When it comes to infrastructure, the Belgians are kings and have been kings for a long time. The first part of this line was built early in 1885, while the rest was finished after the First World War, with small adjustments in the last decade. You would think that with the expansive distance the trams come every five hours. Well, they don’t. The tram comes every twenty minutes in offseason and every ten in the summer. And that is because it is not only for tourists. Thousands of Belgians use it every day to commute.

   The trams are new, silent and they get you from one end to the other in approximately two hours and twenty minutes. They run from 6:00 am until almost midnight and stops at every station, although you should be careful to push the button and let the driver know you want to get out.

How to get there?

   The tramline is connected to railway in De Panne, Oostende, Blankenberge, Zeebrugge and Knokke, so you can also take a train to Brussels for example. I recommend the route Brussels – Brugge- Oostende so you wouldn’t miss the wonderful Brugge, a former port to North Sea. The connections are usually every hour, the trains look exceptional and the voyage lasts about one and a half hours. A return ticket will not be more than 12-13€ per person and if you don’t believe me check the Belgian railway website www.b-rail.be. It’s interesting to see how from Brussels to Brugge the language in which the messages are displayed slowly changes from French to Flemish. Even if you take the tram from another place you should stop at Oostende and take the train to Brugge. You will not regret it.

From Paris there is a fast train to Oostende by Thalys, but it’s a bit expensive.

From England there is a ferry from Kingston upon Hull to Zeebrugge by P&O Ferries.

What is there to see:

-      Many art galleries

-      Oostende – a nice port where you can eat fresh see fruit for a few Euros

-      Fort Napoleon in Oostende

-      World Cartoon Festival in Knokke

-     Paul Delvaux Museum

-      Bredene –  5 kilometers of deserted beach and dunes

-      Knokke-Heist

-      De Paane

-      De Haan

-      Koksijde

-      Brugge for being near

-    charming cities, beaches, the North Sea and day to day life of Belgian people

Prices:

A journey from one end to another costs 2 Euros

A day pass costs 5 Euros

A 3-day pass is 10 Euros .

   The tram has an official site with many pieces of information including about ticket prices, the route in every city, maps and interesting places to visit on the way. Unfortunately, it doesn’t have an English version, not even a French one, so feel free to use Google translate:  www.dekusttram.be