Tag: Brussels

Milan to Sicily Night Train Experience: Train Travel Europe with Kids

Posted in train travel, walkingTagged , , , , , , , Leave a comment

We decided to embark on an eco-friendly family adventure to Sicily by train. Discovering a direct night train from Milan to Palermo and Catania, we decided to give it a try. The journey costs between €221 (going) and €206 (returning).

Day 1: Brussels to Milan

We started our journey from Brussels to Paris and then switched stations to travel onward to Milan. Here’s a cost breakdown of the first part:

  • Eurostar: Kept August on our lap, so no ticket needed.
  • French SNCF Trains: Used the “carte avantage adulte” discount.
  • Total Cost: €190 (Brussels-Paris) + €125 (Paris-Milan) = €157/person.

To kick off the trip in style, we had lunch at Le Train Bleu in Paris’s Gare de Lyon. The restaurant boasts a spectacular interior of the golden age of train travel. We discovered it by coincidence by hearing a waiter singing an opera song from the stairs in the station hall.

Our train from Paris to Milano arrived in Porto Garibaldi, and we still walked to Milano Central Station in the evening. We stayed at B&B Hotel Milano Aosta, conveniently near Milano Central Station, allowing us to leave our luggage the next day until our night train departure.

Day 2: Night Train to Sicily

On our second day, we explored Milan with breakfast on the hotel’s rooftop, a stroll around the city, lunch, and visits to Castello Sforzesco Park and the Leonardo da Vinci Museum of Science and Technology. August loved playing in the boats, trains, and helicopters, with plenty of kid-friendly activities.

We booked a private car for our family: the “Vagone Letto Deluxe – Tripla Cabina Intera” for €198 in total, or €66 per person. Departure from Milano Centrale was at 20:10, arriving in Catania Centrale the next day by 14:32.

To make sure August was comfortable, we brought his little sleeping tent and installed it on the lower bed (see our blog post on train travel with kids here).

Day 3: Arrival in Sicily

The scenic views along the Italian coast were breathtaking.

The most interesting part of the journey was in the late morning when the train was divided into sections of 3-4 cars and transported onto the ferry. You can leave most of your luggage in your coupé but take valuables with you when walking around the ship, as the cars stay open during the crossing.

We opted to start our Sicilian adventure in Taormina, getting off the train around noon instead of the intended stop in Catania at 14:32.

Our full experience traveling around Sicily by train and bus for a month will be detailed in a separate blog post.

Return Trip

I traveled back by night train from Palermo directly to Milan, mirroring our trip to Sicily: Departure: Palermo Centrale at 12:58, Arrival: Milano Centrale at 10:10. Switching stations, having lunch and traveled on to Paris where I stayed for the night. I was back in Brussels on day-3 by 10 am.

Costs for the return journey:

  • Night Train: €45.
  • Train Milan-Paris: €62.
  • Train Paris-Brussels: €99.

Ecological Travel Tips for Train Travel with Kids

  1. Pack food and drinks: Keep a variety of healthy snacks and drinks handy for the journey.
  2. Entertainment: Bring books, coloring supplies, and small games to keep kids entertained.
  3. Comfort Items: Pack comfort items like earplugs or sleeping tents for restful nights.
  4. Frequent Breaks: Use long stops to stretch, walk around, and let kids burn off energy.
  5. Travel Light: Use backpacks and a foldable stroller for easier mobility between trains and stations. See blogpost on travelling by train with kids. We had only 4 items with us:
    • One big hiking backpack with all Tine and my clothes, books, laptop…
    • A child carrier backpack (Vaude / Deuter), also containing all clothes and supplies for August (incl diapers, milk powder,..)
    • The sleeping tent of August, containing his teddy bear and all sleeping stuff. If August was in his stroller, we would put this tent in the child carrier backpack where August normally sits.
    • Our foldable stroller

Discovering Paragliding in Bassano del Grappa

Posted in train travel, walkingTagged , , , , , , , , 1 Comment

Many people dream of flying, and there are various ways to achieve it: skydiving, getting a helicopter license, obtaining your Private Pilot License, or learning to fly a glider or paraglider. Paragliding is one of the most eco-friendly and cost-effective ways to experience the thrill of flight by consuming the least fossil fuels.

My Paragliding Journey

I had dreamt of paragliding for years. To start, I took “ground handling” courses with Airsport.com in the Ardennes. After three sessions and the instructor’s approval, I booked a week to take my first real flights.

That week was incredible! We had the best teachers—Jeff, Christa, and Robin from Airsport. The weather was perfect for beginners, and our group was eager to maximize our flying time. The result? Seventeen solo flights in just one week! We practiced many safety exercises and built our confidence and wing-handling skills step by step.

Why Treviso and Bassano del Grappa

Treviso, near Bassano del Grappa, is an ideal spot for learning paragliding. It’s popular with schools year-round due to its good weather conditions and four different take-off locations catering to different skill levels and two major landing sites. Our flights started at Decollo Metri 700 and Tapetti take-off.

Paragliding inspiration

Practical Tips

  • Schools: Multiple schools offer paragliding lessons here. Ensure you choose one that teaches in a language you’re comfortable with. Airsport and Paragliding België Holland are great options if you’re based in Belgium or The Netherlands and speak Dutch.
  • Duo flights: While Tine was not taking a paragliding course, she could just book a duo flight on the spot by asking around and enjoy the views and thrills of flying as well.
  • Transport: We carpooled with the Airsport school van to reach Bassano del Grappa. On the way back, I took the train from Bassano del Grappa to Milano, then to Paris and Brussels. Be prepared for last-minute changes based on the weather, with final decisions made the Wednesday before departure.
  • Accommodation: We stayed at Tillys Locanda, a cozy place aligned with our paragliding school. There’s also a campground for campers in the village and other good hotel options like Garden Relais.
  • Local Logistics: A van is necessary to transport to the different starting locations. Some paragliding spots in Spain, France, and Switzerland offer cable cars to return to the top, making it an even more environmentally friendly sport.

Additional Activities in the Region

We visited in February, and the weather was fantastic. Besides paragliding, the surroundings are perfect for:

  • Hiking: Beautiful trails for all skill levels.
  • Cycling: Scenic routes through picturesque landscapes.
  • Culture: Visit the iconic bridge of Bassano del Grappa, the Palazzo Roberti bookshop and explore local historical sites. Have lunch on the terrace of Danieli.

We also combined this trip with a long weekend in Venice—stay tuned for another blog post on that adventure!

Eco-Friendly Prague Journey: Culture, History, and Fun

Posted in train travel, walkingTagged , , , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

Experience the Magic of Prague’s Culture and Historic Charm

I’ve visited Prague multiple times before, but there’s always something new to discover that keeps the city intriguing. Next time I visit with my family, we’ll spend some time on Park Legií Island and explore the magnificent Prague Castle.

Day 1: Departure from Brussels

  • 19:22: Board the European Sleeper night train in Brussels, Antwerp, or from the Netherlands, heading directly to Berlin and Prague.
  • Accommodation: I stayed in a 5-bed couchette on the train for around €125-€150 one way.

Day 2: Exploring Prague

  • 10:56: Arrival at Praha main station after a scenic train ride with impressive views of the Elbe River and surrounding nature. After arrival I dropped my luggage at the hotel.
  • Lunch: For a culinary adventure, head to Havelská Koruna for a traditional Czech lunch.
  • Petřín Tower: Take the tram uphill to Petřín Park, then climb the stairs up Petřín Tower for breathtaking views of the city. It’s a nice activity to do towards sunset.
  • Prague Castle: Although I didn’t have time to visit the castle due to work appointments, it’s highly recommended. Even without paying for entry, you can see a lot by strolling around the grounds.
  • Dinner: Enjoy a delicious meal at the vegetarian restaurant Lehká Hlava.
  • Accommodation: I stayed at Hotel Metropolitan Old Town, a decent hotel costing €90 for a single room, with a rooftop bar and a good breakfast. I also considered spending a bit more on the Prague Carlo IV hotel, but finally decided to opt for a more central location and the rooftop.

Day 3: More Adventures in Prague

  • Morning Run: Along the Elbe River and through the Old Town.
  • Museum: After breakfast, I visited the House at the Stone Bell, where a modern art exhibition called “Group Therapy” was displayed. The museum offers a rich exhibition with social relevance, embracing Czech socialism history, rightist movements, LGBTQ+ awareness, and more.
  • Photo Exhibition: Later, I visited the Leica Gallery Prague for a fascinating photo exhibition.
  • Tea Time: Before heading back, me and a travel friend had tea at the beautiful bar in the former bank hall of Hotel NH Collection Prague Carlo IV—just a 5-minute walk from the main station. The drinks are priced similarly to those in the station but with a much better atmosphere.
  • 18:04: Board the train leaving Prague main station to return to Brussels, arriving the next day at 9:27.

Activities for Kids in Prague

  1. Petřín Hill and Observatory: Climb Petřín Hill via the funicular railway, perfect for an eco-friendly trip. Kids will love the Mirror Maze and the miniature Eiffel Tower!
  2. Letná Park: Rent bikes or have a picnic with stunning views of the Vltava River and Prague’s skyline.
  3. Vyšehrad: A historical fort with large green spaces, perfect for children to run around and enjoy nature.

Party Train to/from Prague

This trip was extra special—a 50th birthday party for one of the co-founders and some other employees took place on the ride from Prague back to Brussels! 🥳✨

If you’re planning something extraordinary with a larger group of friends (40-700 people), consider booking the party coaches from European Sleeper. It will be a train ride to remember!

Highlights:

  • Celebrate in Style: Imagine having an entire train coach dedicated to dancing and celebrating. The party train transforms your journey into an unforgettable event, filling the hours with joy and camaraderie.
  • Convenient and Eco-Friendly: Traveling by train is not only convenient but also a more environmentally friendly choice.

Discovering Sächsische Schweiz: Night Train Adventure from Brussels

Posted in train travel, walkingTagged , , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

A couple of weeks ago, I discovered an impressive piece of nature only a night train away from Brussels—perfect for a long weekend trip immersed in breathtaking landscapes.

Have you ever heard about the National Park Sächsische Schweiz?

It’s a vast, mountainous forest filled with dramatic rock formations and stunning views at the German-Czech border. Let me take you there for a moment!

Family-Friendly Adventures and Thrilling Hikes

Visiting with Kids: There are plenty of charming, family-friendly routes to enjoy with the little ones. However, for those who crave adventure, I took a more challenging trail featuring metal ladders, narrow passages, and dramatic cliffs. No climbing gear is required! Here’s the GPX track I followed: Komoot Track

Safety Tips: If you choose one of the family routes, always keep your kids close, especially at the viewpoints. There are no fences, so hand-holding is essential.

Another great way to explore the park is by cycling—just remember to park your bike and take small hikes to reach those breathtaking viewpoints.

I took the walk during a Tuesday in June and was hoping to refill my water at a bar in the park… but found a closed door. Quite a disappointment since I finished my water at noon and did a detour of an hour hoping to refill at the refuge that was closed.

My 3-Day Ecological Travel Itinerary

Day 1: Departure from Brussels

  • 19:22: Board the European Sleeper night train, heading to Bad Schandau.
  • Accommodation: I stayed in a 5-bed couchette for around €125-€150 one way.

Day 2: Arrival and Hiking

  • 08:30: Arrive in Bad Schandau and grab picnic supplies at the railway station or supermarket accross the water.
  • Hike: An 8-hour hike through stunning spots like Carolafelsen, Panorama Heringsgrund and Goldsteinaussicht.
  • Accommodation: Found a cozy €35 cabin including breakfast at Zur alten Schule. Cancelled my €150 hotel room—great value for money!
  • Dinner: Enjoyed a vegetarian 4-course menu at Bio-Restaurant StrandGut.
  • Swim: After dinner I took a swim in the Elbe a couple of meters downstream from where the little ferry leaves. Beware there’s quite some current, which can be dangerous… but also nice so you can swim against the current and stay in the same spot for as long as you want.

Day 3: More Adventures & Travel to Prague

  • Hiking: Explored more of the park, with options including hiking, canoeing on the Elbe, and the tram ride into the forest. I took the ferry to cross the Elbe and hiked for an hour and a half from Schmilka to Bad Schandau’s railway station where I started the journey.
  • Swim: To cool down before getting into the train, I took another swim at the small Canoe beach just in front of the railway station.
  • Travel: Took the train to Prague, but you can also return to Brussels at 19:59, arriving at 9:30 the next day.

Schmilka is a tiny but beautiful village positioning itself as eco-village. There are multiple biological hotels and restaurants, a biological educational garden along the Elbe, eco-sauna, and hot-tubs, … we found the concept to be very appealing. Nevertheless, most of the initiative is driven by one entrepreneur that supposedly owns 40 of the 80 houses in the village, where he made hotel rooms or houses for tourism purposes. Still, its inspiring to see the business model seems to work.

Copenhagen sauna & train adventure

Posted in train travel, Uncategorized, walkingTagged , , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

Now imagine you have to go to the Nordics for work in wintertime… the first thing to think about is: nature, freezing cold and saunas, no?

Train adventure

Traveling to Copenhagen by train is really easy and fairly cheap if you book a couple of weeks in advance. It cost me 219 euros for a return ticket in first class, which was only about 30 euros more expensive than in 2nd class. The most challenging part is getting your connections, given the fact that every single german train seems to have a delay. The nicest part is the cozy restaurant wagons with decent food options and a vegi offering. I can certainly recommend the vegetarian curry.

If you are planning to take the train from Brussels to Copenhagen with kids, checkout this post on making train travel with kids easier.

I left Brussels on Sunday morning around 8:30 in Brussels North Station, with a delay of half an hour. For my connection in Cologne, I had 2 hours, a nice buffer of which half was consumed. In Hamburg, I had 40 minutes. I arrived with about 20 minutes of delay, but my next train was also delayed… giving me again a nice buffer. No stress, since there’s almost always an alternative. You can take away your stress to already figure out your plan B in case you miss your connection. At 21:30 I arrived in Copenhagen’s main station in the freezing cold. The trip went smooth, both on the way going and on the way back, but I was happy that I consulted Seat61.com to get some recommendations and put the necessary time buffers in. On the way back I had two times 45 minutes only, but luckily the connecting trains were also always a bit delayed, so I did not miss any connection.

The Topsoe SAF conference was close to the station, so I took a room at Wide Hotel, a nice hotel around the corner. Since I was there for work, my days were pretty well filled with the conference and business diners and drinks in the evening.

I discovered the city in the dark by running early in the morning and on Tuesday afternoon I did find a moment to discover Copenhagen. I walked around to see some highlights and searched for a good Sauna option that would meet my high expectations of what a Nordics adventure should look like. Some of the regular highlights were:

  • Nyhavn – with the traditional boats and colored houses
  • Rosenborg Slot
  • Vor Frelsers Kirke – Climb the stairs and get impressive views over the city (Every place I visit, I do. my best to find a good viewpoint by climbing a hill or a tower)
  • Christiania – known for its cozy atmosphere and hippie community (just skip the dodgy square where drugs are sold!)
  • City hall
  • Tivoli gardens
  • Mikkeler bar – my friend Mariano took me here… it’s a nice chain of cozy bars offering craft beers

The Sauna adventure.

While searching for sauna options in Copenhagen… I somehow stumbled upon a public bathhouse in Christiania. Now, for those who know what Christiania is… it’s a bit of an adventure to go to the local sauna. Walking in you get straight into the changing rooms where you pay 50 kr cash and get naked. Some easygoing guests are getting slightly high at the entrance in between two sauna sessions. There are no lockers so you put all your valuables in a paper bag, write your name on it and they put it in a drawer. You walk in through the fog and find some open showers, guests chilling on the benches, and a wooden sauna door. When walking in the nicely warm sauna, there are about 20 naked people, sometimes sweating in silence, sometimes having the craziest conversations about tattoos, nature, or life. I believe I will have to go back to the Nordics to get a typical sauna experience, but this one surely counts as an interesting one. It brought me in a similar vibe as in Suryalila, the yoga retreat we did in the South of Spain.

After the sauna, I had dinner in Morgenstedet, an extremely cozy vegetarian restaurant next door (also to be paid in cash).

My biggest gratitude goes to Jacques Fischbach for putting this small “Guide for First-timers” in the review on google maps:
“-Entry is 50kr (around 6.7€), you can stay as long as you want
– You need to pay in cash. (In case you need cash, there’s a “Nordea” ATM not far from Christianshavn Metro station.
-You come in, take off your shoes, hang your clothes, and get naked (everybody is naked, no bathing suits allowed)
-You pay and you can put your valuables in a bag and give it to the person behind the counter to store it for you (you write your name on the bag) Phones are not allowed inside, the best is if you just bring your wallet or even just the 50kr to not risk losing your valuables
-There are a couple of hot showers and soap, and cold showers to cool off after the sauna
-There is only one sauna, it’s about 80-90° Celsius, definitely hot enough, you can sit up on the benches or down if it’s too hot
-You can bring a towel to sit on but most people don’t use one
-You can pay 5 or 10kr for “Rasul”. This is a kind of mud that you can put on your skin for smoothness. It works like this: you buy the Rasul at the counter and take it with you into the sauna. (You need to go on the right side when you go into the sauna because with the Rasul it can get messy and they want to contain it to one side) When you start sweating you put the Rasul onto your whole body, just cream all your body parts in with it. After your sauna session, you go outside and you don’t wash it off immediately. You wait until it dries from the air (about 10-15 mins). Then you go wash it off completely for best results.“

Like what you read? Do yourself and us a pleasure by subscribing to our blog by leaving your email addres below:

Kids on trains – 5 tips & tricks

Posted in train travelTagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , 5 Comments

Our 5 tips & tricks for train travel with babies or toddlers:

  1. Plan for the worst
  2. Bring a light foldable stroller – fold before boarding
  3. Bring a sleeping tent
  4. Walk around – benefit from the freedom
  5. Pack ultralight

—————————-

1. Plan for the worst

You need to come well prepared for all needs your kid might have along the journey: bring water, milk powder, food, fruit, extra diapers, fresh clothes, toilet paper, a light book, and some small toys,… and think about how you are going to easily access it on a shaky driving train, assuming there’s nowhere to heat food, now baby table or nothing. Mentally prepare yourself for some serious struggle. But to be clear: I rather have to take care of a kid for a full day in a driving train than in a driving car!

-> Think: exploded diaper while traveling alone in an old train… sh*t on your hands, his clothes… you’re happy if you have toilet paper at hand, and can access everything with one hand (pinning your little one to the train seat with the other hand) and asking for the help of the 2 grandmothers in your coupé.

2. Bring a light foldable stroller – fold it before boarding

Big strollers are a pain on almost every train, no matter if it’s the Belgian IC trains, the high-speed trains of Eurostar, or the night trains with extra small passageways. You need to invest in a (second-hand) light compact travel stroller like Yoyo or Hamilton by Yoop… or the old-school foldable strollers.

For departure, you want to fold on the platform. It’s not always easy to hold a kid and your luggage, but on most international trains boarding is stressful and you don’t have the space nor time on board of the train to take your kid and luggage out of the stroller. For arrival you can already prepare and if space allows prepare before getting off.

-> We bought our Hamilton by Yoop S1 second-hand via Facebook marketplace, the day before leaving on our night train trip to Nice earlier this year. It folds nicely and is small so you can store it above the seats. We stored a soft bag that holds all the stuff of August under the stroller, easy to take out when folding and always accessible. Read more about our night train trip with August here.

3. Bring a sleeping tent

Instead of a foldable sleeping bed, we used a little sleeping tent (Deryan baby tent) that is very compact and can be used anywhere on the ground or a bed in the night train. When traveling by night train, we ALWAYS ask for the lower bed. Even if you have other beds, ask fellow travelers to switch: you don’t want your baby or toddler to fall 1.5m high from a bunk bed in case of a bumpy ride or a wild baby. You should find a way to attach the tent to the bed or wall of your coupé so it can not roll off.

-> During our last trip to Nice, we forgot to attach the tent to the wall and August and his tent rolled off the bed (30cm high). Luckily he was laughing instead of crying… but you want to check if the tent can roll off and put your bags/jackets next to the bed just in case. I would never place my kid on the middle or upper bed, not even with the safety nets you get from SNCF Intercité, since they don’t cover the full width of the bed. #honestparenting

4. Walk around – benefit from the freedom

We all know how difficult it is to keep a kid seated on a chair. Contrary to airplanes, there’s quite a lot of space to walk up and down in the train, open doors (careful for little fingers!), go to the restaurant or bar car, and play on the ground. When August was smaller we used a carrying bag and would walk around in turns during longer train rides.

-> When traveling from Brussels to Sevilla by train, we would take turns and spend 1-2 hours in the bar car, letting August play on the ground with a couple of toys. He would take his naps in the carying bag. Don’t try to entertain the kid for too long in your seat: it often doesn’t work well, and after a while, your partner and neighbors start to get irritated anyway 🙂. More about our trip to Sevilla here.

5. Pack ultra-light

Determine in advance what bags you will take and reconsider everything you take until it fits… and not the other way around. Limit yourself in the space you can fill and pack accordingly. Worst case, you must buy additional things during your holiday or wash clothes or diapers a few times. For longer trips, we always pack assuming we will go to a supermarket on day 1 and wash clothes every 3 days.

When traveling to Nice for 5 days last Autumn, we had:

  • One backpack for Tine and my clothes / books / laptop,
  • One bag with August stuff (sleeping bag, (re-usable)diapers, milk powder for exactly 5 days, clothes, one meal, two water bottles, hygiene stuff) that fit under the stroller
  • A foldable stroller
  • A sleeping tent

Night train to Berlin

Posted in bike travel, train travel, Uncategorized, walkingTagged , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

Disclaimer: I’m definitely biased in this post 😉 since I have been working on Moonlight Express and for European Sleeper

If you’re looking for a cultural and fun weekend escape from Brussels or Antwerp: jump on the direct night train to Berlin!

In May our night train from Brussels to Berlin started circulating. With hundreds of cooperative shareholders that contributed, the night train could finally start circulating on the 25th of May 2023. I traveled to Berlin to be part of the first trip, enjoyed Berlin for a couple of days, and helped a bit on the preparation of the maiden trip. To manage expectations, it’s important to know that the coaches are old, so the experience will be a nostalgic one rather than a luxurious trip! In the future, new coaches will be renovated and built for European Sleeper, but in the short term, these coaches are the only available ones.

If you’re planning to take this trip with kids and want to have our best tips & tricks, make sure to check out our article about train travel with kids.

It was not my first time in Berlin, so I did not feel pressured to try to see all the highlights. It’s fun to just do what you feel like and leave the rest for another trip. The places I hang around this time:

  • Climbing Teufelsberg – a beautiful hike in nature, climbing a mountain built based on the debris of World War II. On top, you can access the old military buildings full of graffiti (access for 5 euros)
  • Soviet War Memorial Treptow – a free guided tour through the impressive soviet memorial with Guruwalk
  • Reichstag – Free visit to the rooftop for impressive views, you do need to reserve online in advance.
  • East Side Gallery – Berlin wall
  • Museum island
  • Brandenburg Gate & Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe

While wintertime can be very cold in Berlin, the city is full of incredible museums and restaurants so that even on the coldest days you can still have an amazing trip. Of course hot summer weather is even nicer for enjoying the many parks, beer gardens, and nature around Berlin.

Just book a trip with European Sleeper and find out for yourself 🙂

Brussels-Lisbon by train – seat61.com

Posted in bike travel, train travel, walkingTagged , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

When traveling to the World Aviation Festival to hold a presentation on Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), I wanted to make a statement. That’s where I needed the website of The Man in Seat 61 to guide me towards the best train itinerary to get to Lisbon. For more info on why I was at the World Aviation Festival, check out the video at https://www.green-trail.eu/

I would have taken my first flight in 4 years, only if I could buy a ticket with truly transparent SAF certificates… which was not possible. I tried all I could to buy fuel straight from different producers, but none were capable of selling it to me within the first 6 months. So I decided to go to Lisbon by train!

It took me two full days to go and another two to get back. It was a beautiful trip, but a tiring one. Before Covid, I would have been able to travel to Madrid on day 1, and the same evening take a night train, waking up in Lisbon the next day… but that train has been canceled leading to a hilarious situation: it takes 3 trains with transfers in the middle of nowhere to get from one capital to the next. All details of the trip can be found here on Seat61.com. I took a stopover in Madrid where I slept in the Latroupe Prado hostel and had some good tapas in El Alambic around the corner.

It’s important to mention that for the return journey, the transfer time in Badajoz is too tight with only 10 minutes in between, while the bus-like train that takes you there always has a delay of 10 minutes or more. We were very lucky that the high-speed train to Madrid waited for us and that we arrived just 13 minutes late… since the train would have left 2 minutes after anyway, with no more options to make it to Madrid that night except for a 500 EUR taxi or a hitchhiking adventure.

I went to Portugal for work and spent some days in Ericeira and Lisbon. For 9 days I took a small backpack and my folding bike… and given the many train connections to get, I would definitely recommend packing light. If you are not in a hurry, you certainly want to split the travel into 2 or 3 segments so you can enjoy it more. Possible stops are Barcelona, Madrid, Entroncamento, or Badajoz.

Recommendations in Lisbon

  • Miradouro da Senhora do Monte – nice views for sunset
  • Secret garden – bar with concerts and basic restaurant, just under Miradouro da Senhora do Monte
  • Sao Vicente de Fora – monastery
  • Parque Eduardo VII – a nice big park in the city center
  • Jardim do Torel – also with nice views
  • Viewpoints from Largo Portas do Sol
  • Ruta de Sao Pedro de Alcantara – for the famous tramway going uphill
  • Santa Justa Lift – take cash or you don’t get in!
  • Praça do Comercio – big square on the waterfront

Recommendations in Ericeira

  • Getting there: you can get there easily by taking the direct bus from Lisbon Campo Grande to Ericeira.
  • Selina hostel: If you’re traveling alone, stay in the Selina hostel with yoga in the morning, a small swimming pool, a healthy breakfast, and a good restaurant.
  • Surf: There are plenty of surf schools. Depending on the swell, beginner classes get canceled on some beaches. You might want to consult multiple schools and ask for the maximum number of students per teacher, which should be 4 or 5 max and not 10 per teacher… leading to a lot of frustration.
  • Mountainbike: we rented mountain bikes, and did an incredibly beautiful tour with a guide from Take Off e-bike for 35 euros per person only.
  • Skatepark & halfpipe: Boardriders Quiksilver Roxy flagship store has its own huge halfpipe and skatepark. They also offer all kinds of surf and skate courses.
  • Sunset locations:
    • Mar das Latas – wine bar with perfect views for sunset
    • Praia da Empa / Pedra Branca reserve – views from the top of the rocks for sunset
  • Restaurants:
    • La Popular Taberna
    • Mar d’Areia – fish restaurant
    • Howm by Maikai
    • Mar das Latas – need to reserve, always full

So, Brussels to Lisbon by train is an option if you have some time. If you need to rush it in the shortest possible time frame it soon feels like a bit too much. Perfect for a holiday trip, less perfect for work 😉

Sevilla by train from Brussels

Posted in train travel, walkingTagged , , , , , , , 2 Comments

In September we attended the wedding of our good friends Victoria & Karel in Sevilla. The obvious transport mode would have been the airplane, have tons of delays and cancelations and arrive all stressed out. Instead we adventured the other option: going by high-speed train, enjoying the scenery of France, from mountains to the mediterranean and all the way south through Spanish nature. We read books, played with August, slept, ate our picknick, meditated, talked, played games and dreamed away…

The trajectory was simple but expensive: 275 EUR per person one way.

  • Brussels – Paris Nord (D1 – 29 EUR)
  • Paris Gare Lyon – Barcelona (D1 – 122 EUR)
  • Barcelona – Sevilla (D2 – 124 EUR)

We booked the trip via sncf-connect.com (where you should get a “carte avantage adulte” to get more discounts!). You can do this exact same trajectory in a single day, leaving Brussels around 6h30 in the morning and arriving in Sevilla around 22pm in the evening. The connections are tight but possible if there’s no major delays.

There’s also an option with a night train between Paris and Perpignan, but since we had August, our one year old baby with us, we chose to split the trip in two each time and stay for the night in Barcelona. It was a good opportunity for Tine to see some friends back and take a rest.

To enjoy the trip we took the baby carrier (draagzak) instead of the stroller. We spent a lot of time in the bar car where August could play on the floor with a couple of simple toys, or sleep in the carrier on our breast.

Since the journey was quite long, spread over two days, we decided to stay longer than just the weekend and added a yoga retreat in Suryalila and a visit to Cadiz. For those who enjoy veggie food, yoga and nature: this is heaven! We stayed in the glamping tents, did yoga every morning at 8am, enjoyed the best all-inclusive veggie buffet I have ever seen, read books by the pool, went for walks and just enjoyed life at its purest.

Our highlights in Sevilla:

  • Real Alcazar
  • Catedral de Sevilla (and the view from its tower)
  • Setas de Sevilla
  • Plaza de Espana
  • Restaurants: El Disparate (& rooftop); Espacio Eslava

Our Highlights in Cadiz

  • Torre Tavira (amazing view and camera obscura guided tour)
  • Restaurante Contraseña
  • Breakfast in Restaurante Café Royalty
  • Jardines de Alameda Apodaca

For August we brought most of his stuff in our backpacks and bought extra milk and food in the local bio stores in Sevilla. To sleep we have a little 2″ baby tent that is way more portable than most of the travel beds for babies. We would certainly recommend this instead of a normal travel bed to anyone that likes to go on adventures. The baby carrier came in really handy, but when we arrived in Sevilla we did have a stroller that my parents brought along in their camper.

Stay tuned for our next adventure: The night train to Briançon with little August along… we are very curious ourselves if August will be able to sleep or will keep the fellow travellers awake all night…

Lustin safari

Posted in bike travel, train travel, walkingTagged , , , , , , Leave a comment

Some months ago I booked a surprise weekend in Lustin, close to Namur. To get there we jumped on the direct train from Brussels-Schuman to Lustin and took our folding bikes along. It took only 1h13 minutes to get from Brussels into this lovely spot in nature.

With a weekend ticket you pay only 12,20 EUR p.p. going and back, only downside is that it requires you to leave Brussels after 19pm on Friday evening.

We stayed in La Fête au Palais, a small hotel on top of the hills next to the Maas river. The boss kindly picked us up at the railway station to bring us up the hill (inform him in advance). The hotel is no-nonsense and nice. The rooms with terrace towards the river are a pleasure to hang out and cost 109 EUR/night. You want to reserve well in advance since it’s fully booked most of the year. The restaurant of the hotel has a beautiful terrace so on Friday evening we ate at the restaurant of the hotel.

While going on a hike on Friday afternoon we encountered a small snake and some lovely shiny cockroaches… The big surprise came in the evening in front of our room when we heard some nibbling noises and got to see some beautiful racoons. They are a true ecological problem in Europe since they are an exotic species disbalancing nature by killing too many birds, squirrels and lots of fruits and plants. Apparently there’s hundreds of them in the Belgian Ardennes.

After a good breakfast in the hotel, we filled our Saturday with a nice hike and a long cycling trip along the Maas river. We cycled from the hotel all the way to Namur. Made a stop to picknick, chilled at the local hipster beach bar ‘The Flow‘ and cycled back. In the evening we ate at Pizzeria Venezzia, the local restaurant in Lustin, which is at walking distance from the hotel, following a small hiking trail.

On Sunday we first took a walk in nature, following the local tracks indicated through the woods. In the afternoon we took our bags from the hotel and rolled down the hill by bike.

As you might remember from other blogposts, I enjoy swimming in rivers… The Maas river is a very beautiful and calm river to swim in, with stairs all along the riverbanks.

We followed the Maas river until we got to Yvoir where we took the train back to Brussels (eating vegi takeaway on the train from Jin Xiu next to the station).

All in all, it’s an easy trip from Brussels and a perfect escape into nature both in summer and wintertime. There are also airbnb’s around the railway line from Brussels-Schuman to Lustin. On the hills around the Maas there’s a lot of forests with hiking routes to discover. No excuses to stay in the city!