How To Plan Your Trip To The Belgian Coast

Only spanning 65 km, the Belgian coast is by no means the longest in Europe, but, it does have the longest coastline tram. It’ll take you all the way from the Netherlands to France (De Panne to Knokke-Heist).

Their tramline has several stops along the way where you can get off and explore the different coastal cities. There’s shopping, art and culture, outdoor activities, and WWI and WWII historical sites, not to mention breathtaking views of the coastline.

I visited the Belgian Coast as a day trip from Bruges and it was the perfect city escape from all the crowds.

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How To Get To The Belgian Coast?

The easiest way to get to the Belgian coast is from Bruges, it’s the closest largest city to the coast. If you have a car, it’s about a 30 minute drive (barring any traffic!).

Otherwise, it’s not that much longer to take the train from Bruges (about 40 minutes, without the stress of looking for parking). And if you’re able to plan accordingly, there is a direct train between both cities that will only take 10 minutes! This is how I travelled from Bruges to the Belgian coast for the day.

Take the train from Bruges to Blankenberge, where there’s a tram stop directly across from the train station. I recommend going south towards Oostend from here.

Read more: First Timers Guide: Bruges Belgium

the view of the belgian coast in oostend. People are far off in the distance, little specs along the sand. Even farther are some buildings, but none too tall and they're kind of hazy as they blend into the bright blue, completely clear sky.

How Long Do You Need on the Belgian Coast?

There are a lot of factors that will determine how long you need on the Belgian Coast. I visited on a day trip from Bruges in October, and it was the perfect taste. It wasn’t beach weather so I visited the main sites, tasted the local food, and rode the tram of course.

But I will admit, I would love to visit again with warmer weather and just have the perfect city escape. So you can easily see the highlights in just one day, but if you want a break then I’d book a hotel, like Thermae Palace on the beach front, and stay the weekend!

Pro Tip: If you do end up going for only the day, be sure to stay to watch the sunset, it makes for some really romantic pictures!

the french architecture influence in de hanne ann zee during golden hour adding an amber hue to the building. It's a tower, but rounded on three corners, and an edged domed orange roof. This is in perfect contrast to the perfectly clear and crisp blue sky behind it.

Things To Do on the Belgian Coast

These are the top things to do in the Belgian Coast.

Ride The Belgian Coast Tram

Of course, the main attraction along the Belgian Coast is the Belgian Coast tram. If you do nothing all day but ride the tram, you’ve done the most important thing – and you won’t be disappointed with the views either!

The Coastal tram is 143 minutes (2 hours and 20 minutes!) from border to border with 68 stops along the way. You’ll have to buy a ticket for the tram, and I recommend getting the unlimited day pass (about 9 €). You can buy them on the tram from the driver, at Blankenberge station at the yellow box, or the easiest is to download the DeLijn app.

I recommend downloading the app, especially if you don’t carry change. When I was there the yellow box was out of order and no one was working at the box office…

The tram comes about every 10-15 minutes during peak hours and high season. During low season and off hours, it can come up to every 30 minutes to every hour. So be sure to check when it comes!

See updated prices and route planner for the coastal tram.

Visit Oostend Belgium

Oostend is one of the bigger cities you can visit along the coast, and there are no shortage of activities to do here. A part from just going to the beach, if the weather is nice, there’s also shopping and a great boardwalk to bike or walk along (you can rent bikes there).

You also have to check out the Royal Galleries of Ostend. This is a 400 m long covered sidewalk connecting the Royal Pavilion and the Wellington Race Track. In the 30s, the gorgeous hotel, Thermae Palace, was built next to it. Not only is this sidewalk protected from the weathering elements, they also set up a free art exhibit.

There are a few seasonal things in Oostend too. If you manage to be there during the right time of year, the Japanese gardens might be open (from the Spring to Fall). Or the Sand Castle festival might be happening (taking a break in 2026). Otherwise, If you’re lucky you might be able to spot some traditional fishers in the water. They’re easy to notice because they’re fishing on horseback (find out more here). If not, you might be able to see them if you go to Oostduinkerke.

Pro tip: There are several tram stops that will drop you off in Oostend, but the main one is Maria – Joséplein, you’ll know when to get off because everyone will be leaving the tram at this stop.

Spend Time at Raversyde and the Atlantik Wall

A bit past Oostend is Raversyde which is home to the Atlantik Wall, the WWI and WWII memorial site. I highly recommend spending some time here. It’s different from other WWII museums where they only have artifacts behind glass. At the Atlantik Wall, you walk through the trenches and into the bunkers, I will admit, it’s definitely unsettling at times.

How to get there by tram (from the beach): it’s a bit complicated to get Atlantik Wall if you’re coming from Oostend by tram. You’ll want to get off at Domein-Raversijde, cross the street and find the stairs to get over the hill. Once over the hill, walk down to the street where you’ll turn right. It’s about a two-minute walk before seeing the entrance.

artillery from the war is placed in uncut grass with fences all around it. It faces the beach with the water and sky.

Explore De Hanne (Ann Zee)

One of the prettiest town to visit is De Hanne. There are three stops that you can get off at to see the coastal town of De Hanne, but the one you want is De Hanne Ann Zee.

You don’t have to venture far into this town to fully appreciate its beauty. Right when you step off the tram, their picturesque train station is there to greet you. Walk a bit further to see the influence that the French had on the architecture.

If you have time to venture a bit further into town, you can go towards Spioenkop. It’s a nice lookout on to the coast.

the train station at de haan an zee which looks like it hasn't been updated sinc eit was built. It's a covered open waiting area in front of the tracks, there's a woman looking to the left as she waits for her train.

Make it to the End of The Coastal Tramline: De Panne & Knokke

De Panne is the end of the line on the French border. A great spot to get off is for the Paul Delvaux Museum. I didn’t have time to go, but it sounded like a nice break from all of the classical art that you see throughout the main museums in Europe. This focuses on Paul Delvaux’s life and works as a surrealist artist.

Knokke is all the way on the other end of the tramline, bordering the Netherland. I’ve heard it’s quite a posh stop with fashion and shopping along the beach. Again, with limited time, I wasn’t able to make it this far.

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Food To Try On The Belgian Coast

A definite must try is obviously the freshly caught seafood. You can’t get any fresher than on the Belgian Coast. If you’ve already had too many muscles, the coast is mainly known for their north grey shrimp. They are a bit smaller than you’re probably used to, but are great on a salad. View a map of the destinations mentioned here.

eating-fish-in-brussels-with-the-bone-as-a-picky-eater

My Belgium Day Trip Essentials

Be prepared for anything on a day trip in Belgium with all the essentials. I love using my Fjallraven Kanken Mini because it fits everything, and isn’t too big to carry for the day. I fit my 500 ml Thermoflask inside with some sunscreen. And because it’s going to be a longer day with a lot of picture taking, I have an external battery to charge my phone.