Belgium Christmas Markets with a Baby
Thank you for coming to read our blog on Belgium Christmas Markets with a Baby. This post has been updated in 2021 to include details regarding the Covid-19 Pandemic. As always Covid-19 regulations can change so check with the relevant government websites to ensure up to date advice is followed.
How we got to Belgium
This was our first trip abroad with our daughter and she was only 10 weeks old so it felt like a proper adventure! We opted to take the Eurotunnel over to Belgium. This meant we could fill the car up and stop as often as we needed during the journey. We got the Eurotunnel tickets using our Tesco Clubcard points which means it felt free which is great! It only takes 35 minutes so it’s a really efficient way to cross the Channel.
Where we stayed
We stayed at the Marriott Hotel in Ghent, a beautiful city near Bruges. The hotel was lovely, modern and provided a cot for our daughter (which we didn’t actually use as we took a Moses basket for her as that is what she slept in at home). We were fairly nervous as we’d never taken her abroad before but we soon settled in and felt comfortable.
There is no doubt that that first trip away with a baby is a nerve wracking experience. We packed more for that trip than we have for any trip since! But by taking some home comforts with us, and working to her schedule we were absolutely fine.
What we did in Belgium
The reason for our visit was to go and see the Christmas Markets, of which there were some in Ghent, Bruges and Antwerp – all close by.
Bruges to Ghent – 33 miles (55 minutes)
Bruges to Antwerp – 57 miles (1hr 19 minutes)
Ghent to Antwerp – 37 miles (52 minutes)
The Markets in Bruges run from 26th November 2021 to 9th January 2022. The Bruges Christmas and winter market will be located on the Markt and Simon Stevinplein.
The Antwerp Christmas Markets run from 4th December 2021 to 2nd January 2022. There will be an Ice Rink, Miniature Golf, a Winter Bar and a Giant Ferris Wheel! The Christmas market in Antwerp takes place across various squares, leading all the way from the Groenplaats over the Handschoenmarkt to the Grote Markt, the Suikerrui, and the Steenplein.
The Ghent markets run from 9th December 2021 to 31st December 2021. The Markets are spread out from Sint-Baafsplein, along the Botermarkt and Klein Turkije to the end of the Korenmarkt.
The Christmas markets in Belgium are famous for being some of the best in Europe. They 100% lived up to our expectations. The baby was young enough that she still slept a lot and was happy to snooze in the pram as we explored. We definitely discovered that it is completely doable travelling with a baby, and actually, when they are still tiny they just go where you go!
It was wonderfully festive. Being just a few days before Christmas, but extremely chilly so we often ducked into Cafes or restaurants to warm up for a bit. It’s worth bearing in mind that you’ll be spending alot of time outdoors so take appropriate clothing.
Our car seat slotted onto the pram base so it was easy to transport the baby around, switching between being in the car or in the pram with ease. She was happy as could be and seemed to enjoy her first trip abroad!
Final thoughts on Belgium Christmas Markets with a Baby
Thank you for reading our blog on Belgium Christmas Markets with a Baby.
It was a good introduction to foreign travel and made a lot easier by driving. In hindsight I know now that travelling with really little babies seems to be easier than with toddlers so I’m glad we did this when we did. We’ll return again I’m sure, we love Christmas Markets! For more on European Christmas Markets, check out our blog post on our favourite ones here.
Why not check out our video on the Belgium Christmas markets (pre-Covid). Don’t forget to Subscribe to our channel so you don’t miss any future uploads!
