | From | Rating | What it covers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Guided day trip to Bruges and Ghent | 10.5 hours | €29 | 4.6 (10,435) | Coach; guided or at your own pace |
| Bruges and Ghent day tour | 10.5 hours | €26.10 | 4.7 (9,439) | Coach; guided walks in both cities |
| Bruges day trip with optional boat trip | 10 hours | €34.02 | 4.5 (1,594) | Coach; Bruges only |
| Small-group day trip by train | 1 day | €72 | 4.4 (104) | Train; Bruges and Ghent |
Who should pick what
The coach tour suits people who want a fixed plan, a single day and no timetable to read. The train suits anyone who wants to see one city properly or who dislikes an 8:30 start.
Two cautions. Bruges and Ghent in a single day means roughly an hour and a half of free time in each; that is a sampler, not a visit. And the booking pages of the coach tours list wheelchair users and people with limited mobility as not suitable, because of cobblestones and uneven pavements. If that applies to you, the train and a taxi in the city are the more realistic plan; confirm any needs with the operator before booking.
Children under 3 need an appropriate child seat on the coach and cannot board without one, according to the page of the most-reviewed tour. Strollers are allowed.
Our recommendation
For a first visit with one spare day, book the guided day trip to Bruges and Ghent and pick the guided format; it is the most-reviewed of the tours that cover both cities. If you already know Flanders or want an unhurried day, take the train to a single city. More options are on our page for day trips from Brussels.
