Mickydripin Posted October 31, 2011 Share Posted October 31, 2011 Hi, we booked and paid for a rally with Alan Rogers for the Brugge market on the forth of december today we had a phone call from them and they said that it had been cancelled due to low bookings and that I would get a full refund. has anyone been there on there own they booked me into camping memling for three nights and it cost £270 all inclusive of ferry campsite, and a christmas meal. I have never been there before what is it like, I may try to book it for myself if I get some possitive replys I have a 6.7mt motorhome would it be more expensive than the price charged by Alan rogers and do you think it would be worth going. Just one thing now it has made me think weather forcasters are saying that we are going to have a bad winter and if I do book??????????. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JudgeMental Posted October 31, 2011 Share Posted October 31, 2011 Brugge is a great place to visit any time of year, I dont think the Christmas market is anywhere as large and impressive as the German ones. BUT it is a lot closer and a great selection of bars and restaurants. and a really lovely town to visit, market good fun also I would stay on the Aire, and has dump fresh water and hook up. it is a 10-15 minute stroll into town, .and a very picturesque walk at that...You can get a bus from train station which is about 5 minutes away on the left.. or book Membling independently, it is further out though I believe Eurotunnel "short stay saver" going out on the 4th - back on the 7th is £110. And I think the Aire about 20 euro per night or less in winter... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rupert123 Posted October 31, 2011 Share Posted October 31, 2011 Camping Memling is an easy short walk to the town centre or if you are really idle a bus stop a couple of minutes away. The campsite is not a great one but handy for the centre and better than the aire. Brugge is a pleasant place to visit, although for us one day is enough. No idea about the Christmas market, never been. We never booked the site, just turned up but they speak good English so you could telephone and ask if booking is advisable. Would think anything would be cheaper than Alan Rogers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Usinmyknaus Posted October 31, 2011 Share Posted October 31, 2011 Last there 2 years ago so may be out of date but in case of general interest: Camping Memling can be busy so we booked well in advance. Hardstandings are a bit tight, unless you are very gregarious. Grass pitches can be soft so caution advised. When busy the tent area can be a little noisy (not likely in December!) so we tend to prefer the pitches in the left hand corner as viewed from the entrance. These border a residential area and cycleway - with occasional moped - to the left and footpath and woodland straight-on. The staff speak good to passable English and we find them very helpful there was I think, free wifi close to the office. I think Brugges is a great city to explore on foot or bike (excellent cycleways), especially alongside some of the canals, taking in the remaining city gate houses and windmills if time allows. To the centre, say "Bourg" we allow 25-30 minutes on foot, 15 minutes by bike. The site office has a good little leaflet headed "Bruges Today" on one side and "Bruges Tonight" on the other. Each side lists places to visit at the appropriate periods - with some great ideas. The map is just the right size to fit the pocket and has a good representation of the canals and most streets. I recommend walking right round the city on the main canals' paths as well as exploring the centre in suitable weather. (Summer timetable) the no 11 bus can be taken from the stop about 5 minutes' walk from the site. They run every 20 minutes from 0700 to 2020 (I think Monday to Saturday but check with the staff). Sunday its every hour from 0700 to 1300 then every 20 minutes from 1300. Return is by the same number bus from "Markt" (square). There is an hourly evening/night bus but the times are too complicated to write here! There is a useful leaflet on bus times and routes available from the site office which they keep up to date and should provide all you need. You can buy tickets on the bus - inexpensive - about E1.60 to E2 I think - or you can buy them from Del Haize with a 20% discount. There's a Del Haize, Carrefour, Lidl and Aldi supermarket all within 10 - 15 minutes walk from the site and there is a sports centre close by which can be reached by pleasant woodland paths (beware some mud). If any in your party have mobility problems, they will find progress along Maaise Steenweg - the early part of the jouney to the Centre on foot, is very uneven and frequently steeply angled across extremely narrow pavements mainly due to ramps for residential and business premises so the bus may be a better option. Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vindiboy Posted October 31, 2011 Share Posted October 31, 2011 A return crossing Dover Calais and three nights in the Brugge aire and you would be quids in compared to what you are quoting, Brugge is an easy drive from Calais easily less than 8 hours even if you dawdle. :-o :-o Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alan k Posted October 31, 2011 Share Posted October 31, 2011 We went to Brugge for the Xmas market 2 years ago and stayed at Memling, at that time the costs were the same for the campsite or the aire. Memling is a little further out but walkable and with quite a good bus service and with the benefit of hot showers in a nice warm building and quite a pleasant rural feeling to the campsite. You pays your money and takes your choice. We had a longer break, and as well as taking in Brugge market we also got a train to Brussels and visited the market there, from memory the train was only about 10 euro return and took about an hour. For a first step into Xmas markets I think Brugge was a great intoduction, its quite alot nearer than most of the german ones. The smell of the hot gluwein was quite intoxicating as we wandered about the market and there was so much choice in the market food as well. Brugge is only a couple of hours from Calais at the most and all toll free on the autoroute cheers alan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JudgeMental Posted October 31, 2011 Share Posted October 31, 2011 vindiboy - 2011-10-31 4:26 PM A return crossing Dover Calais and three nights in the Brugge aire and you would be quids in compared to what you are quoting, Brugge is an easy drive from Calais easily less than 8 hours even if you dawdle. :-o :-o 8 hrs! I could walk there in that... Its 70 miles, I usually do it in 1.20 minutes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lennyhb Posted October 31, 2011 Share Posted October 31, 2011 vindiboy - 2011-10-31 4:26 PM A return crossing Dover Calais and three nights in the Brugge aire and you would be quids in compared to what you are quoting, Brugge is an easy drive from Calais easily less than 8 hours even if you dawdle. :-o :-o Blimey wouldn't want to get stuck behind you doing 8.6 mph. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MandyAndy Posted November 1, 2011 Share Posted November 1, 2011 We love Brugge and have stayed on Aire a few times, but would not recommend it for the xmas market. If you want a good example try Aachen not that much further but much better example of an excellent market with a large aire with EHU. Mandy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vindiboy Posted November 1, 2011 Share Posted November 1, 2011 JudgeMental - 2011-10-31 5:56 PM vindiboy - 2011-10-31 4:26 PM A return crossing Dover Calais and three nights in the Brugge aire and you would be quids in compared to what you are quoting, Brugge is an easy drive from Calais easily less than 8 hours even if you dawdle. :-o :-o 8 hrs! I could walk there in that... Its 70 miles, I usually do it in 1.20 minutes. Of course you could but we like to look around and see things on our trips we would probably call in to Bergues or somewhere on route, time is something we have plenty of,I was just trying to point out that Brugge is easily reached in a short time span ?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mickydripin Posted November 1, 2011 Author Share Posted November 1, 2011 Thanks everyone for your most welcome help you have given me a few things to think about I will let you know if it is Brugge, Aachen or both. Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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