Bruges Hotels Guide: Getting Around the City

Bruges is a small, compact city and so it is easy to visit most of the major attractions on foot. The streets are cobbled, so high heels are not recommended and pedestrians need to be aware that cyclists have priority, but otherwise Bruges is a magical city to wander around on foot. The main tourism office at the Concert Bowl (Concertgebouwl, 't Zand)is a good starting point, where you can pick up maps and itineraries. Click on interactive Googlemap of Bruges to help you plan your way around the city.

Other options for getting around Bruges include:

Bicycle:

Bruges is a very safe and easy place to cycle around. There are plenty of bike rentals in the city centre and many streets that serve cyclists with two-way lanes.

Hiring a bike will cost you between €4 to 7 an hour. Full day fares are cheaper at a rate of €9-10. Some bike rentals offer a 24 hour rate for around €30. Koffieboontje seems to be the most popular rental company, with an office near the main bell tower.

Here’s a list of bike rental agencies recommended by the Bruges Tourism Board.

Bauhaus Bike Rental

Pedal Power (050-34-65-27)

Eric Popelier (050-34-32-62)

De Ketting (050 34 41 96)

You can also try hotel Koffieboontje or the Snuffel Backpacker Hostel who can also arrange bike hire.

Quasimundo, also recommended by the tourism office run nighttime bike tours which are great fun. A toured evening ride will cost you €24. Telephone: 00 32 50 330775.

Boat:

One of the best ways to see Bruges is by boat. The half-hour boat trips mainly operate on the canals in the centre of the city and are extremely popular in the summer so you can expect long queues. There are boats leaving every few minutes from a number of jetties to the south of the Burg mainly close to Blinde Ezelstraat and the Vismarkt. During the winter there is a less frequent service at weekends, and public holidays only. Expect to pay € 5.20 for adults and € 2.60 for children aged 4-11.

For a very pleasant boat trip out of town take the Lamme Goedzaak river barge to Damme. Damme is only 7 km north of Bruges and was once the city's main port but is now a pretty village surrounded by farmland. To take the barge to Damme, go to the Noorweegse Kaai at Dampoort which is 2 km north of the city on the number 4 bus route from the Markt. The 40-minute boat excursions to Damme run daily from Easter to the beginning of September and costs approximately € 5 one way/ € 6.50 return for adults and € 3.40 one way/ € 4.50 return for children.

Horse Drawn Carriage:

Why not relax and take a pleasant ride through Bruges in a horse drawn carriage. The carriages leave from the Markt (March to November) and take you on a 30-minute sightseeing tour of the city starting in the Markt and taking you to the Begijnhof in the south of the city. The carrieages can be found parked in the Markt waiting for custom.

Buses:

De Lijn (tel: (059) 565 211 or (070) 220 200; website: www.delijn.be) operates the Bruges city and Flanders regional bus services, with routes serving the city and surrounding areas including the coast. The main bus terminal is outside the railway station, with many services also stopping at ‘t Zand opposite the new Concert Hall and in the central Markt.

You can also take a CityTour by minibus which takes you around the well-known sites of Bruges with a recorded commentary in a choice of seven languages. The buses are operated by the Sightseeing Line (telephone +32 (0)50 35 50 24) and leave from the Markt on the hour every hour starting at 10am. The last bus leaves between 4pm and 8pm depending on the time of year.

Taxis:

There are taxi stands in the Markt (tel: (050) 334 444) and at the railway station (tel: (050) 384 660). Local operators include Bruges Taxi Service (tel: (050) 334 455; website: www.brugsetaxiservice.com) and Taxi Snel (tel: (050) 363 649).