Planning a Short Trip to Belgium with Young Children

*Guest post

As you know we love to travel and plan to do a lot more in the future. So, we have been looking at places in Europe to try to find somewhere we can take Ethan and Logan now they are a bit older. One possibility is Belgium, so I have been doing a little research. Below are my tips for visiting Belgium and what you need to know.

Where to go

There is plenty of choice when it comes to places to go. Where you head to depends on the type of holiday you want to enjoy. Belgium may be a small country, but there is still plenty of variety available.

A city break

Bruges is an enchanting place. It has a nice canal, plenty of chocolate shops some of which offer classes and plenty of museums. Most kids will love taking a canal trip, climbing the Belfry Tower, having a go at making chocolate and taking a horse-drawn carriage trip. 

Of course, Brussels is also an option. It is the capital city, so as you would expect has plenty for your kids to do and see. Train World, Dino-discover at the Natural Science Museum, Mini Europe and puppet shows at Toone are just a few examples. There is plenty to do and see there, but somehow Bruges still seems like a nicer option.

Time by the sea

Unfortunately, Belgium’s coastline fronts the North Sea. So, in the winter it is cold, very cold. But it is great during the summer. Places like Ostend have long wide promenades that go on for miles. All fronted with bars and restaurants and pedal car hire shops. 

Rural Wallonia

If your kids are into outdoor activities, Wallonia is the place to head. There you can enjoy kayaking, hiking, horse riding and much more besides.

Belgium theme park holidays

For such a small country, Belgium has a lot of theme parks. A lot of them are really good. By far the most popular one is Walibi. It is the biggest one in Belgium. There are 40 rides, a 4D cinema and a tropical water park called Aqualibi.

If you want to spend the whole weekend enjoying a kid’s amusement park, head to PlopsAqua De Panne. You need at least a couple of days to truly explore this place. The hotel is pretty decent, but it fills up fast.

Pre-book to avoid disappointment

Pretty much wherever you go in the world you will find crowds.  Belgium is no exception. So, try to book things ahead of time. Doing so will avoid disappointment, save you time and, often, save you money as well.  

Book a hotel near the airport

If your flight leaves early or you will have to travel through rush hour traffic to get there, consider booking everyone into a hotel the night before. Things will not be such a mad rush in the morning. Arriving at the airport stressed and tired is not going to be a great start to your holiday.