Ostende > Ostende Experience

Advantages: Good base, nice marina, near to the UK!
Disadvantages: Not exactly picturesque, lot of scaffolding.

Having just returned from a 7 day holiday to Ostend on the Northern coast of Belgium, I thought I'd share some of my experiences. I'm generally the one who makes the decision as to where we go on holiday (with some discussion between hubby and kids of course.....I'm not THAT bossy!!) My main reason for choosing Ostend was it's location (lots of other places of interest nearby and close proximity to the UK). As we are a fan of coaching holidays, Ostend ...
...were picked up by coach in Manchester at 8.30am and after travelling to Dover, a short ferry ride and another quick bout on the coach and we arrived at our hotel (Hotel Ostend- see my other reviews) at 9pm the same day (yes, I can hear some of your horrified exclamations, but it can be quite fun to travel overland as opposed to flying!) Ostend is located on the North Western coastal side of Belgium. It was a 15th century medieval fishing village ... Read review

Advantages: Good base for exploring, good selection of shops, bars and restaurants.
Disadvantages: Not as pretty as some other places. Building work is a problem at the moment.

...Our holiday was based in Ostende and before we set off I hadn’t really heard much about it and found getting a guide book on this area very difficult. So I thought I would relate my experiences of the place and what we found to see and do while visiting. We were only there for four days and spent most of the days out and about, but we did have a chance to explore Ostende and to use the local transport frequently. ~~~USEFUL INFO. Ostende is located ...
...a link between Dover and Ostende for over 150 years and Ostende is a very popular seaside resort. There is also an airport nearby and a Casino that attracts many visitors. Ostende is one of Belgium’s most popular seaside resorts and has lovely narrow cobbled streets surrounded by some lovely old buildings (many of these date form the 19th Century when King Leopold took a liking to the town. There is a lot of building work going on at the moment and ... Read review

Advantages: English is widely spoken;Nice beaches;Clean;
Disadvantages: Some items are expensive. Wide use of the Euro

Ostend was the very first place overseas that I visited when I was just 18 years of age. Later on I passed through the resort numerous times on my way to UK from Germany,where I was stationed near Munchen Gladbach Last October I went back to Ostend for a two day stay and found this popular seaside resort had changed considerably since my last visit. Ostend is easily reached from Dover-I took the excellent Seacat Catamaran service which is both ...
...around two hours. The ferry terminal at the Belgian resort is very convenient with the rail station- if you want to go to Bruges ,Bruxelles,or Liege- and the tram stops where you can conveniently catch the tram to take you along the pleasant coast line-all nicely integratd at the terminal. Oh how I wish that was the case in Dover where both the Eastern and Western Docks are a considerable distance away from the Dover rail station whilst the Stagecoach ... Read review

Advantages: Good quality, cheap shops
Disadvantages: Absolutely none

Having visited Ostend on several different occasions (mostly for day trips) I am in love with the place! Oostende as the locals call it is a town known mainly for it’s fish market along the seafront although this isn’t the only reason to visit. It has beautiful clean beaches, nice shops and seriously reasonable prices. Ostend is only a 2 hour trip from Dover on the hoverspeed seacat and at a cost of around £10 for a day return ticket (you can easily ...
...reach of some of the tightest budgets, especially when you consider that you can save £16 on 200 british cigarettes there. When you arrive at the port there is always a warm welcome with most people speaking English and life suddenly slows down…nobody hurries in Ostend, there is very little traffic through the town and most people prefer to travel by foot or bicycle. There are several shops in the town that we have over here such as Spar, Etam, Body ... Read review

Advantages: Beaches, sunshine, friendly locals, oh and waffles
Disadvantages: Steer clear of the grotty port area...

Ostend is a totally underrated seaside resort that enjoys far better weather than its location suggests: Compared with British towns directly on the North Sea, the conditions are far more conducive to an enjoyable day out at the seaside than you might expect. Ostend and the neighbouring towns boast miles of beautifully smooth, golden beaches that are clean and unspoilt. There are plenty of beach cabins and loads of space to stretch out and enjoy ...
...and on the Ostend promenade you have a wide range of places to eat and drink, most of which offer good quality Belgian food at prices that are not excessive. Whatever you do, make time to sit in a restaurant and try a pot of mussels, a local speciality. The largely Flemish-speaking locals are generally friendly and willing to speak English if you are having trouble getting to grips with the language, but some places do provide menus in English. The ... Read review