Planning a football trip to Brussels
Transcription
Planning a football trip to Brussels
Belgium League 2016-17 Announced Fixtures Planning a football trip to Belgium next season? Fixtures for the 16-17 Season have now been released. The fixtures were announced on 8 June 2016. The Jupiler League website is in French but you can get a full list of fixtures here. http://www.sport.be/nl/jupilerproleague/kalender/downloads/jpl 1617.pdf The season starts on the weekend of the 29 th to 31st July and runs for 30 weeks finishing the weekend of the 11 th to 12 th May. There will be a winter break with the last fixtures of the first half of the season taking place between the 26th and 27 nd December and the season starting again nearly a month later on the weekend of the 20th to 22nd January Top Games 7/08/2016 KAA Gent v KRC Genk 26 – 28/08/2016 Club Brugge v KV Standard de Liège 26 – 28/08/2016 RSC Anderlecht v KAA Gent 9 – 11/09/2016 Standard de Liège v KRC Genk 16 – 18/09/2016 KRC Genk v RSC Anderlecht 30/09 – 1/10/2016 Club Brugge KV v KAA Gent 30/09 – 1/10/2016 Standard de Liège v RSC Anderlecht 21 – 23/10/2016 Club Brugge KV v RSC Anderlecht 25 – 27/10/2016 KAA Gent v Standard de Liège 4 – 6/11/2016 Club Brugge KV v KRC Genk 9- 11/12/2016 RSC Anderlecht Club v Brugge KV 16 – 18/12/2016 KRC Genk v Standard de Liège 20 – 22/12/2016 KAA Gent v RSC Anderlecht 26 – 27/12/2016 KRC Genk v KAA Gent 20 – 22/01/2017 Standard de Liège v Club Brugge KV 27 – 29/01/2017 RSC Anderlecht v Standard de Liège 27 – 29/01/2017 KAA Gent Club v Brugge KV 17 – 19/02/2017 Standard de Liège v KAA Gent 24 – 26/02/2017 RSC Anderlecht v KRC Genk 4 – 5/03/2017 KRC Genk v Club Brugge KV Planning a Football Trip to Ghent? Planning a Football Trip to Ghent? Free guide – where to stay, eat, drink and how to get tickets & to the stadium. Football Trip to Ghent – How to get to Ghent & How to get around Football Trip to Ghent – Fly to Ghent Ghent is only 45 minutes from the international airport of Zaventem ‘Brussel Airport’, where flights arrive from and depart to more than 70 destinations. On the lowest level you will find the airport’s own railway station, Brussel-Nationaal-Luchthaven, accessible by lift and escalator from the arrivals hall. There are several connections to Ghent. Brussels South/Charleroi airport is 70 minutes from Ghent. There are more than 20 bus connections from the airport to the capital every day. From there frequent train connections to Ghent are available. There are also bus connections from the airport to Charleroi-Sud railway station. Trains for Ghent can also be boarded there. A ticket that combines the bus and train services can be purchased at the Airport Ticket Desk. Nine times a day a shuttle bus travels between Charleroi Airport and Bruges via Ghent, making our city more accessible to tourists visiting Flanders via Charleroi Airport. The bus service is offered by Flibco.com, a company specialised in transport to city-trip destinations from transport hubs. The bus stops near the Gent-Sint-Pieters railway station, where you can easily hop onto tram no. 1 and head to the historical city centre. You can book a seat on www.flibco.com The other Belgian airports (Ostend, Antwerp and Liège) receive flights from various European cities and have easy direct connections to Ghent. Start your holiday in style and enjoy the experience of VIP travel – book an airport lounge with Lounge Pass from as little as £13.50. With 200 airport VIP lounges worldwide, including 35 UK airports you can add an extra touch of luxury to your next trip and make the travel experience a whole lot better. Football Trip to Ghent – Travel By Train Ghent is easy to reach by train from all Belgian and European cities and is only half an hour from Brussels South Station. The two main stations in Ghent are: Gent-Sint-Pieters Station From here tram no. 1 will take you direct to the city centre, temporary stop ‘Korenmarkt’ Visitors arriving in Ghent by train at the Gent-Sint-Pieters railway station can browse information at a digital 3D information point. Dampoort Station From here, buses 3, 17, 18, 38 and 39 will also take you direct to the city, stop ‘Korenmarkt’. From Gent-Sint-Pieters railway station you can reach the station Brussel Zuid in half an hour (by ‘IC’ Inter City or ‘IR’ InterRegio train). Here the Eurostar and Thalys highspeed trains can rush you to Paris (1½ hours) and London, Amsterdam or Cologne (2½ hours). It takes around 3 hours to get the train from London St Pancras to Ghent via the Eurostar. Tickets start at around £50 via Voyages SNCF. Football Trip to Ghent – Travel By Coach Eurolines provide coaches to Ghent from London. They offer an overnight service leaving London around 21.30 and arriving at around 13:00 the next day. They also offer a service leaving at 10:00 and arriving in Ghent at 23:45 although this may not run at the weekend. Tickets start at around £52 each way Football Trip to Ghent – Travel By Ferry It takes between 1 and 2 hours to drive to Ghent from Calais. Book tickets via DFDS Seaways. Football Trip to Ghent – Travel Around Ghent The car-free city centre is tailor-made for the pedestrian and the cyclist. With bus and tram you can reach any part of the city quickly and easily (even on weekend evenings) and taxis are also readily available. Of course, you can also rent a car to explore the surroundings. The hop on hop off water tram gives you a different way to visit the city’s attractions. There are six stops: Castle of the Counts, Graslei-Korenlei, Museum Site, St Peter’s Abbey, St Bavo’s Cathedral and Veldstraat. When you buy a CityCard Gent, the day pass for the hop on hop off water tram is included in the purchase price. More information on http://www.hoponhopoff.be The public transport in the city is well organised, with a comprehensive network of trams and buses. From early in the morning until late at night, the buses and trams will take you anywhere in and around Ghent. A free map with the service in Ghent can be asked for at the so-called Lijnwinkels (the shops of transport company ‘De Lijn’), located at the main bus terminals: near Gent-Sint-Pieters railway station, near Korenmarkt and at Gent-Zuid (Ghent South). This map is also available at the Inquiry Desk Visit Gent. Buy your ticket in advance at the ‘Lijnwinkels’ or from the vending machine at the bus stop. The Lijnwinkel Gent-Zuid is open from Monday to Friday from 7:00 a.m. till 7:00 p.m. That also applies to the one at Gent-Sint-Pieters, except for a lunchbreak from 0:15 till 0:45 p.m. The Lijnwinkel near the Korenmarkt is open from Monday to Saturday from 10:00 a.m. till 0:15 p.m. an from 0:30 p.m. till 5:00 p.m. Football Trip to Ghent – How to Get to the Match Football Trip to Ghent – The Stadium Since July 2013 Ghent’s football club, KAA Gent, plays its home matches at the brand new Ghelamco Arena. This stadium was built on the club’s new premises, by the junction of the E17 and E40 motorways, just outside the city. The arena, which seats 20,000 supporters, is Europe’s most modern stadium. The old stadium was built in 1920 and was officially opened on 22 August of that year by the Dauphin of that time, Prince Leopold. The stadium was named after Jules Otten, one of the founders of KAA Gent, which was called La Gantoise at that time. K.A.A. Gent played its home games at the stadium for 90 years, before moving to the new Ghelamco Arena, which is situated at the Ottergemsesteenweg. It was planned that the new stadium would be ready by the 2007-2008 season, but due to many delays, it wasn’t opened until 2013. The new Arena with 20,000 seats was officially inaugurated on 17 July 2013. Football Trip to Ghent – Getting to the Stadium Ghent played their home matches in the Jules Ottenstadion in Gentbrugge from 1920 until 2013, when they moved to the Ghelamco Arena. Grab a train which stops in Gent Sint-Pietersstation Take “bus 65 – Gent Arteveldepark” Get off at the “Gent Akkerhage” sto Walk 120 meters to get to the Ghelamco Arena- See more at: http://www.esportsfestival.com/location-route#sthash.akZ Iua2Q.dpuf Football Trip to Ghent – Getting Tickets Tickets for KAA Gent matches can be bought at the ticket office at the Ghelamco Arena, either in advance or on the day of the match. Ticket prices range from €20.00 for a seat behind the goal to €40.00 for a central seat at the main stand. Tickets for the sides are increased with €10.00 for the matches versus Club Brugge and Anderlecht, though tickets for the end remain €20.00. You can find a seating map here. Email [email protected] for more information. Tickets can also be bought by re-sellers such as Ticket Bis and Viagogo. HotFootballTickets.com – was created to provide Football fans in Europe as well as fans from all over the world an easy and simple way to purchase online from the convenience of their home or Offices, football Tickets at excellent prices with delivery directly to their Home or Hotel. Buy your football tickets on the official site of LiveFootballTickets.com. We offer tickets for the best matches in England and European leagues online. Football Trip to Ghent – Fixtures Plan your Football Trip to Ghent with our full list of fixtures or the Belgium Premier League website. The schedule for kick-off times in Belgium can be found our Planning a Football Trip to Belgium page (COMING SOON) Football Trip to Ghent – Where to stay. What to See. Where to Eat. Where to Drink Booking.com Football Trip to Ghent – Where to stay Ghent is quite small so stay in the centre and you will be able to walk to all the bars, restaurants and sights. You may find cheaper accommodation for your Football Trip to Ghent if you book a hostel via our sponsors HostelWorld.com In many cities the most cost effective accommodation choice for groups is to hire and apartment. Our sponsors Citybase appartments specialises in serviced apartments. The link below offers online apartment search and booking for destinations around the world. Football Trip to Ghent – What else to see & do When planning a football trip to Ghent it is always good to know what else there is to see and do in the city. Here are a selection of the best things which I found using our sponsor Lonely Planet. Lonely Planet also has maps of the city, details of all the best pubs, bars and restaurants and travel information from the city. STAM – Ghent City museum Ghent has something from every period of history and that also applies to the STAM – Ghent City museum: the 14th-century abbey, the 17th-century monastery and the new 21st-century development together form the Ghent City museum. Unmistakably contemporary against a unique historical background, the museum tells the story of Ghent through inspiring collection pieces and interactive multimedia. Past, present and future are illustrated in a clear and interesting trail, detailing Ghent’s transformation from a medieval metropolis into a city of knowledge and culture. Graslei Ask ten inhabitants of Ghent what the most beautiful place in their city is and nine will answer the Graslei. Today this medieval port with its unique row of historical buildings, which are reflected in the long river, is the meeting place par excellence. Young and old, inhabitant and visitor, everyone meets on one of the many café patios or simply by the water. This is the thriving heart of the inner city. Beguinages The Old St Elizabeth Beguinage is no longer walled. In 1874 it was replaced by the Great Beguinage in SintAmandsberg, just outside the city. The Small Beguinage, O.L.V. ter Hoyen dates back to 1235 and is one of the best preserved from before the French Revolution. Listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. “The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb” The Van Eyck brothers painted this unique altarpiece in 1432. It is the highlight of the Flemish Primitives and a milestone in art history. The Polyptych survived the Protestant Iconoclasm, fell into French hands under Napoleon and was requisitioned by Nazi Germany during the Second World War. But it has now been hanging peacefully for more than 50 years in the place where it belongs: St. Bavo’s Cathedral. Though admittedly, the ‘Just Judges’ panel, which was stolen in 1934, is still replaced by a reproduction. Patershol The Patershol quarter is the medieval heart of the city. The Friary of the Calced Carmelites, dating back to 1329, was fully restored at the end of the last century and reopened as an exhibion space. Thirty years ago, you could buy a little house here for next to nothing. Today, the Patershol is one of the city’s most desirable neighbourhoods. For good dining, you can choose from one of the many restaurants which have sprung up in the medieval alleys. From Japanese to Thai, to delicious traditional Flemish cooking, you’ll find everything here. Dr. Guislain Museum A museum in Belgium’s oldest psychiatric hospital, built in 1857: you’d be crazy not to pay it a visit. In this wonderful oasis you will find a permanent collection that illustrates the history of psychiatry and an international collection of outsider art or art brut. The temporary visiting. exhibitions are also always worth Football Trip to Ghent – Eating & Drinking De Hopduvel, (has now moved from 10, Rokerelstraat) The new address is Coupure links 625.Open; Tue – Sat: 10:00 – 12:30, 13:30 – 18:00 Sun: 10:00 – 12:00 Closed Mondays. In the 1980’s it was owned and run by the eccentric Toon DENOOZE, who also commissioned beers to be made to his recipes. Belgians have a love of puns, Flemish for a noose is Stropken, so Tony used the pun on his surname and called his beer Sropken. The Hopduvel is a Tardis of a pub. The entrance looks like the front door of a suburban terraced house and you walk into a huge establishment of many rooms with a list of almost 125 beers kept and presented in immaculate condition. DE DULLE GREIT, 50, Vrijdagmart, Open; Sunday: 12.00 – 19.00, Monday from 16.30 – 01.00, Other days: 12.00 – 01.00 Named after the huge 16 ton canon which looks over the river Leie, it translates as Mad Margaret. Loud and busy at weekends, other times it is possible to have a quiet drink and contemplate their list of around 200 beers. Het Waterhuis aan de Bierkant ; Groentenmarkt 9; Open; Daily: 11.00 – 02.00 – Another pun, “The Waterhouse at the Beerside!” Friendly, helpful staff with an excellent choice on a well set out list of around 150 beers, 14 on draught with a special beer of the month featured. DE GENTENAAR Vlaanderenstraat, not a huge beer list, just a comfortable old pub, the oldest in Ghent and the last of its kind left in the centre. GALGENHUISJE Groentenmarkt “The Little Gallows House”, where the condemned prisoners went for their last drink. It has a list of about 60 beers. One of the claimants to being Ghent’s oldest bar itdates back to the 17th Century and it probably could also win the competition to be the smallest. A bonus there is a superb restaurant in the basement set in the 13th century cellars. ‘t Dreupelkot Groentenmarkt 12, One of only 5 or 6 Genever bars in Belgium. Owned by Pol, who is to be found behind the bar. Although no beers are sold, the list of over 150 Genevers is excellent. They are listed under the various distillers (20+) with strength and flavour shown ranging from 20 degrees fruit based genevers (grapefruit, lemon, cherry…) up to a 50 degree Thor. A classic must visit bar. Den Trollekelder, Bij St. Jacobs 17; Open all days: 16.00 – 03.00, A split-level bar with a beer list of around 140 beers with a nice spread of Lambics. Seven draught beers including two house beers. The full list of Trappists beers. Aba Jour; Oudburg 20; An Art-Deco bar with cane chairs and a nice atmosphere. There is a small overspill bar down steps near the water’s edge from where you can watch the barges and boats go by. Westmalle Dubbel, La Chouffe and one from Dupont on draught plus about 60 other beers including a good spread of Lambics and Trappists. ‘t Gouden Mandeke, Pensmarkt 9;- 13th Century grain cellar at the end of the meat market has about 35 beers and a nice feel to the place. ‘t Vosken; Sint Baafsplein 19; Open 7/7 – Well worth a visit to see what beers they have usually from the extended Palm portfolio. Next door you will find ‘The Bridge’ which serves good traditional Flemish food until 22.30 each day and has enough good beers to keep you happy. To try the best fries in Ghent, go to Frituur ’T Puntzakje(Kleine Vismarkt 9) and have your chips with a tasty sauce made of mustard, beer and beef stew (ask for Stoverije). Amadeus (Plotersgracht 8; 09 225 1385;www.amadeusspareribrestaurant.be) which specialises in eat-as-much-as-you-can spare ribs. For €13.95, you get a rack of ribs with Amadeus’ lovely herb butter sauce – when you’ve finished, just raise your hand and another rack will be brought to your plate. Football trip to Ghent – Useful links http://www.simonseeks.com/travel-guides/24-hours-ghent-b eer-cruise-ceiling-shoes__168903 http://belgium.beertourism.com/cities/ghent http://www.dedullegriet.be/en/ https://penne4yourthoughts.wordpress.com/2013/05/26/wher e-to-eat-in-ghent-belgium/ http://www.theguardian.com/travel/2012/feb/10/top-10-foo d-shops-restaurants-ghent http://www.independent.co.uk/travel/europe/48-hours-in-g hent-757374.html https://www.finedininglovers.com/stories/ghent-food-guid e/ http://www.48houradventure.com/2010/12/07/48-hours-in-br uges-and-ghent/ http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/article-2285214/Belgiu m-city-breaks-Ghent-quirky-city-charm.html Planning a football trip to Brussels Planning a Football Trip to Brussels? Free guide – where to stay, eat, drink and how to get tickets & to the stadium. Football Trip to Brussels – How to get to Brussels & How to get around Football Trip to Brussels – Fly to Brussels Multiple airlines fly to Brussels every day and you are able to fly direct from Brussels from most large airports in the UK Start your holiday in style and enjoy the experience of VIP travel – book an airport lounge with Lounge Pass from as little as £13.50. With 200 airport VIP lounges worldwide, including 35 UK airports you can add an extra touch of luxury to your next trip and make the travel experience a whole lot better. Directions from the Airport Football Trip to Brussels arriving at Brussels Airport (info via http://www.brussels.info/airport-to-b russels/) Brussels is 12 kilometres (7 miles) from Brussels Airport. Train – The normal metro tickets are not valid for travel on the Airport Line (train line) between the airport and Brussels; therefore you have to buy special trip tickets from the railway stations and at the airport railway station on Level -1 before boarding the train. Check the latest ticket prices at www.b-rail.be. There are three stops within the city at each of the main railway stations Brussels-Nord, Brussels-Centrale and Brussels-Midi. At each of these stations there are metro lines, buses and trams that connect to other parts of the city. Go to the website for Brussels public transport at www.stib.be. The train takes around 20 minutes from the airport to the centre. Bus – Every airport bus departs and arrives at the bus station at Level 0. There are a number of public, private buses and the Airport Express. Airport Line – The Airport Line is a public Brussels Airport bus operated by STIB that take you from and into the European district of Luxemburg and the city centre. There are two buses: Line 12 and Line 21. Line 12 (operates Mon-Fri until 8pm) is express only travels to main stations – the only metro stop is Schuman (EU Headquarters) and the last stop is Luxemburg station. Line 21 (operates after 8pm on weekdays and on weekends) has many more stops and ends at Hertog / Ducale, the metro stops are Schuman and Trone. The last stop is close to the city and just outside the Royal Palace – 10 minutes walk from Brussels Centrale. Fares are €3 outside the bus; €4 on the bus; €21 for 10 trips. www.stib.be Airport Express Bus – There are two bus companies that operate ‘airport express’ buses to and from Antwerp and between three cities in the Netherlands Breda, Rotterdam and Utrecht and Brussels Airport. www.aiportexpress.be operates between Antwerp and Brussels Airport there are buses every hour and price is €10 one way – travelling time is 45 minutes. www.brusselsairportexpress.be operates between the three cities in the Netherlands and Brussels Airport – travel times vary and prices start at €25 one-way and only €37.50 return. Book your tickets online. Football Trip to Brussels arriving at South Charleroi Airport Many budget airlines such as Ryan Air land at Brussels South Charleroi airport. This is actually about 55 kilometres south of Brussels so stretches the description a little bit, remember to add an extra hour if you’re flying in our out of this airport. Be careful also if you are leaving on an early morning flight. Public transport may not be available and unless you have 4 people in the taxi it can be an expensive trip as you can expect to pay up to 160 Euros for the trip. Try to agree a price in advance. There are some websites where you can book a taxi in advance; http://charleroiexpress.be/en Bus – Every 30 minutes a shuttle coach leaves the airport to take you to the main Brussels railway station (Brussels Midi). The shuttle coach stop is at the crossing of rue de France and rue de l’Instruction. WE STRONGLY ADVISE TO TAKE THE SHUTTLE FROM BRUSSELS MIDI RAILWAY STATION AT LEAST 3 HOURS PRIOR TO DEPARTURE OF YOUR FLIGHT (EXCEPT FOR SHUTTLE AT 4.00AM). THIS COSTS AROUND 14 EUROS Train – At Charleroi airport there are two ticket dispensers where you can buy a single or a return ticket (return on the same day) valid for “any Belgian destination”. This ticket covers a journey in a TEC bus (from the airport to Charleroi-Sud station) and a train journey (from Charleroi-Sud to any station in Belgium). The two ticket dispensers are placed outside the airmort, near Door 2. Two methods of payment are accepted: cash or credit/debit card. Timetable and informations on rail services: www.sncb.be Taxis from the Airport Taxi – Brussels AirportAll permanent taxi stands are located outside the Arrival Hall. It will cost approximately €35 to travel into the city centre (such as Brussels Centrale). Avoid getting into unlicensed vehicles posing as taxis which may overcharge you for their services. There is not a distinctive taxi look. Taxis are different makes and colours so look out for the yellow and blue license emblem and the triangular stand at the top of the taxi. A taxi from the airport to Charleroi-Sud Train station should cost 20 Euros. From here you can get into Brussels Centre on the train in under an hour. A tax from Charleroi Airport to Brussels centre can cost 200 euros so if you plan to travel this way make sure you negotiate a reasonable fare in advance. HolidayTaxis.com is a worldwide transport service, offering you airport to city and resort transfers in over 11,000 destinations in over 120 countries around the world. Football Trip to Brussels – Travel By Train Travelling by train from London to Brussels is very easy, with Eurostar offering six to ten departures per day on this route. Tickets start at around £30 and the journey takes between 2 and 3 hours, you can book tickets via Voyages SNCF. Football Trip to Brussels – Travel By Coach Eurolines provide coaches to Brussels from London. They offer an overnight service leaving London around 20.00 and arriving at around 5:15 the next day. They also offer a service leaving at 6:00 and arriving in Brussels at 12:30 and another one leaving at 8:00 and arriving at 16:30 on a daily basis. Football Trip to Brussels – Travel By Ferry It takes between 2 and 3 hours to drive to Brussels from Calais. Book tickets via DFDS Seaways. Football Trip to Brussels – Travel Around Brussels If you stay in the centre then you might not need to use Public transport as the city centre is fairly compact. The public transport system is made up of the metro (underground trains), buses and trams that criss-cross the city. All of these services are operated by the same company STIB and therefore share the same ticketing system. This makes it easy to make transfers and to purchase tickets. Intercity trains are operated by a separate company SNCB but all the railway stations are connected to metro stations, tram stops and bus stops. This site has maps to the Underground that you can print: http://www.stib.be/netplan-plan-reseau.html?l=en Football Trip to Brussels – How to Get to the Match Football Stadium Trip to Brussels – The Constant Vanden Stock Stadium The stadium opened in opened in the summer of 1918, but was initially named in honour of the first president of the club, Emile Versé. Originally the ground had only one wooden stand but this was expanded through the 40’s and 50’s until the ground eventually held 40,000 fans. The stadium held the Euro 1972 semi-final between Hungary V Soviet Union but was not selected as a Euro 2000 venue as it’s capacity is less than the 30,000 required. The ground was developed in 2013 to add an extra ring and increase the capacity above 30,000. http://www.stadiumguide.com/constantvandenstock/ Stade Fallon Fallon Stadium is located in one of the greenest and most pleasant places in the Belgian capital. The site covers about 22 hectares. It includes among other things six football fields with synthetic 3 and 12 tennis courts (including 5 seats). The Stade Fallon has a history, as was the home of the White Star AC and Racing White . The latter played there until 1973. The biggest game played at the stadium was in 1972 when 10,000 supporters watched Racing White play CUF Barriero in the Uefa Cup. Football Trip to Brussels – Getting to the Stadium Getting to Constant Vanden Stock Stadium for Football Trip to R.S.C. Anderlect: Address: 1070 Anderlecht, Belgium The Metro is the easiest way to reach the stadium. Take line 1b 9 stops in the direction of Erasmus and align at Saint-Guidon. It takes around 15 minutes from Gare Centrale. The ground is 500m from the station along Rue de la Pocession. A taxi from the Grand Place to the stadium should be around 15 Euros. Getting to Stade Fallon for Football Trip to Royal White Star Bruxxels: Address: Chemin du Struykbeken 1, 1200 Woluwe-Saint-Lambert Take the Metro No 1 from De Brouckere near the Grand Place in the direction of Stockel (15 mins, 12 stops). Align Vandervelde and walk to Stade Fallon through Parc Malou. Football Trip to Brussels – Getting Tickets Constant Vanden Stock Stadium – http://www.rsca.be/go/en/ticketing/in fo Ticket Office Opening hours – Monday-Friday 09.00 – 17.30 & Saturday 10.00 – 12.00 Opening hours on matchdays Weekdays : 09.00 until start of the game Weekend : Three hours before the match until the start of the game Ticketing Info – Buying tickets or a season ticket for the home matches of R.S.C. Anderlecht is only possible on presentation of an identity card (or a recto-verso copy). RSC Anderlecht often sell out so it’s worthwhile contacting the ticket office in advance to try and reserve a ticket. The club allow English-based supporters to reserve tickets in advance by emailing them at [email protected] or by calling the ticket office on +32 2 529 40 67. Do this well in advance of the game. The biggest games are against their traditional rivals Standard Liege and Club Brugge. The Classic: Standard Liege-RSC Anderlecht: http://www.fifa.com/classicfootball/clubs/rivalries/news id=107186/index.html The Belgium government is very much against Ticket Touts and has passed legislation outlawing it. As such we could not find any tickets outside the ground for the Anderlecht v Standard Liege game in when playing English teams, Belgium’s anyone found in the vicinity of the whole of the matchday without a arrested. Carrying an ID card in mandatory so don’t forget to keep your 2013. In the past police have warned ground during the ticket would be Belgium is also passport on you. Stade Fallon Tickets costs between 10 and 15 Euros. Couldn’t find an online shop but it’s the Belgium second division so I’d be surprised if you struggle for a ticket. Tickets for Anderlecht games can also be bought by resellers such as Viagogo. HotFootballTickets.com – was created to provide Football fans in Europe as well as fans from all over the world an easy and simple way to purchase online from the convenience of their home or Offices, football Tickets at excellent prices with delivery directly to their Home or Hotel. Buy your football tickets on the official site of LiveFootballTickets.com. We offer tickets for the best matches in England and European leagues online. Football Trip to Brussels – Fixtures Plan your Football Trip to Brussels with our full list of fixtures or the Jupiler Pro League website website. The schedule for kick-off times in Belgium can be found our Planning a Football Trip to Belgium page (COMING SOON) Football Trip to Brussels – Where to stay. What to See. Where to Eat. Where to Drink Booking.com Football Trip to Brussels – Where to stay When planning a football trip to Brussels I think you are best to stay Central close to the Grand Place, this is where there is plenty of choice for bars, restaurants and nightlife and closest to the main sites. In many cities the most cost effective accommodation choice for groups is to hire and apartment. Our sponsors Citybase appartments specialises in serviced apartments. The link below offers online apartment search and booking for destinations around the world. Football Trip to Brussels – What else to see & do When planning a football trip to Brussels it is always good to know what else there is to see and do in the city. Here are a selection of the best things which I found using our sponsor Lonely Planet. Lonely Planet also has maps of the city, details of all the best pubs, bars and restaurants and travel information from the city. You can take a free tour that covers all the main sites – http://www.newbrusselstours.com/daily-tours/free-tour-of -brussels.html Here is another walking tour shown on a useful map. – http://www.planetware.com/map/belgium-brussels-walking-t ours-map-b-b51.htm Lonely Planet lists the Top 3 attractions as: Grand Place, Musee Magritte, Rue des Bouchers (but you are recommended not to eat here), http://www.lonelyplanet.com/belgium/brussels/sights The King Baudouin Stadium (formerly Heysel Stadium) is situated on the Heysel in Brussels, in the district of Laeken. Every year, the Stadium welcomes 2 major sports events: the Cup Final of Belgian football and since 1977 the Memorial Ivo Van Damme as well as various concerts. It also welcomes the Red Devils, the Belgian national football team. The King Baudouin Stadion is the biggest stadium of Belgium. Visits are possible all year long from Monday till Thursday, from 10 am till 5 pm, on Friday from 10 am to 4 pm, on booking, except during big events. The visit can be made alone or with a guide. There is a route taking you from the pitch to the control tower and the press room. The stadium reveals its history by means of various interactive tools. Price and reduction : 6 euro for adults, 4 euro for children, students, seniors, Avenue de Marathon 135, 1020 Brussels It may be a controversial sight in the city, but Brussels’ Palace of Justice is free to explore (at least those areas open to the public). Bigger than St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, this giant building towers over the Marolles neighbourhood below. Beside the Palace of Justice, is one of the best free views of Brussels at Place Poelaert, named for the building’s architect. Place Poelaert 1, 1000 Brussels While many of Brussels’ major museums charge entrance fees, if you are flexible with your dates, you can visit many of them for free on the first Wednesday of the month. Participating museums include: The Museum of Musical Instruments, The Magritte Museum, Cinquantenaire Museum (Royal Museums of Art and History) and many others. You can see a full list here. Atomium – Unmistakable symbol of Brussels and Belgium and unique feat in the history of architecture: the Atomium is today the most popular attraction in the Capital of Europe. Built for the 1958 World Exhibition, the Atomium is shaped on the model of an elementary iron crystal enlarged 165 billion times. Beyond surreal walks through tubes and spheres, the Atomium houses a permanent exhibition about its history as well temporary exhibitions for a broad public (sciences, design, society). The upper sphere offers unique and spectacular views across the city skyline. At night, 2970 lights offer a fairy dimension to the 102m high building. The panoramic restaurant is daily open until 11pm. http://www.atomium.be. Square de l’Atomium, 1020 Brussels Manneken Pis [ˌmɑnəkə ˈpɪs], is a famous Brussels landmark. It is a small bronze fountain sculpture depicting a naked little boy urinating into the fountain’s basin. It was designed by Hiëronymus Duquesnoy the Elder and put in place in 1618 or 1619. rue de l’Etuve / Stoofstraat 1000 – Bruxelles Football Trip to Eating & Drinking Brussels – Bars we were recommended in walking distance of the Grand Place Chez Moeder Lambic Fontainas: With 40 or 50 craft beers on tap and gorgeous artisanal cheeses to match: Place Fontainas 8 Le Roy d’Espagne: The former headquarters of the Guild of Bakers, dating from 1697, takes its name from Charles II of Spain, ruler of the Spanish Netherlands at the time: 1 Grand Place Le Falstaff – It is one of those typical cafés in Brussels (created in 1903) like the Corbeau or the Bonnefooi, where you basically are sitting in the first cafés ever created in Brussels, high walls, wooden columns and really old yet lovely and warm atmosphere! 19 Rue Henri Maus A La Mort Subite. A tavern called “Sudden Death” may sound alarming, but it in fact refers to a dice game played by clients of an earlier bar. Built in 1928 with a grandeur reminiscent of the Belle Époque, this is a good place to sample a full range of Brussels and Belgian beers, as well as wines, coffee and “petite restauration” (bar snacks and light meals) Address: 7 Rue Montagne aux Herbes Potagères La Fleur en Papier Doré is purported to have over 1,150 beers. This is one of the few surviving traditional pubs called estaminets; slightly off the beaten track, it’s a great place to get a feel for the Brussels of bygone days. Light snacks are offered to accompany fine Belgian beers, including the unique Brussels beer called gueuze: Cellebroersstraat 55, 1000 Bruxelles La Becasse, “The Lark”, is hidden away at the end of a narrow passage, just near the Grand Place. The bar is famous all over the city for its “jeune lambic blanche”, a refreshing white beer served in a stone jug. The waiters wear monastic-style uniforms and prepare the house speciality – delicious open sandwiches of sourdough bread with Ardennes ham or smoked herrings. Rue de Tabora 11, Taborastraat 11, 1000 Bruxelles Le Corbeau (The Raven) is the place serious beer drinkers head for. You can try weird and wonderful brews like Guillotine, Verboden Frucht (Forbidden Fruit), Delirium Tremens, as well as exotic Kriek or Framboise, which respectively taste of cherry and raspberry. But if you really want to impress the locals, order a “Chevalier”, which comes in a glass that is about two feet long! Le Corbeau is also a good bet for a cheap lunch, serving plats du jour like “carbonade de boeuf” (beef braised in beer), and “stoemp”, similar to a Lancashire hotpot. Rue Saint Michel 18 The Poechenellekelder is right opposite Brussels’ most famous – and kitsch – monument, the Mannekin Pis statue, and most people’s first reaction would be that it is a classic tourist trap to be avoided at all costs. But go down the steep steps that lead into “The Puppet Cellar” and you’ll soon realise that you’ve stumbled on a wonderfully authentic bar. The decor is more like a surreal museum than a pub. Apart from the usual beers, they also prepare strange traditional snacks like “tete pressee”, a tasty brawn, and “kannibal”, the Belgian version of steak tartare served on an open sandwich. Rue du Chêne 5 A l’Imaige Nostre-Dame, Tucked away at the end of a long alleyway, this cosy saloon is a firm favourite with a raucous, colourful crowd of Brussels locals, and there is a great atmosphere at any time of the day. Rue Marche-aux-Herbes 8 Delirium Café: Holder of a Guinness World Record for having over 2000 beers on display. Impasse de la Fidélité 4, 1000 Brussels, You can also look for the Little Delirium Café which is on Rue du Marché aux Fromages 7. There are a couple of bars and several kebab shops on this street. Celtica, Rue du Marché aux Poulets 55, 1000 Brussels. I first visited here in 2001 when Manchester United played Anderlecht. Returning for a stag do 7 years later we were happy to find they had not put prices up and beer could still be had all day for 1 Euro or 2 Euro for a bottle of Chimay, checking their website now I see that prices have not gone up since then. I was so drunk the 3 days I spent there the first time I didn’t realise it had an upstairs. In fact it has a disco upstairs which is lively until 5am. Recyclart is strange in that it’s housed in an old train station. During the day you can still catch the odd train there, but now it’s mostly known as an arts centre/music venue. The old ticket booths have been turned into the bar during concerts. It all looks rather underground-like, although it’s publicly funded. But they have some cool gigs and parties every now and then. Located in the abandoned train station BrusselKapellekerk/Bruxelles-Chapelle, downtown Brussels. http://www.recyclart.be/fr/english-summary Amadeo – The place for Ribs. (Sint-Katelinjnestraat) Between the Bourse and Marche aux Poissons is a restaurant that specialises in ‘spare ribs a volonte’. This means as much ribs as you like served with Baked potato and a side salad. As if all you can eat ribs wasn’t good enough the sell you wine by the centimetre in litre and half bottles. Places to watch English Football – Celtica (http://www.celticpubs.com/celtica/celticabxl.html), Fat Boys (http://www.fatboys-be.com/), O’Reillys (http://oreillys.com/brussels/), Six Nations Pub & Restaurant (http://www.sixnations.be/), Churchills (http://www.churchills.be/home/) Le Goupil-le-Fol is a bar in an old brothel. It’s spread out over two floors, in different rooms with carpets and old couches and old junk from the flea market on the wall. It’s quite cosy, a nice place to hang out with a group of good friends – although you’ll also find some couples necking in the couches. Their selection of drinks is very limited and not cheap but they have some absolutely delicious fruit wines. Rue de la Violette 22, Brussels 1000, Belgium Porte Noir – It’s an atmospheric setting – down some steps into the old brick vaults of a convent that used to sit above it, to three rooms with bench seating, bottled beer in fridges, and about 10 Belgian beers on draught. They have a beer list so you can browse through this to decide on your next one, or ask the staff to help you choose if they’re not too busy. This place can get busy on a Friday and Saturday night, but it’s usually worth grabbing the edge of a trestle table if you can. Sometimes there is live music, and it’s a great place to spend a few hours getting acquainted with a variety of Belgian beer. It can be vibrant until quite late on a weekend evening but be aware that it doesn’t open until 5pm each day (closed Sundays). Cellebroersstraat 67, 1000 Brussels, Belgium Le Coq has a list of 35 beers including Trappists for around 3 Euros, and some such as Boon Kriek even cheaper: Auguste Ortsstraat 14, 1000 Cheap Eats Restaurant de la Bourse –They offer an unpretentious café space, with menus in 3 languages including English. Lots of Belgian cuisine. They have a good selection of dishes and sometimes specials – including on occasion rabbit cooked in kriek (cherry beer), stoofvlees (also called carbonnade – a beef in beer stew). Rue de Flandre 32 Fritland – In the heart of (touristy) Brussels, you’ll find this excellent frietkot, or fries stand, that serves fries in all shapes. Try the mayo, not ketchup, as it is the choice condiment in Belgium. 49 rue Henri Maus Noordzee isn’t even really a restaurant but a fishseller that happens to sell some of the best seafood snacks in the city. The fish soup is incredible on a cold day. The mussels, shrimps, calamari and oysters are all as fresh as it gets and washed down with a chilled glass of white wine or champagne. The menu depends on the season and the catch of the day. Rue Ste Catherine 45 Football Trip Useful Guides to Brussels – Pocket Bruges & Brussels Walking tours and day planners Maps for every neighbourhood Packed with expert travel tips 100% independent advice Book – £7.99 Belgium & Luxembourg Brussels (Chapter) – Coverage includes: Sights, Activities, Accommodation, Eating, Drinking & Nightlife, Entertainment, Shopping and Around Brussels Chapter – £2.99 Football Brussels Links Trip to – Useful http://www.brussels.info/red-light-district/ http://visitbrussels.be/bitc/front/home/display/lg/en/se ction/visiteur.do http://www.theguardian.com/travel/2008/feb/19/brussels.b ars http://www.beerlycoherent.com/2010/12/top-ten-places-for -beer-in-brussels.html http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destination/belgium/br ussels/35342/Brussels-nightlife.html http://thepathslesstravelled.wordpress.com/2013/04/16/fo llow-up-the-graveyard-of-brussels-football-in-theshadow-of-anderlecht/ RSCA.BE – Official website of RSC Anderlecht http://www.stadiumguide.com/koningboudewijn/ Brussels, Belgium: in search of the perfect frite – Telegraph Brussels’ best cafe bars http://beyondthelastman.com/2012/11/01/the-football-citi es-of-europe-brussels/ RWDM: a glorious past, but no future? | The Paths Less Travelled