TGV Day Trip to Brussels

[jeffperez62]

I found the TGV schedule and it seems that Brussels is a 1.5 hour ride from Paris. Should I go. If so is it a good day trip? Where or what should I eat? Where should I go for a good beer? HELP!

[cigalechanta]

I did that one year and enjoyed the ride but it was a spur of the moment idea so didn't have a place in mind so on the main street, I sat at a cafe and had a great beer and snack. Rudy Maxa, on his Tv show(and Vid) mentions a restaurant there, I forget the name and saw his show long after I was there.

But he raved about it. Unfortunately for me it was a monday and lots of places like galleries were closed.

[menton1]

IMHO, Paris is more beautiful, more interesting, and has an infintely greater number of choices for food and restaurants than Brussels.

In other words, unless you are attending a NATO or EU conference, stay in Paris!!!

[Louisa Chu]

If you're living in Paris and/or a TGV fan, then yeah sure - why not. If not - if you're just visiting Paris - then why bother? I live here and I still haven't seen/eaten all the stuff I want to in my own arrondissement.

[Bux]

I was in Brussels a couple of year's ago and enjoyed it quite a bit, but I agree with menton and lou. We've been to Paris often enough--wait, I take that back, can anyone go to Paris often enough?--Let's just say we've been there many times. We went to Antwerp and Brussels to visit a Friend and spend several days driving through the northeast of France in one of the few areas we've not visited in any depth in forty years. It's really a factor of how well you've seen Paris and the area around Paris. There are day trips in France I might rather make, but yes, you'll find better beer in Brussels.

[jeffperez62]

Bux, Which day trips would you recommend? (My wife has her heart set on Versaille) PS I won't have a car..

[Bux]

If you haven't been to Versailles, it's certainly worth the trip from Paris. I think you can get there by RER. We haven't been there in a long, long time and I know we had a car when we were there. We've either driven in or out of Paris many times in our life and have visited most places near Paris on one or more of those drives. Thus I have little first hand information about how to get to places by public transportation and tend to think of places to which I can drive. Many people people enjoy an organized overnight or day trip to the Loire. I'm not one of them, but the Loire is a wonderful place. I'd really prefer to spend two or three days, at least, and be on my own. Unfortunately, from what I remember, it's usually not very economical to rent a car for less than three days.

I thought I recalled at lest one discussion here about day trips from Paris, but I couldn't find the thread. All I came up with was one with suggestions for a two day trip out of Paris

Chartres comes to mind, but it's not worth the trip unless you're guaranteed clear skies and bright Sun. The odds are against that in the winter. Giverny is also accessible by train, but there's nothing in bloom, it's not even likely to be green and Monet's gardens are probably not even open. As I recall, you're spending a week in Paris. A week in Paris is not likely to bore most people, but if you've spent time before, I understand the interest in getting out of town.

[menton1]

There are many places you could go, but I think I remember you saying you will be there in the winter-- be prepared for chilly and/or rainy walks from the RR station to your destination--

1/ Versailles -- But it is very big and very empty;

2/ Chartres Cathedral-- breathtaking, and a lovely village as well..

3/ D Day Sites-- Military history, battlefields, momuments, museums...

4/ Strasbourg-- Alsatian flavors...

5/ Fontainebleau-- Fabulous renaissance architecture...

6/ Mont St Michel-- VERY dramatic;

7/ Euro Disney (Ugh!!)

Giverny is only good from spring to fall, and a long long way from the RR station...

P.S. I still can't understand why you are itching so to leave Paris-- It is one of the great cities of the world, and there is enough to keep you busy for months on end!!

[Louisa Chu]

Go to Versailles - by RER - and don't miss Le Potager du Roi.

[Margaret Pilgrim]

By all means, Jeff, if your wife has her heart set on Versailles, take her there. It is a very simple RER ride (from St. Michel or other left bank RER C Line stations) on the C5 (Rive Gauche/Chateau de Versailles terminus) line, zone 4. Versailles is a pleasant little town for an afternoon walk in addition to the many attractions of the Chateau and gardens. I would definitely get information before hand at a tourist office regarding opening hours for both independent and tour opportunities.

[balex]

Plus there is a good restaurant at the Trianon Palace hotel. In fact the bistrot restaurant in that hotel was also quite good -- I went there a few years ago and had a very 'correct' meal.

[theakston]

Go for the beer

It's do-able but an overnight would be better. The thing to go for is the beer and the Grand Place.

The best beer bars are:

Bier Circus

La Morte Subite

Poechenellekelder (next to the pissing boy)

And continuing on that theme you should eat at:

In 't Spinnekopke

1 Place Du Jardin Aux Fleurs

Which has the best beer Cuisine.

Worth a visit also is the brewery / museum at CantillonCantillon website

This is one of the few remaining traditional lambic brewers (using spontaneous fermentation). take the tour and pick up some Gueuze for on the train back!

[paulbrussel]

If you have never been there, why shouldn't you go?

In fact it is only 1h25 from Paris to Brussels by TGV. If you book quite in advance, a return ticket will cost you 50 €.

Where you can eat? It depends your taste. Of course you could go to the three star chef Jean-Pierre Bruneau - more modern cooking with excellent wine list (http://www.bruneau.be).

Much more classic, but very famous is Comme chez soi with the chef Pierre Wynants and his son-in-law Lionel Rigolet (https://www.commechezsoi.be); this restaurant has three stars since decades.

My favourite is the two star restaurant Sea Grill of the SAS-hotel with modern cooking chef Yves Mattagne (http://www.resto.be/seagrill/).

Anyway, lunching and dining in Brussels is much cheaper then in Paris.

[paulbrussel]

Go for the beer

La Morte Subite

And continuing on that theme you should eat at:

In 't Spinnekopke

1 Place Du Jardin Aux Fleurs

Which has the best beer Cuisine.

La Mort Subite has it's own café which is one of the nicest in town, just opposite the Sint-Hubertus Gallery in the centre of town, near the Grand Place and Central Station.

In 't Spinnekopke is not a restaurant I would travel 2 times 1h25 minutes for, although they say it is local and anteresting; my one and only visit was quite average.