The Ultimate 7 Day Belgium Itinerary By Train

Last Updated on 16th September 2023

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Are you planning to explore the beautiful country of Belgium by train but you’re not sure where to start when it comes to putting an itinerary together? This ultimate 7 day Belgium itinerary by train is for you!

Belgium is one of my favourite countries in Europe and it’s the perfect country to explore by train in just 7 days! With one week in Belgium, you can visit the capital city of Brussels, Ghent, Bruges and Antwerp!

This Belgium itinerary for 7 days includes everything you need to know for planning the perfect interrailing trip in Belgium!

From planning your Interrail route between each city to hotel recommendations for each place, as well as a list of all the best things to see and do in Brussels, Ghent, Bruges and Antwerp, I’ve covered everything you need to know for your Belgium itinerary by train!

BELGIUM TRAVEL ESSENTIALS
Flights: Kiwi.com / Expedia / Trip.com / Skyscanner
Accommodation: Booking.com / Hostelworld
Transport: Interrail Pass / Eurail Pass / Trainline
Activities/tours: Get Your Guide / Viator / Klook
Travel insurance: SafetyWing
Hotel reviews: TripAdvisor
My backpacking essentials: Amazon
Europe eSIM: Airalo

Belgium itinerary 7 days map

The Ultimate 7 Day Belgium Itinerary By Train map

As you can see from the map above, this 7 day Belgium itinerary takes you on a triangular route from the capital city of Brussels to Ghent, Bruges, Antwerp and then concludes back in Brussels.

You should aim to spend two days each in Brussels, Ghent and Bruges and conclude with a final day in Antwerp before taking the train back to Brussels to depart!

What to do in Belgium in 7 days

7 days is the perfect amount of time to explore Belgium by train as it will allow you to visit some of the country’s top cities such as Brussels, Ghent, Bruges and Antwerp.

You’ll see sights such as the Grand-Place and Atomium in Brussels, Gravensteen Castle and Saint Nicholas’ Church in Ghent, the Basilica of the Holy Blood and the Belfry in Bruges and the Cathedral of Our Lady and Grote Markt in Antwerp, plus much more!

7 day Belgium itinerary by train from Brussels summary

Brussels – 2 days
Ghent – 2 days
Bruges – 2 days
Antwerp – 1 day

Brussels – 2 days

This epic Belgium itinerary kicks off in the country’s capital of Brussels; a stunning city that’s home to spectacular architecture, numerous museums and plenty of chocolate-making workshops!

Two days is the perfect amount of time to spend in Brussels on this 7 day itinerary as it will give you the chance to admire the city’s buildings, eat plenty of delicious food and explore the gorgeous outdoor spaces.

On a walking tour of the city, you’ll get to see the hilarious Manneken Pis statue and the Royal Palace of Brussels, and you’ll also get the chance to sample some delicious Belgian beer, chocolate and frites!

Best things to do in Brussels – 7 day Belgium itinerary by train

Make delicious treats at a Belgian Chocolate Workshop
Wander through Parc du Cinquantenaire
Admire the stunning Town Hall in Grand-Place/Grote Markt
Check out the Atomium
Visit the beautiful Galeries Royales Saint Hubert

Where to stay in Brussels

When we first visited Brussels in August 2022, we stayed at the Bedford Hotel & Congress Centre as it was one of the cheapest places to stay at the time.

Despite being one of the more affordable options at the time, it was also a really great place to stay, with a huge comfy bed, a stunning reception area and even a bathtub in the private bathroom!

The hotel is also less than 500m from the iconic Grand Place and Brussels-Zuid/Midi Train Station is just a 15-minute walk away, so I’d highly recommend it for a couple of nights on your 7 day Belgium itinerary.

How to get to Brussels

If you’re travelling to Brussels from overseas, you can fly into one of the two main airports that service the city (Brussels-Zaventem Airport (BRU) or Brussels South Charleroi Airport (CRL) ).

When we flew to Brussels in August 2022, we had no idea that there were two airports, so we flew to Charleroi Airport which is actually 36 miles south of the city!

Despite being a little out of the way, it’s actually very easy to get from Charleroi to the city centre of Brussels (Midi/Zuid Station) via the Flibco shuttle bus which departs every 20-30 minutes from just outside of the airport and takes you into the city centre. This service costs €18.99 one-way (€37.98 return – there is no discount for a return journey) and takes approximately an hour to get to Brussels Midi/Zuid Station.

As well has having two airports, Brussels also has three main train stations, which can make it a little tricky to know which one you need, especially as they’re all called different names depending on which country you’re from!

The three main stations are Brussels Nord (also known as Gare du Nord or Noordstation), Brussels Centrale (also known as Gare Centrale or Brussels Centraal) and Brussels Midi/Zuid (also known as Gare du Midi or Zuidstation).

Ghent – 2 days

The next place on your 7 day Belgium itinerary by train is the adorable port city of Ghent!

I had wanted to visit Ghent ever since my dad said it was one of his favourite cities, so I was so happy when we included a stop there on our 2 month Europe Interrail trip.

Ghent isn’t a huge city and you can see most things in just one day, but for this 7 day Belgium itinerary, I’d recommend spending two full days in Ghent so you can really soak up everything that it has to offer!

Best things to do in Ghent – 7 day Belgium itinerary by train

Climb to the top of the Belfry of Ghent (Belfort van Gent)
Explore Gravensteen Castle
Go on a guided boat trip through the city centre
Check out Korenmarkt
Admire St. Bavo’s Cathedral (Sint-Baafskathedraal)

Where to stay in Ghent

For a truly luxurious stay in Ghent, I would highly recommend checking out 1898 The Post. This hotel is one of the most highly-rated hotels in the city, with stunning rooms, a gorgeous cocktail bar and a decadent breakfast selection in The Kitchen. It’s located right in the heart of the city, so you won’t have to venture too far to see the sights.

For a more affordable place to stay in Ghent, check out B&B HOTEL Gent Centrum, which features a shared lounge, a breakfast buffet and beautiful city views.

How to get to Ghent from Brussels

The train from Brussels Centrale to Gent-Sint-Pieters Station takes approximately 40 minutes and trains run very regularly.

You can purchase tickets online in advance for around £11 (€13). The train journey from Brussels to Ghent is also included in the Interrail Pass and the Eurail Pass if you decide to purchase a pass for your 7 day Belgium itinerary by train, which means you can travel for free when you use your pass for this journey.

Bruges – 2 days

Bruges is less than half an hour by train from Ghent, so it’s a great place to have on your 7 day Belgium itinerary as it’s so quick and easy to get to.

Similarly to Ghent, you could probably see most of Bruges in just one day, but I think it’s such a gorgeous city that deserves spending a little longer in. Two days gives you plenty of time to explore the city at a leisurely place, as well as visit some of the city’s top eateries such as The Potato Bar, Casa Patata or Surf & Turf.

Best things to do in Bruges

See the fascinating Basilica of the Holy Blood (Basiliek van het Heilig Bloed)
Head to the top of the Belfry of Bruges
Take a boat ride along the canal
Enjoy the peace at the Lake of Love (Minnewater)
Take a Belgian waffle-making class

Where to stay in Bruges

Hotel Central and Hotel Het Gheestelic Hof are excellent hotels located in the city centre that are reasonably priced, whereas The Bank 1869 is a fantastic place to stay if you want something a little more luxurious and super centrally located.

Accommodation in Bruges isn’t the cheapest, so you will likely be looking at a minimum of £70 a night, even in the off-season.

How to get to Bruges from Ghent

The train from Ghent to Bruges takes less than 30 minutes and prices start at just £8.50 (€10). You can purchase train tickets online in advance or you can buy them from Gent-Sint-Peters station on the day of travel.

You can also use the Interrail Pass or Eurail Pass to travel from Ghent to Bruges.

Antwerp – 1 day

We spent a whole week in Antwerp at the end of our Europe Interrailing trip as we wanted to base ourselves somewhere in Belgium where we could take several day trips from. However, you definitely don’t need to spend one week in Antwerp; one full day should be enough to see most of the sights of the city.

Antwerp is a lovely little city to mooch around as there’s plenty of stunning architecture to explore (such as the Antwerp Cathedral of Our Lady and Het Steen Castle), plus there’s tonnes of delicious chocolate shops, Belgian waffle eateries and lots of places to grab some classic Belgian frites!

Best things to do in Antwerp – 7 day Belgium itinerary by train

Admire the gorgeous interior of Antwerp Train Station
Visit the Antwerp Cathedral of Our Lady (Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekathedraal)
Wander around Grote Markt
Ride The View Ferris Wheel
Head to the MAS Museum rooftop terrace for incredible (free!) views of the city

Where to stay in Antwerp

During our two month Europe Interrail trip, we actually spent one week in Antwerp in a beautiful Airbnb. You definitely don’t need to spend a whole week in Antwerp as there really isn’t an awful lot to do in the city, but we had a lot of work to catch up on, so we decided to spend longer there.

If you’re only spending one night in Antwerp, I’d recommend checking out Citybox Antwerp for a super affordable place to stay or Hotel Rubens-Grote Markt for a fancier hotel right in the heart of the city centre.

How to get to Antwerp from Bruges

The train from Bruges to Antwerp (Anvers-Central) actually goes back via Ghent and usually takes between one and a half hours and two hours, depending on which train you get.

You can buy tickets online in advance for around £17 (€20) or you can use the Interrail Pass or Eurail Pass to get from Bruges to Antwerp.

Once you’ve concluded your time in Antwerp, you can head back to Brussels to leave Belgium via the airport (remember there are two airports in Brussels, so you’ll need to check which one you need to get to!) or you can just head straight to Antwerp International Airport which is approximately 20 minutes via train from Anvers-Central station.

Antwerp International Airport is a much smaller airport that only offers limited flights within Europe, so depending where you’re travelling to, you might need to leave via Brussels Airport or Charleroi Airport instead.