So much of my goal with this blog is to show you all that it’s possible to travel on a budget. In order to be completely transparent, I typically keep track of all individual expenses on a trip. Every meal, every beer, every bus ticket—I write it all down! My most recent trip to Belgium was no exception. This is how much my trip to Belgium cost.

I spent 4 days total in Belgium. Basing myself in Brussels, I made daytrips to Bruges and Ghent, and also Antwerp. My flights were from Manchester Airport, meaning I had to get to Manchester and back to York. I also stayed in a hotel the night before my early morning flight—but I redeemed by points with my Chase Sapphire Preferred credit card to cover this (sign up for the card here!). You can also travel by rail from London to Brussels by Eurostar.

I also traveled over Easter. This meant that some things (such as accommodation) were much more expensive. Easter is when most people go on trips in Europe, and so my trip to Belgium did cost more than a normal long weekend at another time in spring.

So how much does a beer cost in Belgium? What about train rides? How much did I actually spend on this trip? Here are my individual day-to-day expenses over 4 days in Belgium, and how much my trip cost.

Day 1:

Shuttle bus (return): €34

Tram ticket: €2.10

Waffles: €3.50

Fries: €4.50

Food (grocery store shop): €9.50

Towel at the hostel: €1

 

TOTAL: €54.60 // £47.65 // $67.00

Day 2:

Train to Antwerp: €15.40

Cathedral: €4

Museum: €6

Beer (0.25L/half-pint): €3

Waffles: €2

 

TOTAL: €30.40 // £26.50 // $37.30

 

Day 3:

Train to Bruges: €12.80

Ghent belfry: €2.70

Beer (0.25L): €2.50

 

TOTAL: €18 // £15.70 // $22.05

Day 4:

Waffles: €6.50

Souvenirs: €2.60

Beer (0.25L): €3.80

Beer (0.25L): €3.80

Fries: €3.20

Gift for the husband: €12.90

Subway sandwich: €3.90

 

TOTAL: €36.70 // £32.00 // $45.00

What about my expensive items—flights and accommodation? How much did they cost?

 

Round-trip flights to Brussels from Manchester Airport: £68.32 // €78.30 // $95.60

Train tickets to/from Manchester Airport: £25.75 // €29.50 // $36.20

Hotel in Manchester: Free with credit card points through my Chase Sapphire Preferred!

Accommodation in Brussels (3 nights in a 6-bed female dorm room): £69.80 // €80 // $98.10

Interested in a breakdown by category? Here’s how much I spent on accommodation, transportation, food/drink, sightseeing, and miscellaneous costs!

Accommodation: £69.80 // €80 // $98.10

Transportation: £150.15 // €172.10 // $211.00

Food/Drink: £40.30 // €46.20 // $56.65

Sightseeing: £11.10 // €12.70 // $15.55

Miscellaneous: £14.40 // €16.50 // $20.25

As you can see, I spent a lot of money on transportation and accommodation. Hostels in Brussels aren’t cheap to begin with. Traveling over Easter meant that I was spending a significant amount for a place to sleep. €27.50/night is a far cry from the €5/night hostel I stayed at in Moldova! (Granted, this hostel was a whole lot better than the one in Moldova!!)

My airport shuttle tickets were a bit of a nasty shock. I knew Brussels Charleroi Airport (dubbed the “Ryanair airport” as it’s only used by budget airlines) was about an hour away from actual Brussels. But I had no idea that it would cost €17 each way!! In comparison, transport to and from the airport cost about half of the cost of my flights. My advice? Book tickets for the shuttle bus online in advance—as soon as you book your flights. You can read more for my practical tips for visiting Brussels.

I also spent a lot of money on food and drinks. I ate a lot of waffles, and drank some really good beer. That being said, I went cheap with the rest of my food. I didn’t really eat out. And like I usually do when I’m in a place for several days, I bought food for sandwiches and took a packed lunch with me each day. I really don’t mind eating sandwiches when I travel—and this saves me loads!

So how much did this actually cost altogether? How much did I spend on my 4-day trip to Belgium over Easter?

 

GRAND TOTAL: £285.70 // €327.50 // $401.25

Belgium definitely isn’t anywhere near as affordable as my favorite region in the world, Eastern Europe. (Looking at hostel prices, all I could think was, “Toto, we’re not in Eastern Europe anymore!”) However, I don’t think it’s as expensive as other popular European cities like London or Paris.

To get the best deals, I recommend booking flights through Skyscanner. I also book all my train tickets through Trainline! If you’re looking to stay in a hostel, you can book through Hostelworld. Otherwise, you can search for hotels on Booking.com, and you can sign up to and search for accommodation on Airbnb here! Considering travel insurance for your trip? World Nomads offers coverage for more than 150 adventure activities as well as emergency medical, lost luggage, trip cancellation and more. Wanting to do a tour? Check out these tours below!

I hope this post helps in planning and budgeting a long weekend trip to Belgium!

If you liked this post, check out my other budgeting posts!

How Much Does It Cost To Travel Eastern Europe For 6 Weeks?

How Much Does It Cost To Spend A Weekend In Dublin?

How Much Does It Cost To Travel The Baltics For 5 Days?

How Much Does It Cost To Travel Iceland For 3 Days?

Have you traveled to Belgium before? What were your expenses and budget like? Let me know in the comments below!

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