Bruges has been named the best European city for a rail holiday for Britons in a new survey… Which one? surveysurpassing capital cities such as Paris and Amsterdam.
The consumer advocate asked more than 1,000 of its members to rate their experiences in European city destinations within easy reach of the UK by train, with destinations each rated as seven hours or less from London.
Respondents rated locations out of five stars based on seven criteria including food and drink, accommodation, sights and cultural attractions, and value for money; an overall city score was then calculated based on overall satisfaction and likelihood to recommend.
Bruges, Belgium, topped the charts with an impressive score of 85 percent.
A three-and-a-half-hour drive from London’s St. Pancras station, Bruges is just a stone’s throw from the English capital but, according to those surveyed, feels a world apart.
Bruges has been voted the best European city by train for Brits in a new Which? survey.
They delighted in Bruges’ canals and medieval cobbled streets, said Which?, but it was its “magical” and “enchanting” atmosphere that set it apart from the rest, the survey revealed.
Which? said: ‘With its attractive chocolate shops and quaint cafes, the city scored four stars for food and drink, and also received four stars for its sights and cultural attractions, accommodation, value for money and ease of getting around, with several respondents saying the city was compact and easily walkable.’
In second place, with 84 percent, is Bordeaux in France, which takes about six hours to reach from London.
Famed for its wine, the city was one of just two in the survey, noted Which?, to receive a five-star rating for food and drink, with several respondents highlighting its “superb restaurants” that “cater to all tastes and pockets”.
Which? asked more than 1,000 of its members to rate their experiences in European city destinations within easy reach of the UK by train, with destinations each rated as seven hours or less from London.
The city also received five stars for ease of getting around, with Which? highlighting that visitors noted the city was easy to explore on foot or by public transport, thanks to its “efficient tram network”.
It was awarded four stars for its sights and cultural attractions, including the “popular” wine museum and cultural centre, La Cité du Vin, where, Which? noted, “visitors can enjoy a host of activities, from an interactive exhibition on the history of winemaking to wine tasting sessions.”
In third place, with a score of 82 percent, were the Dutch capital Amsterdam and the historic French city of Avignon.
Which? said: ‘Amsterdam, famed for its maze of canals lined with distinctive houses, has a journey time of just four hours from London’s St Pancras station. Respondents gave the city five stars for its sights and cultural attractions, including the Rijksmuseum, home to some of the world’s most famous works of art, and the Anne Frank House, which offers a sombre reflection on life during the Holocaust. The city received four stars for ease of getting around and three stars for value for money, food, drink and accommodation.’
Six hours from London, the historic city of Avignon also received five stars for its cultural attractions, including the famous Unesco World Heritage-listed Palace of the Popes, described as “a must-see” by respondents, according to Which?. The palace now offers “a fascinating insight into a unique period in European history, when between 1309 and 1379 the French city became the seat of the papacy.”
Which? noted that the city also received a four-star rating for value for money and ease of getting around, and three stars for accommodation and lack of crowds.
A three-and-a-half-hour journey from London’s St Pancras station, Bruges (above) is just a stone’s throw from the English capital, but feels a world apart, according to Which? respondents.
About three and a half hours from London, Rotterdam, the Netherlands’ second city, came in fourth with a score of 81 percent.
Which? said one respondent described it as “an underrated post-war gem”.
The consumer advocate added: “Much of the original city was lost in the bombings of World War II, but it was rebuilt as a modern city that boasts architectural highlights such as the famous De Rotterdam, made up of three connected towers, the iconic Markthal Rotterdam food market and the mirror-clad Depot Boijmans Van Beuningen museum.”
Ghent in Belgium came close behind, rounding out the top five with a city score of 80 percent, while the French capital Paris and Strasbourg tied for sixth place with scores of 79 percent.
Bordeaux in France came in second. The city was only one of two in the survey, noted Which?, to receive a five-star rating for food and drink.
In third place, with 82 percent, were the Dutch capital Amsterdam (above) and the historic French city of Avignon.
Cologne and Lyon tied for seventh place with 71 percent, Brussels tied with Lille for eighth place (70 percent), Basel in Switzerland came in ninth (68 percent), Frankfurt made the top 10 with 64 percent, while Marseille received an overall score of 63 percent to claim 11th place.
Geneva, Switzerland, received the lowest score for a city, at 60 percent (12th place). It takes about six and a half hours to reach the city by train from London.
Which? said: ‘Although it received four stars for ease of getting around and three stars for food and drink and lack of crowds, it received just one star for value for money – the only city in the table to receive this.’
Several respondents said the city was expensive, Which? said, adding that while it was described as “beautiful” and “clean”, some visitors found it to be quiet and “boring” compared to other destinations.
Rory Boland, editor of Which? Travel, said: ‘Some of Europe’s most spectacular cities can be reached by train from the UK in roughly the same time as it would take to fly, and often for less money too.
‘It’s easy to dismiss the Eurostar if you don’t live in London, but with cities as far away as Birmingham, Cardiff and Portsmouth just two hours from the capital, the train can be quicker than flying to many European destinations; it’s certainly more pleasant and much better for the environment.’