Trip Day 36 – Gent

Today I have decided to validate my euro rail pass and set it to work with a trip to Gent, this is a leisurely 1 hour train ride through the rolling hills of the Belgium country side, after getting the hang of the train system it is not long before I find my platform and have boarded the train and am riding towards Gent. The country side is very farm intensive, fields of corn are everywhere, cows, sheep, deer, chickens and pheasants are seen in various numbers, the fields are an emerald green of lush grass, and even the cows are so content they lie about enjoying the sunshine.

After an hour I arrive at Gent station and if you haven’t been to Gent and think that the station is near the old town well like me you are in for a surprise, it is 2km from the station to the old city so here are my tips to get there.
You can get a free map of Gent from the travel information centre in the train station. You need to get the number 4 or 22 tram, I got the 4. You can’t buy a tram ticket in the train station, there is a tin shed, and I’m not being smart here it is a tin shed outside in the end of the bus car park. If you get the number 4 tram you stay on it till it terminates, about a 20 minute trip. then you need to walk left around the corner and straight down the street and you will get to the castle, from here it is a short walk to the square.

After getting to the old city it is mandatory to get a feed of frits (Chips) with mayonnaise and then take a canal ride to get a good layout of the land, a boat trip cost 6 Euros for about 1 hour ride with commentary, a lovely way to see Gent.