This page explains how to buy train tickets from Bruges to other European cities at the cheapest prices, buying online direct from the operators, usually with print-at-home tickets. Click here to buy tickets starting in another city. Suggested hotel in Bruges.
I want to go from Bruges to...
Travelling from Ghent? The advice on this page will also help you with journeys from Ghent as the booking process is usually the same.
Before
you buy your tickets
Take a moment to read these important tips for buying European train tickets. It answers all the usual questions, "Do I need to book in advance or can I buy at the station?", "Can I stop off?", "Are there Senior fares?" and that old favourite, "Should I buy an $800 railpass or a €35 point-to-point ticket?". And most important, click here to understand how far ahead you can buy train tickets.
European
train travel FAQ
Bruges to Brussels for €17.50
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Belgian domestic InterCity trains link Bruges with Brussels Midi & Brussels Central every half-hour throughout the day.
Tip: You want the half-hourly Bruges to Brussels trains direct via Ghent taking around 1 hour. Don't get on a stopping train to Brussels via Roesalere taking 2h16!
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Standard tickets
The fare is €17.50 each way in 2nd class, €27.00 in 1st class.
Standard fares are good for any train that day. The price is fixed and no reservation is necessary or even possible. Just turn up, buy a ticket and hop on the next train, easy! A round trip is twice the price of a one-way, unless made with a weekend return.
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Weekend return tickets
If making a round trip to Brussels between 19:01 on Friday and the last train on Sunday, you can buy a weekend return for little more than the cost of a one-way, Bruges to Brussels €18.80 return. See www.belgiantrain.be for details.
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Youth tickets
€7.70 in 2nd class.
Anyone aged under 26 can buy a Youth Ticket, this covers any point-to-point journey in Belgium, travelling on any train at weekends or any train after 09:00 on weekdays. If you buy to or from Brussels airport, a Brussels airport supplement is added. See www.belgiantrain.be for details.
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Senior tickets
€8.50 in 2nd class or €18.00 in 1st class,
Anyone aged 65 or over can buy a Senior Ticket, this covers any point-to-point journey in Belgium, travelling on any train at weekends or any train after 09:00 on weekdays. It covers a one-way or same-day round trip between the stations you specify. If you buy to or from Brussels airport, a Brussels airport supplement is added. See www.belgiantrain.be for details.
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Stopovers
You can stop off on the way with normal Belgian train tickets, as long as it's at a station on the direct route and you complete the journey the same day. If in doubt, buy two tickets.
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Standard Multi ticket - 10 trips in Belgium
If you plan to make multiple journeys around Belgium, you can buy a card giving you 10 one-way journeys anywhere in Belgium over the course of one year, for €96 2nd class or €146 in 1st class. That's €9.60 per journey! Buy at any staffed Belgian station. Check this and similar offers at www.belgiantrain.be.
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To check times & prices, and buy a print-at-home ticket online to save time at the ticket office, use the Belgian Railways website www.belgiantrain.be.
A double-deck Intercity train at Bruges station. Most departures use these double-deck M7 trains.
Above left, the entrance and stairs to upper & lower decks.
Above right, 2nd class upper deck seats on a Brussels-Luxembourg train.
Above left, the rather nice steampunk-style 1st class, on these trains all 1st class seats are on the upper deck.
Bruges to Ghent, Antwerp & other destinations in Belgium
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Simply check prices & train times at www.belgiantrain.be, then either buy online to save time at the ticket office, or buy at the station on the day.
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No reservation is necessary for Belgian domestic trains, they cannot sell out and there is no advantage in buying ahead other than saving time buying on the day. It's a turn-up-and-go railway.
Bruges to Amsterdam from €29, see the Bruges to Amsterdam page
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You can easily travel from Bruges to Amsterdam by train in as little as 2h51 with departures every hour or so. Train is the safe & comfortable way to go! Full details on the Bruges to Amsterdam page.
Bruges to Rotterdam, Hoek, Schiphol
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Option 1, Bruges to Rotterdam or Schiphol using Eurostar (formerly Thalys)
This is the fastest and most comfortable option, if you're prepared to book in advance. There's a departure every 1-2 hours.
You take a Belgian domestic train from Bruges to Brussels Midi in around 1 hour, then a high-speed Eurostar (formerly Thalys) to Rotterdam Centraal in 1h10 or Schiphol in 1h34.
Fares are dynamic like air fares, so book ahead. All tickets come with a reserved seat on a specific train, limited or no changes to travel plans with the cheapest tickets. Short notice and flexible tickets can be expensive. There's a cafe-bar or vending machines.
Buy tickets at www.nsinternational.nl. These journeys will be marked Eurostar.
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Option 2, Bruges to Rotterdam or Schiphol using Eurocity trains
This is slower, but runs every hour, it's more flexible and cheaper at short notice. Better for spontaneous trips.
You take a Belgian domestic train from Bruges to Antwerp in 1h30, then a Eurocity Direct train to Rotterdam Centraal in 44 minutes or Schiphol in 1h13.
There are no seat reservations, you sit where you like. Standard tickets are affordable even when bought on the day of travel and they let you hop on any Eurocity Direct you like that day. Only the cheaper advance-purchase Saver fares commit you to a specific departure. No catering, so bring your own food and drink.
Antwerp is a beautiful station, have a look around between trains. Tickets are good for any train between Bruges and Antwerp, even if tied to a specific departure between Antwerp & Rotterdam. You may also see some journeys by IC train routed via Brussels, but Antwerp is a nicer place to change trains.
Buy tickets at www.nsinternational.nl.
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For Hoek van Holland:
Take a train to Rotterdam Centraal, it's then a 10-minute 800m walk to Eendrachtsplein metro station, see walking map. Then take the frequent RET metro direct to Hoek van Holland Haven, a 33-minute ride. The metro takes contactless bank cards so you can just touch in and out without buying a ticket. To avoid the walk, you can also take an NS train from Rotterdam Centraal to Schiedam Centrum, then take the metro from there to Hoek van Holland Haven.
Bruges to Paris from €56
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Every half-hour, a Belgian InterCity train links Bruges (Brugge) with Brussels Midi in 56-64 minutes, then Eurostar (formerly Thalys) trains run from Brussels Midi to Paris Gare du Nord every hour or so in as little as 1h22, see more about Eurostar (formerly Thalys).
I'd allow at least 20 minutes to change in Brussels.
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Buy Bruges to Paris tickets at www.thetrainline.com. Booking opens up to 4 months ahead.
Tip: Select Brugge (Belgium). You do not want Bruges in France (yes, there's a Bruges in France, south of Bordeaux). Nor do you want Brugge-Sint-Pieters, just plain Brugge.
Tip: In the search results, look for journeys taking around 2h40 with 1 change, with Eurostar. Journeys via Kortrijk & Lille take an hour longer, involve an extra change, even though they may be cheaper.
You'll get an open ticket from Bruges to Brussels (no reservation necessary or possible, valid on any half-hourly train that day) plus a reserved seat on a specific Eurostar from Brussels to Paris, all in one transaction. You can print your e-ticket on A4 paper (Letter size paper is fine) or download the SNCB Europe app and show the e-ticket on your phone.
Tip: Feel free to take any Bruges-Brussels train before the one www.thetrainline.com suggests, either to have a more leisurely connection or to spend some time in Brussels between trains. Information about Brussels Midi.
A Eurostar at Brussels Midi. More about Eurostar (formerly Thalys).
Bruges to London, www.eurostar.com
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Book from Bruges to London at www.raileurope.com.
This sources the Bruges-Brussels ticket and the Brussels-London Eurostar ticket as one seamless transaction and it'll work out the best connection in Brussels. It's easy to use, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee.
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Alternatively, book your Brussels-London Eurostar at www.eurostar.com, then buy a Bruges-Brussels ticket at Belgian Railways website www.belgiantrain.be. In all cases, you print your own ticket or show it on your phone.
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Booking opens up to 11 months ahead, book early as Eurostar has airline-style pricing with cheap fares if you book in advance, expensive fares closer to departure date. Bruges-Brussels tickets are normally good for any train that day, no seat reservations necessary or possible, it's mass transit. So there's usually no problem hopping on an earlier train from Bruges to Brussels than the one shown when you booked.
Bruges to Cologne, Frankfurt, Berlin, Germany from €27.90, int.bahn.de
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Take a Belgian domestic train from Bruges to Brussels Midi in 58-64 minutes twice an hour. Then take a high-speed train from Brussels Midi to Cologne Hbf every hour in 1h50, Some are French & Belgian-owned Eurostar (formerly Thalys) trains and others are German-run ICE trains that continue to Frankfurt (Main) Hbf. Change in Cologne or Frankfurt for destinations all over Germany.
I'd stick with ICE as you can then buy a through ticket from Bruges or anywhere in Belgium to anywhere in Germany, which makes it both cheaper and more secure than using Eurostar (because you get passenger rights in the event of a delay & missed connection with a through ticket that you don't get if you have 3 separate tickets that you'd get if you used Eurostar).
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Fares start at €27.90 in 2nd class, €37.90 in 1st class.
Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
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Buy tickets at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.
You can book from Bruges or any station in Belgium to almost any station in Germany for an inclusive price.
Bookings open up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone. I recommend registering when prompted, so you can log on at any time and check or reprint tickets.
If you want to see journeys involving Eurostars as well as ICE, use www.thetrainline.com.
An ICE3neo at Brussels Midi. Click on the interior images for larger photos. Photo courtesy of Christian Hunt.
Bruges to all other countries
Take a Belgian InterCity train from Bruges to Brussels and change there. See the International trains from Brussels page.
Hotels in Bruges & other cities
Recommended hotel in Bruges: Relais Bourgondisch Cruyce
If you can afford it and for somewhere really special, go for the Relais Bourgondisch Cruyce, a luxurious and romantic boutique-style hotel in a fabulous location on the canal and within easy walking distance of all the sights. My own stay here was a delight, and Mrs 61 was particularly impressed to be sharing the breakfast room with the lead guitarist from Pink Floyd...
Backpacker
hostels
www.hostelworld.com: If you're on a tight budget, don't forget about backpacker hostels. Hostelworld offers online booking of cheap private rooms or dorm beds in backpacker hostels in most cities at rock-bottom prices.
Travel insurance & VPN
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Always take out travel insurance
Never travel overseas without travel insurance from a reliable insurer, with at least £1m or preferably £5m medical cover. It should also cover cancellation and loss of cash and belongings, up to a sensible limit. An annual multi-trip policy is usually cheaper than several single-trip policies even for just 2 or 3 trips a year, I have an annual policy with Staysure.co.uk myself. Here are some suggested insurers. Seat61 gets a small commission if you buy through these links.
www.staysure.co.uk
offers enhanced Covid-19 protection & gets 4.7 out of 5 on
Trustpilot.
www.columbusdirect.com
is also a well-know brand.
If you live in the USA try
Travel Guard USA.
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Get an eSIM with mobile data package
Don't rely on WiFi, download an eSIM with a mobile data package for the country you're visiting and stay connected. Most newer mobile phones can download a virtual SIM card so you don't need to buy a physical SIM, including iPhone 11 & later, see device compatibility list. Maya.net is a reliable eSIM data retailer with a 4.5 out of 5 Trustpilot rating and a range of packages including unlimited data.
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Get a Curve card for foreign travel
Most banks give you a poor exchange rate, then add a foreign transaction fee on top. A Curve MasterCard means no foreign transaction fees and gives you the mid-market exchange rate, at least up to a certain limit, £500 per month at time of writing. The money you spend on your Curve card goes straight onto one of your existing debit or credit cards.
How it works: 1. Download the Curve app for iPhone or Android. 2. Enter your details & they'll send you a Curve MasterCard - they send to the UK and most European addresses. 3. Link your existing credit & debit cards to the app, you can link up to two cards with the free version of Curve, I link my normal debit card and my normal credit card. 4. Now use the Curve MasterCard to buy things online or in person or take cash from ATMs, exactly like a normal MasterCard. Curve does the currency conversion and puts the balance in your own currency onto whichever debit or credit card is currently selected in the Curve app. You can even change your mind about which card it goes onto, within 14 days of the transaction.
I have a Curve Blue card myself, it means I can buy a coffee on a foreign station on a card without being stung by fees and lousy exchange rates, just by tapping the Curve card on their card reader. The money goes through Curve to my normal debit card and is taken directly from my account (in fact I have the Curve card set up as payment card on Apple Pay on my iPhone, so can double-click my phone, let it do Face ID then tap the reader with the phone - even easier than digging a card out). I get a little commission if you sign up to Curve, but I recommend it here because I think it's great. See details, download the app and get a Curve card, they'll give you £5 cashback through that link.
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Get a VPN for safe browsing. Why you need a VPN
When you're travelling you often use free WiFi in public places which may not be secure. A VPN encrypts your connection so it's always secure, even on unsecured WiFi. It also means you can select the geographic location of the IP address you browse with, to get around geoblocking which a surprising number of websites apply. See VPNs & why you need one explained. ExpressVPN is a best buy with a 4.7 out of 5 Trustpilot ranking which I use myself - I've signed up as an ExpressVPN affiliate, and if you go with expressvpn.com using the links on this page, you should see a special deal, 3 months free with an annual subscription. I get a small commission to help support this site.
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Carry an Anker powerbank
Tickets, reservations, vaccination records and Interrail or Eurail passes are often held digitally on your mobile phone, so it's vital to keep it charged. I always carry an Anker powerbank which can recharge my phone several times over if I can't get to a power outlet. Buy from Amazon.co.uk or from buy from Amazon.com.