If you feel a restive city break on the continent coming up, a journey to Europe’s 3rd richest city Brussels, could be on the cards.
As you may have seen from the iAmsterdam post last week a tourist card is a very economical way to get a feel for a new city and Brussels offer a similar deal.

A Brussels Card can be purchased to last, for up to 72 hours, and will entitle you to free entry to 30 of Brussels’ museums and offer discounts to many more. You’ll also get free transport on underground, bus and tram. For this reason you may want to pre-order your card so it can be picked up upon arrival at either the airport, train station or a Brussels Tourist information office, the details are given to you upon purchase. Alternatively you can just buy your card upon arrival at any of the mentioned locations – but there is a discounted online price.

Your Brussels card will also entitle you to discounted meals and drinks in participating locations as well as certain designer boutiques, exhibitions and attractions.

A P&O Ferry can get you to Zeebrugge, and you can tour through Belgium on your way to Brussels, pick up your card and absorb as much culture as you can take.

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In de Wildeman

With the Dutch Christian Democrat Party pushing for a tougher line on cannabis, many prospective visitors to Amsterdam worry that they might miss out on the coffee shop experience (in Maastricht, all foreigners except German and Belgian passport holders are banned from coffee shops). But even if the ban on tourists does make it into law, there are plenty of other hangouts in Amsterdam that you can relax and have a drink or two in. Here are five suggestions to get you started.

In de Wildeman (Kolksteeg 3, www.indewildemann.nl)
One for the beer drinkers. There are separate rooms for smokers and non-smokers, and again there’s a refreshing (literally) lack of run-of-the-mill beers and annoying music. In de Wildeman is a great spot for stretching your legs over a quiet pint of either Dutch or Belgian beer (there are Beer of the Month and other recommendations if you’re unsure what to go for), maybe accompanied by some tasty bar snacks and topped off by the authentic, cosy pub feel and décor.

Wynand Fockink (Piljsteeg 31)
After you finish snickering, you might be interested to hear that this tiny drinking hole implements a ban on mobile phones and features some of the most professional and amiable barmen in Europe. A place that does away with modern day horrors like TV screens, loud funky house music and coloured cocktails, the Wynand Focking provides what a bar should – a place to drink and chat. The drink selection is focused on sweet brandy liqueurs, and with over 60 to choose from, there will definitely be one that suits your personal taste.

Café Sound Garden (Marnixstraat 164-166, www.cafesoundgarden.nl)
Named after one of grunge’s great bands, this is a great indie/rock bar with a lovely terrace overlooking a nearby canal. DJs spin alternative pop hits (there’s also the occasional live gig), people chat away about music and, after a few drinks, even shake their limbs awkwardly. The beer is good, and there is a pool table. In short, it’s a little bit of heaven.

Whiskycafé L&B (Korte Leidsedwarsstraat 82-84, www.whiskyproeverijen.nl)
Punters can choose from more than 1,000 different whisky and bourbon options at this impossibly snug and welcoming bar. You might want to browse the menu (which divides drinks according to country of origin) or you could rely on the barmen’s recommendations – both are fun and rewarding options. Again, this is a place to drink and talk until late (the Whiskycafé is open until 3am during the week and 4am on weekends) rather than drink to oblivion/the point of public embarrassment, so don’t expect blaring speakers and cheesy chat-up lines.

You can get to Rotterdam with P&O’s great current offer of a 3-day minicruise from Hull to Amsterdam, which involves all the comforts of P&O Ferries’ onboard catering and entertainment as well as a night in the great city itself. Go here for details.

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This will be the 20th anniversary of Boulogne-sur-Mer’s annual Herring Festival brought to you by Fishing Animation, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Boulogne-sur-Mer Cote d’Opale.

If you fancy a brisk coastal holiday P&O Ferries Dover to Calais service will leave you just a short journey to Boulogne, easily navigable by public transport, or you can of course take your car along with you.

This is an excellent chance to enjoy fresh herring or kipper, they’re cooked up on huge barbecues, the whole town turns out for this event, with a joyful atmosphere and glass of Beaujolais you can have a fun and tasty trip to northern France this winter.
You’ll be able to sample all the locally caught fish and the many variations of servings; the festival is on over the weekend of the 19th November, so dress warm. Boulogne-sur-Mer really goes all out for the Herring Festival with traditional dress, there will be a musical performed by Dominique Pourre on the Saturday starting at 3. The festival starts at 10 AM so you may want to arrive the night before, the day doesn’t finish until 7pm so there will be plenty of time for you to travel on the Saturday it begins.

P&O Ferries run a frequent Dover to Calais service, from there it is about a half an hours’ drive to Boulogne and all the herring you can eat.

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We can understand the widespread urge of many people to escape the European autumn with a trip to warmer climates, but there is much to be said for a trip that doesn’t include long hours at an airport. A drive across the channel, for instance, will not mean that you can ditch the winter coat, but it will broaden horizons and relax in equal measure.

One city to take in on your next trip to mainland Europe could be Liège in the Western, French-speaking Ardennes region in Belgium. Close to the Netherlands and Germany, it’s a great stopover on any European road trip and well worth a couple of days’ exploration.

A university city, it offers that cosy student town feel as well as typically European architectural history in the shapes of castles, churches and government buildings. One is the Chateau de Jehay, built in the Renaissance period and stuffed with lovely details from that era – the furniture has been preserved beautifully, and the gardens with their waterfalls and statues make for some great walks.

The Museum of Walloon Art is a great tip for art aficionados. It is dedicated to artists from the francophone region of Belgium and shows off work from the 16th century onwards, all the way up to today. Children younger than 12 get in free, and entry is for all on the first Sunday of every month. The Museum of Modern & Contemporary Art is another great hangout, specialising as it name indicates on paintings and sculptures from the last 150 years.

If you’re into your modern architectures, have a look at the main railway station in Liège, which sports an impressively complex and slick structure of white beams arching over the top of the train tracks.

To get to Liège and experience its cosy, unique atmosphere and sights, you can take a P&O Ferry from Hull to Zeebrugge, from where you can start your little European road trip – with Liège as your first pit stop!

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If you are planning a trip to the Netherlands we’d recommend you look into purchasing an iAmsterdam card. For those of you intending to do a bit of cultural tourism the iAmsterdam association will really help you make the most of your trip, letting you jump the queues to get in to museums free, discounts on food and free public transport. You can order your iAmsterdam ticket online and get a 5% discount or pick one up in the Netherlands’ capital once you arrive. You have a choice of cards 24 hour, 48 hour and 72 hours, considering that this little card puts the entire capital at your feet.

You’ll have free or discounted access to exhibitions, live music, theatre dance and festivals. They also offer access to the canal hop-on-hop-off Bus, which is a sublime way to traverse the city, making the most of this service will add a leisurely pace to your holiday, honestly who doesn’t love a boat trip?

You can also order family passes so if you want to take the children with you it’s a brilliant means for an inexpensive trip filled with the wonderful sights and curios that only Amsterdam has to offer.

If you take a P&O Ferry to Rotterdam, you can use your iAmsterdam card to get to the capital and then all you have to do is flash it at the entrance of all participating venues for access.

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The famous Le Grande Rex cinema, in Paris, is opening a special exhibit on the 22nd of October with all the signatures it has gathered from visiting movie stars and singer on display. These include such huge names as Woody Allen, Cesaria Evora, Angelina Jolie and (if it’ll impress you) Justin Bieber.

Etoiles du Rex is an interactive tour (think Universal Studios in Paris). It welcomes all ages and would make a fun day out for the family or anybody with an appreciation of the movie making process. Although the theatre itself is far more impressive to behold at night when the tower is lit up a tour during the day will certainly be well worth it.

The tour is not without its share of surprises, you and your companions can do a bit of acting and be superimposed into movies such like King Kong and you’ll get the chance to purchase your footage on DVD. Your digital tour guide French cartoon star Manissa (styled on Jessica Rabbit), you get to have look through real sets and see animatronic puppets come to life. You’ll get a talk through some of the workings of movies including special effects and sound effects.

For a unique and intriguing tour of European cinema take a P&O Ferry from Dover to Calais, bring the car, bring the kids.

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This year sees an exciting new event for tourists in the untapped world of Belgian gastronomy. So make sure you have a spare notch on your belt to loosen up your waistband for ‘Kooket’ at the end of October 2011 in Bruges. Star-chef Gert van Hecke and over 25 of the best chefs Bruges has to offer will be serving up the finest cuisine in the Bruges’ famous Market Square, a fantastic setting for some of the best food you’ll ever taste.

This culinary event runs from the 29th of October to the 31st, you’ll have your choice of courses costing between 3, 6 or 9 euro. If you find yourself wishing that you could have some of this cooking form your own home then have no fear. Kookeet 2011 will also play host to a number of cooking demonstrations from a select few master-chefs, in the halls under Bruges’ famous landmark Belfry Tower. So you can get an education in fine cooking and be moments away from one of the most famous landmarks in Belgium. Also if you take a serious liking to the food served up then you can always make the most of the Belfry Tower and climb up to the top to assist in your digestion.

To get to Bruges for Kooket 2011, the very first of what is sure to become a tradition in the sleepy town of Bruges, then take a P&O Ferry from Hull to Rotterdam and you’ll be just a short journey to one of Belgium’s most famous cities and a first class cook-fest.

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We hate to be the ones breaking it to you, but yes, it is that time of year again. Actually, we don’t hate it – Christmas time is amazing, and the earlier you envelop yourself in it, the better. No holiday season is complete without a visit to a Christmas market, and why not go and have a look at how our friends in Europe are doing theirs?

Belgians love their street markets, and this year’s Christmas Market in the capital Brussels, which will take place from Friday 25th November until Sunday 1st January 2012, is set to be another highlight among European Christmas markets. Belgium is a great place to visit in the autumn and winter months anyway, and if you’re having a look around for a little break around early December this might be just the ticket for you.

A genuinely European affair, the Brussels Christmas Market will see exhibitors from their neighbouring countries setting up shop around the city, turning its marketplaces into a hustle and bustle with those distinctive Christmas smells and sights of handicrafts and decorations.

The Brussels Town Hall will be decorated and illuminated, and there will be an ice skating rink as well as a big ferris wheel. In short, everything you’d need for a trip to get you into the festive spirit.

To check out the Brussels Christmas Market on your next trip to Belgium, have a look at the great deals on offer from P&O Ferries. You could, for example, travel from Hull to Zeebrugge for up to 5 days from only £109 each way, a price which includes a car and two passengers.

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