This week I took my first
international trip since arriving in Spain. Due to a school holiday, I was able
to take a long weekend and spend four days in lovely Belgium. Last Wednesday my
friend Megan (who so kindly let me borrow some of her photos) and I woke up at the crack of dawn to take the 6:30 train to
Zaragoza, a city two hours to the south. From there we flew to the Brussels
Charleroi Airport. I’m not a big fan of flying, but it’s a lot more tolerable
when there are snow covered Pyrenees Mountains to look at out the window!
When we finally arrived, it was gray and rainy, so we
headed to our hostel. This was my first time staying in a hostel dorm, so I
didn’t know quite what to expect. I was pleasantly surprised to find that our
six person dorm was very much like a hotel room, but cost us considerably less.
We then set out to wander around the city. Unfortunately, due to a combination
of bad weather and worse directional skills, we didn’t see any major sites in
Brussels that first day. What we did find was Friteland, home of the best fries
in Belgium-and there are a lot of fries in Belgium. I sincerely recommend it to
anyone passing through Brussels.
The next morning, we headed off to the train station
to meet another girl from UNAV and to travel to Brugge. The best way I can
describe Bruges is that it is like the opening village scene in Beauty and the
Beast, with pretty buildings and the townspeople yelling “Bonjour!” out their
windows (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mx1MmY1Bb50). It’s almost as though the city has been frozen in
time, with cobblestone streets, historic stone buildings, and canals running
throughout. During our two days in Bruges, we walked the entire town (twice),
climbed the central belfry, visited the Chocolate Story Museum (educational and
delicious), and of course, sampled the local cuisine. Namely, waffles. It was
admittedly difficult to return to Spanish food after being spoiled by Belgium’s
masterful sweets.
Our last day in Belgium was spent in Brussels due to
an early flight back to Spain. It was a much nicer day, and we got to see the
Grand Palace and Market Place, which were both beautiful and extraordinarily
crowded! Afterwards, we trekked a mile and a half to see the Comic Wall, which
is exactly what it sounds like. It turns out that the Belgians are very proud
of their comics, especially considering that Belgium is the home of comic
giants the Smurfs and Tin Tin. All in all, it’s a quirky country and one I’m
very glad to have had the chance to explore. Check out my tips below for
traveling within Europe!
Kathleen’s Pro Tips for Affordable Euro Travel
1) Check out discount airlines like Ryanair, trains, and
buses
2) Avoid taxis when possible- buses are cheaper and you
won’t get ripped off
3) Hostels are your friend. While bunking down with
strangers can feel weird at first, its cheap and a great way to meet people. If
you aren’t interested in new friends, doubles and triples are often available
4) Plan in advance! Hostels and travel expenses are
always cheaper farther out from the travel date.
5) Look up the
location of your airport and what is the most affordable way to reach your
hostel or hotel
6) Budget your money-cash runs out more quickly than
you’d think and not everyone in Europe accepts credit cards
7) Pack light! You will probably end up carrying your
bag(s) around, so embrace the idea of re-wearing outfits
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