[rabid_dingo]

Going to be in Belgium for 28ish hours. I may hike it to Brugges from Belgium but does anyone know
how far a ride it is really to St. Sixtus? Any recomended spots in Brussels or Brugges in case I cant
make it to the monastary?

[dbeechum]

It's really just a about a 10-15 minute bike ride from the town, unless you get lost,

[rabid_dingo]

It's really just a about a 10-15 minute bike ride from the town, unless you get lost,

From Brugges? Know that distance or time?

[MDixon]

I started to post earlier but with 28 hours, you ain't gonna make it much of anywhere AND back. Bruges is 70km from Westvleteren, about an 11 hour walk. Bruges is 100km from Brussels. They REALLY frown upon drunk driving, you cannot walk from one to the other and the trains only run at certain times. In Bruges you have to get from the train station to downtown.

That being said, if you are in Bruges or Brussels, there are plenty of places to go. Some of the beer rating sites list most of the places, or if you know specifically where you will be I'm sure you'll get lots of great advice.

[hopfenundmalz]

The train ride from Brugge to Poperinge was not that long, but you have to change trains.  The wait in the station at some town that I have forgotten was much longer than time on the trains. 

You could spend a week in Brugge or Brussels and not see and do all that you could.

[dbeechum]

It's really just a about a 10-15 minute bike ride from the town, unless you get lost,

From Brugges? Know that distance or time?

Hahah, no.. sorry my brain already skipped the step where you travel to Poperinge. If you're only there for a day, don't blow all you time on the train trip to St. Sixtus.

Spend all your time getting stupidly happy in one of the other towns.

[1vertical]

Google maps....see yer path  
Print yer path....go ....go.....live!
http://www.exploringabroad.com/electronic-translators.htm

[rabid_dingo]

I started to post earlier but with 28 hours, you ain't gonna make it much of anywhere AND back. Bruges is 70km from Westvleteren, about an 11 hour walk. Bruges is 100km from Brussels. They REALLY frown upon drunk driving, you cannot walk from one to the other and the trains only run at certain times. In Bruges you have to get from the train station to downtown.

That being said, if you are in Bruges or Brussels, there are plenty of places to go. Some of the beer rating sites list most of the places, or if you know specifically where you will be I'm sure you'll get lots of great advice.

There's always time...I circumnavigated the globe in 8 days. Fun.  I am an "extreme" or should I say, for the benefit of the forum, "imperial" traveler...

[MDixon]

Sorry I doubted you, guess you'll run from bar to bar...let's make your first stop Delirium Cafe in Brussels...2000 beers...how many ya gonna have before your run to the next stop...how about hitting Brugs Beertje in Brugges...300 there, some surely duplicated with Delirium...now let's compound that with all the places in Brugges and in Brussels and the next thing you know 28 hours isn't enough time to hit 3 to 5 establishments.

As an example we hit Miniatuurke in Antwerpen...they have 4 beers in total and on my visit 2 were the same beer, so only 3 beers. We must have spent two+ hours there when all was said and done.

Enjoy your trip.

[uthristy]

<snip> the next thing you know 28 hours isn't enough time to hit 3 to 5 establishments.

First trip to brugge, 14 pubs 1 day/night, started at 11am and finished after 2am. 1 beer per pub works just fine, two people doubles the beers tasted

We had "Around Bruges in 80 Beers" memorized so it was just a long pub crawl.

There's always time...I circumnavigated the globe in 8 days. Fun.  I am an "extreme" or should I say, for the benefit of the forum, "imperial" traveler...

Thats the spirt, we've been called a invading army on a blitzkrieg, have a primary plan with a backup and another backup - $hit happens

[MDixon]

Sure if one's only desire is to maximize pub visits, my preference is to spend some time and enjoy multiple beers, foods and the atmosphere. I think of it as the young bull wanting to run down the hill to spend time with a cow and the old bull telling him we'll walk down and spend time with them all...YMMV 

[tygo]

I think of it as the young bull wanting to run down the hill to spend time with a cow and the old bull telling him we'll walk down and spend time with them all...YMMV 

Nicely cleaned up to maintain the family friendliness of the forum 

[rabid_dingo]

Sure if one's only desire is to maximize pub visits, my preference is to spend some time and enjoy multiple beers, foods and the atmosphere. I think of it as the young bull wanting to run down the hill to spend time with a cow and the old bull telling him we'll walk down and spend time with them all...YMMV 

I get what you're saying, but I am not going to skip the trip just cause there isn't enought time.
Plus it is easier for me to go and go back next year. I am not aiming to sample 3300 beers, just
a handfull. Hell, I have never sampled all 2200 beers at the GABF nor have I tried. 
But you have given me a place to aim for 3000 beers? That sound like a good starting point. And if it
is the only place I visit, it would be a damn fine place to mark as a notch on my walking stick.

Weather looks like it will be soggy but oh well, more reason to stay indoors and sample. Plus,
I am using the trip to guage a possible trek for Westy12. I doubt I will make it to St. Sixtus this
time but at least I will have blazed a trail to gain knowledge of surroundings.

[uthristy]

Sure if one's only desire is to maximize pub visits, my preference is to spend some time and enjoy multiple beers, foods and the atmosphere.

Yeah its great to sit and really hit the beer list but if time is short ....besides how much time does it take to soak up the atomsphere? 45min -1hr is plenty along with the fact most pubs there all feel the same, yeah theres great ones but lots plain-jane ones too.  You mentioned food, beer/food again 45min -1hr, off to the next pub which in brugge could across the street.

lunch>


afternoon snack>


dinner>


latenight snack>



Rabid_Dingo, if your in  Brussels  than Antwerpen is closer than Brugge, can you say Kulminator.Thats a pub you should spend hours & hours pouring thur the list.
http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/1232/

[MDixon]

Breakfast tends to be a large meal in Belgium and many hotels provide it with the room. Some of the bars provide snacks with the beers so if one times it well you can get away without having to worry about lunch and snack pretty much all day till dinner.

I much prefer Antwerpen or Brugges over Brussels, but one still has to get there if the starting point is Brussels.

- -

thirsty - don't think I didn't run all over the countryside when we visited Belgium - first day was a tour of the Royal Palace combined with a Beer Festival - second day was a tour of Rodenbach, then Palm as well as the Belgian BBQ Festival. Rodenbach is in Roeselare, Palm is in Steenhuffel and the walk from the train station to Palm is nearly 4 miles. From there Antwerpen, then Brugges, then Ghent and back to Brussels. We took the train everywhere or walked, never spent more than $100 a night for a hotel including breakfast for two and did not have anything planned other than where we were staying each night. With a little knowledge of the layout of each city and the bars to visit, one can easily move around...

- -

rabid - use the maps at the bottom here (right side links) to help you with whatever city you decide to visit.
http://www.whitebeertravels.co.uk/downloads.html