Day trip to Brussel- Expert guidance

I plan to come at Brussels from Amsterdam for an days trip.

I plan to include following spots and below is list priority wise:

1)Mini Europe

2)Atomium

3)Royal Palace/Grand palace

4)Manniken Pis

below are my queries:

1) out of choice from Royal palace or grand palace if i plan to vist only one which one i should opt for.

2)How should i plan my trip. i mean sequence so that i cover places nearby since i am not aware of Brussels.where should i get down at brussels(which station)

3) Do we get daily pass in brussels and if yes cost.

Thanks in advance for your answers.

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1) There isn%26#39;t a Grand Palace, but you mustn%26#39;t miss the Grand%26#39; Place (Grote Markt)! It is outdoors and free so you don%26#39;t need to do anything special to visit it. You will also find here the Hôtel de Ville or town hall.

If you want to you can also visit the royal palace (palais royale) until 13 September, you can get an idea of what there is to see on www.monarchie.be/en/visit/palace/index.html

2) The Grand%26#39; Place is just 5 minutes%26#39; walk from Gare centrale so if you are coming on the Intercity train from Amsterdam, get off here. The Mannekin Pis is just a few blocks away from there, while the Royal Palace is near the Parc de Bruxelles, at the top of the hill above Gare centrale; from the GP area the best thing to do would be to take bus 95 from next to the Bourse (stock exchange).

The atomium and mini-Europe are both at Heysel metro station, which you can reach on metro line 6 from Midi or, by changing at Simonis, anywhere else.

3) Since a single costs €1.70, if you would be taking more than 2 buses/trams/metros (and it will be 2 trips just out to Heysel and back) it is worth buying the 1-day JUMP card for €4.50/€4.20 with Mobib plastic chip card; you can get it from any metro station and machines at some bus stops.

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Thanks a lot.

I plan first to start with minieurope and then nearby places.

Below I plan things:

1) Get down at Brussel Central station

Go towards Heysel metro station

Once atomium and mini-Europe

get back to Brussel Central station

2) Take 95 bus from same station and visit Royal palace

3) Back to central station and see grand palace and Mineka Pis

Pl. confirm my understanding is right as i made above plan based on your feedback.

I hope so there is no too much walk since i am coming with my son 3 yrs old. For above plan is it advisable to take baby pram(buggie).

Pl. confirm.

Thanks in advance

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1) I recommended getting off at Gare centrale in order to visit the Grand%26#39; Place (as I have already said, there is no Grand PALACE: it%26#39;s a square, not a building!). If you want to start with the atomium and Mini-Europe you would do better to get off at Gare du Midi and take metro line 6 (blue) direction Roi Baudouin to Heysel.

You CAN get off at Gare centrale and take metro line 1/5 direction Erasme/Gare de l%26#39;Ouest, but then you have to get off at Beekkant and change onto line 6.

2) Bus 95 does not pass by Gare centrale, I told you it started from Bourse, which is on the other side of the GP and therefore some 15 minutes walk from Gare centrale. Coming from Heysel, the easiest thing to do would be to return to Midi and take the 27 bus to Place Royale (at Midi, follow bus signs to %26quot;rue couverte%26quot;, which brings you out under the railway bridge, then turn left, this is where the bus starts so easy to get on): get off at the stop Royale/Koning (the one after the Petit Sablon), which is across the road from the fine arts museum; continue walking across/around Place Royale towards the park and just before it you will find the royal palace on your right.

Alternatively, you can take the metro from Heysel to Beekkant and change there onto line 1/5, direction Stockel/Hermann Debroux, and get off at Parc: this is on the opposite side of the park from the palace, but at least the walk would be on the flat (or you can change to a tram to place Royale).

3) From the palace, walk back to the fine arts museum just beyond Place Royale, and take bus 95 from in front of it. Get off at the last stop which is next to Bourse (stock exchange). Right behind the Bourse (so walking the way the bus arrives) take rue au Beurre to the Grand%26#39; Place.

Unfortunately it would be an uphill walk from here to Gare centrale. You may find it easier to take the metro (underground tram) from Bourse to Midi instead: in that case, although you could take any tram with a number beginning with a 3 or 4, direction Gare du Midi, with a pram or buggy you would have to wait for one of the modern, low-slung ones, as it would not be easy to lift a pram into the older trams, they have several steps up and narrow entrances.

If you want to keep things easy, cut out the royal palace. But while in the Grand%26#39; Place area, visit the Galeries St. Hubert also.

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Thanks a lot for such a detailed reply.

I plan to start with Atomium/Mini europe.

I will get down at Zuid/Midi and as advised by you will follow.

I will take return train from Gare(Brussel)Central.

I am starting with Mini europe/atomium to cover by priority . in between if my son does not support much possibly need to leave either of one place.

Lets see how it goes.

Thanks a lot once again.

The best part is the 4.50 pass which is good for metro/bus/tram so it really cheap and good.

thanks