BELGIUM CHRISTMAS MARKETS - Brussels, Mons & Bruges by Train

Step aboard the Eurostar at London St Pancras and, in just a few hours, you can be sipping glühwein under twinkling lights in Belgium.

This Christmas market rail holiday combines three very different cities: cosmopolitan Brussels, atmospheric Mons and fairy-tale Bruges. With smooth rail throughout and a well-located base, it is an easy, no-fly festive escape.

Your journey begins on 11 December 2026 with a morning Eurostar from London St Pancras to Brussels Midi. Travelling in Standard Class, you can relax with a coffee as the English countryside gives way to the flat fields and villages of northern Europe. With no airport transfers or long queues, you simply step off the train in central Brussels and your Christmas break begins.

For three nights you stay at B&B HOTEL Brussels Centre Gare du Midi, conveniently located by Brussels Midi station. Your Classic Double Room, on a bed and breakfast basis, is a comfortable base and makes onward rail journeys to Mons and Bruges wonderfully straightforward. Each morning starts with a relaxed breakfast before you head out to explore.

Brussels will be your festive hub.

Around Christmas, the city is transformed by its “Winter Wonders” celebrations, with the Grand-Place and surrounding streets lit up by sparkling decorations and a giant Christmas tree. Wooden chalets line the squares, serving Belgian hot chocolate, waffles, speculoos biscuits and regional specialities.

After arrival on your first day, you might stroll up into the old town, browse the market stalls and watch the sound-and-light show projected onto the ornate guild houses.

On your second day, you take a Standard Class train from Bruxelles-Midi to Mons.

This compact, characterful city in Wallonia has a beautifully preserved Grand-Place that comes alive with a smaller, more intimate Christmas market. Here you can wander between chalets, step into a cosy bar for a Trappist beer or explore the narrow streets leading away from the square. Later in the day, you return by rail to Brussels for dinner: perhaps moules-frites in a traditional brasserie or a relaxed meal close to your hotel.

Day three is devoted to Bruges, one of Europe’s prettiest medieval cities and particularly magical in winter. From Bruxelles-Midi you travel again by Standard Class, arriving mid-morning into a scene that feels straight from a Christmas card: cobbles, canals, horse-drawn carriages and gabled houses dressed with lights and garlands.

The main market in Grote Markt surrounds the seasonal ice rink, with stalls selling lace, chocolates, candles and festive gifts. You may choose to climb the Belfry for sweeping views, join a canal cruise if conditions allow or simply wander and soak up the atmosphere before returning to Brussels in the early evening.

Your final morning offers time for a leisurely breakfast and perhaps a last visit to the markets or a chocolatier before you stroll back to Brussels Midi for your afternoon Eurostar home. You arrive back into London with a head full of festive lights, cosy cafés and the flavours of Belgian Christmas.

Perfect for couples or friends, this itinerary offers the ease of rail travel, the comfort of a central hotel and the joy of exploring three distinct Belgian cities at their most enchanting.