Since Flanders and Belgium is not big, it's very easy to take the train and go visit another city.
france
Lille â This is very famous among others for having the largest bookstore in Europe "Le furet du Nord". Lille is in the North of France just off the Belgian border. The train ride is pretty long sometimes over two hours making it less easy for a day trip. The Dutch Flemish name is Rijsel and the town is not to be confused with another Flemish town called, Lille in Dutch!
Paris â With the Thalys, you can be there in about two hours.
the netherlands
Amsterdam â You can take a direct train to Amsterdam in the Netherlands. There is about one train an hour and it will take you about two hours to get there. Amsterdam is well-known for its grachten, many bicycles, and coffee-shops. There also is the Thalys high speed train which is a bit more expensive but you will get there a lot faster.
Rotterdam â You can take a direct train to Rotterdam in the Netherlands. There is about one train an hour and it will take you about one hour to get there. Rotterdam is well-known for its harbor.
Den Bosch â You can go by train to this medieval city change trains in Roosendaal.
Zeeland â Where the Schelde reaches the ocean. It's about one hour by train and you will have to change in Roosendaal.
belgium
Bruges Brugge â Very nice medieval town. Often called "Venice of the North", because of the many canals that flow through and under it. Well worth an overnight stay, since it is most romantic at night and very safe.
Brussels â The capital of Belgium and some say, the capital of Europe. Multicultural and multilingual. Unfortunately, some of the city's historic medieval center was destroyed at the end of the 19th century when Belgium seceded from the Netherlands and Brussels was made capital of the new country. Nonetheless, Brussels is known as a city of "hidden gems," where you can turn a street corner in a less-than-breathtaking area and come face-to-face with an opulent and unexpected Art Deco or Art Nouveau building. Its popularity with tourists in recent years has been steadily increasing.
Ghent â A medieval town a bit like Bruges, with more emphasis on cathedrals and other big buildings. Great center of medieval paintings exhibited in and around the cathedral of Sint-Baafs.
Namur â The regional capital of Wallonia.
Leuven â One of the only cities in Belgium that is nearly as lively as Antwerp or Brussels is obviously this college town except for the summer months. One of the world's oldest universities is here. Many hotels also cater to businessmen who find Brussels too dangerous or too expensive.
Getting to other places in Flanders or Wallonia is relatively easy from the bigger Belgian cities, especially from Antwerp, Ghent, and Brussels.