There are 3 vacations a year we should all try to take- one with family, one with friends and
one ALL by oneself! This was my very first solo trip and I was super excited! I had chosen Belgium because of its proximity to London and because I wanted to travel by Eurostar (another first!). Also, of course, because it was a relatively safe country for a woman traveling alone.
As always for me the planning was super important so that I could cram in seeing as much of the country as I could in my short time there. It also meant that most places seemed familiar even before I reached and thus less daunting!
I visited 3 cities- Brugge, Ghent and Brussels in about four and a half days and saw almost everything on my list. It was exhausting and yet exhilarating! Initially it was a bit lonely but I soon started enjoying my own company and the company of fellow travelers which never happens when I travel with others. Also was the added bonus of doing and seeing what I wanted and when I wanted without having to worry about anyone else- this trip was unapologetically all about me!!
I took the Eurostar from London to Brussels, which was a bit disappointing due to the poor quality of the train but at least we reached on time! At Brussels station I bought a ticket on one of many trains that run between Bruges and Brussels. Its worth noting that there seem to be only machines which dispense these tickets and none accept cash- its card only. There may be a manned ticket counter somewhere but none that I could find.
I also discovered later that there are both fast and slow trains available but I just booked the next available train and I got stuck on one of the slowest ones! The 1 hour journey took me around 2 hours but it was pleasant enough and I finally reached Brugge station.