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Belgium
Share information and ask questions about accessible travel in Belgium.
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Brussels, Belgium
Brussels, Belgium
I did a trip to Brussels last weekend. After recent trips to Barcelona and Berlin my experience in Brussels for wheelchair accessibility was nowhere near as good.
The trams were not accessible, the buses are supposed to be but I have heard from others that the ramps often don’t work (I didn’t try them.) I got a taxi from Midi station to the Grand Place which cost me €10 for a regular taxi (a tram would have been about €2), when I wanted to go back to my hotel I found the taxi rank and a driver went off to find a different driver with a wheelchair accessible taxi. As he was about to put me in he told me it would be €25 for this ‘special’ taxi… I said too expensive, I could get in a normal taxi, so he dropped the price to €15 which I accepted because I didn’t have the energy to argue further.
Grand Place and the streets around have cobblestones that make for a very wobbly ride. Most of the shops have one or more (often BIG) steps to get in. The restaurant I went to, and one of the bars, I could only access the outside tables. The Irish bar I got in with a little help but the gents toilets were down stairs and the ladies up stairs. I did not see an accessible toilet the whole day I was out.
The Sunday I was lacking in energy and didn’t want to be fleeced again for taxis so spent the day in the vicinity of Midi station until my Eurostar departed in the evening. Around the station on a Sunday it seems all the surrounding streets are turned in to a giant market. And for six weeks in the summer the streets near my hotel are turned in to a fairground.
I stayed at the Hotel Mercure Midi Central which was very accessible.
More details coming on my blog in the next few days.
- 31 Replies
I wouldn’t totally write off Brussels, but it is very challenging if you are up for it. 🙂
Thanks for a very honest review. I met someone from Belgium that said accessibility was less than great, but had trouble believing the capital of the EU would be so bad…
I found the price gouging for a special taxi very upsetting.
But thank you for your positive attitude! Love your blog too!
I thought with the EU parliament being in Brussels the city would be an example of accessibility, sadly not.
I think my next visit to Belgium will be to Antwerpen (Antwerp), I like visiting zoos and the one in Antwerpen backs on to the railway station so easy to get to. I also understand that the trams there are accessible.
Please be sure to share your Antwerp review after you go!
That will possibly be next year, my next trip will be Venice in about 5 weeks time. 🙂
(This year I have been to Barcelona, Berlin and Brussels so people are telling me to spell itÂ
VBenice!) 😀Hahaha!
Please do leave a review on Berlin here too!
I’ll do that at the weekend, still lacking in energy from Brussels and writing up my blogs from that trip. 🙂
Finally published my blog on the hotel Brussels Mercure Centre Midi, review of Eurostar and a write up of the weekend trip should be up by evening (UK time) Sunday. 🙂
Thanks!
Seems kinda silly that the bar closes on the weekends!
After you finish your Eurostar write up, please start a discussion here too! I have so many questions! I’m very jealous that you can take a train to different countries!
Say hi to Mikey!
Will do, I previously posted that the Eurostar review and the Brussels trip write up will be done today, whilst that remains true I have decided to publish one on Tuesday and the other on Friday.
I consider England and Wales to be different countries so for me to take a train from north Wales to the capital, Cardiff, I have to cross the England/Wales border at least 4 times. :O
(When I publish a post my Blog gets lots more visitors than normal so I decided to spread them out to maintain interest. :D)
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