We recently took advantage of Eurostar’s flash sale to plan a fun-filled day trip to Brussels. Departing from London St Pancras International, we enjoyed a seamless journey that allowed us plenty of time to explore this beautiful city. The early start meant we could maximise our time, and I discovered three fantastic activities that were enjoyable for both kids and adults. Here’s a look at our travel itinerary and highlights from the trip.
Our Eurostar Travel Schedule
Outbound: London St Pancras Int’l → Brussels Midi/Zuid
07:04 – 10:05 (2 hrs 1 min, direct)
Return: Brussels Midi/Zuid → London St Pancras Int’l
20:22 – 21:27 (2 hrs 5 mins, direct)
The total cost for one adult and one child was £145 return, which works out to £75 per person or just £37.50 each way. While it might be possible to find cheaper flights on platforms like Skyscanner, the convenience of Eurostar is hard to beat. There’s no need to worry about the 100ml liquid restrictions, you don’t have to arrive three hours before departure, and passport control is completed before boarding. On arrival, there’s no waiting around for baggage or dealing with lengthy queues, making travel so much easier.
Before heading to Brussels, I was happy to learn that you can simply use your contactless card to travel around the city, making it unnecessary to purchase a specific Brussels travel card. For children, it seems that kids under six travel for free on public transport, but since our kids are eight, we had to pay.
As soon as we exited the Eurostar area, we tried to figure out how to purchase a child-specific travel pass but couldn’t find one clearly marked for children. To avoid any potential fines, we opted for a paper ticket that didn’t appear to have any age restrictions, which cost around £7. I’m not entirely sure if this was the correct option, and in hindsight, I probably should’ve done more research. Still, it worked, and the adults used their contactless cards, which was super convenient.
From what I found online, the daily limit for contactless travel in Brussels is €7.50, which makes it an affordable and straightforward option for adults exploring the city. While I wish the process for children’s tickets had been clearer, this small hiccup didn’t detract from the ease of getting around Brussels.
Let’s talk about all the fun we had during our day in Brussels. Despite having just a few hours, I managed to find three absolutely fantastic experiences, with the first one being The Smurf Experience at the Brussels Expo. A short metro ride from where we got off the Eurostar, this was easily one of the best activities we’ve done this year.
Fun fact: I had no idea the Smurfs were Belgian! The experience spans over 1,500 m² and invites visitors of all ages to explore the Smurf village, complete with iconic mushroom houses and a mystical forest. It was absolutely brilliant, with interactive exhibits, stunning set designs, and loads of information. Whether you’re a kid or an adult, there’s something to enjoy.
We paid €75.60 for a family ticket (two adults and two children), which included the special VR experience. If you want to save a bit, you can skip the VR element, but I’d highly recommend including it—it was so much fun. The kids loved it, and honestly, us adults were just as entertained. It was fascinating to learn more about the Smurfs while enjoying the interactive areas, and seeing how much fun the kids were having was a real highlight.
If you’re worried about language barriers, don’t be. Almost everything has an English translation, and the staff were fluent in English too, so we had no issues at all. It’s an activity I’d wholeheartedly recommend if you’re visiting Brussels, whether it’s with kids or just for yourself!
Next up was a waffle-making workshop that I booked through the Fever app. Let’s be honest, you can’t visit Brussels—or Belgium, for that matter—without having waffles! This workshop was such a fun, interactive, and slightly messy experience.
The workshop itself was well-organised, with plenty of space for everyone to get stuck in. It was great to see how thoughtfully they used the venue, as they had multiple floors hosting different workshops simultaneously. While we were busy making waffles, other groups were upstairs and downstairs doing truffle-making workshops.
The cost for the workshop was €43.90 per child and €65.90 per adult, and it was completely sold out—a clear sign of how popular it is. We ended up making so many waffles that we couldn’t finish them all, so we had to take some home. They provided foil for wrapping up extras, but no bags, so if you’re planning to do this workshop, I’d recommend bringing a bag for your leftovers.
Everything we needed was provided, from the equipment to detailed instructions, along with a range of delicious toppings like Nutella, caramel, and Biscoff. The whole experience was fantastic, and it was great to see everyone enjoying themselves, from kids to adults. This is definitely another activity I’d highly recommend if you’re visiting Brussels. Just don’t forget to come prepared with an appetite—and a bag!
The final activity of our day in Brussels was BattleKart, and let me tell you, it was an absolute blast. It’s right next to Bubble Planet, which I briefly considered booking, but since we’ve done Bubble Planet in the UK before, I decided to skip it this time. However, if you’re visiting Brussels and haven’t been to Bubble Planet before, it might be worth checking out!
Back to BattleKart. This is an incredibly fun and interactive go-karting experience, perfect for fans of games like Mario Kart. It’s essentially a real-life version, and I can’t stress enough how much fun it was. Anyone participating must be at least 1.45m tall, so bear that in mind to avoid any disappointed kids who aren’t quite tall enough yet. That said, the sessions are only 15 minutes long, so younger children waiting on the sidelines won’t have to wait long.
I had so much fun racing and playing the games, even though I was absolutely terrible at it and came last every time. It didn’t matter, though—it was such a brilliant activity that I’d 100% recommend. If you’re looking for prices or more details, be sure to check out their website. BattleKart was the perfect way to end our day, and I’d gladly do it all over again!
And just like that, it was time to head back to London. By this point, we were absolutely shattered from all the walking we’d done, and although we had planned for the weather and wrapped up warm, the cold had started to take its toll. To make things easier, we decided to grab an Uber back to the station.
Once at Brussels Midi, we had a quick bite to eat—there are plenty of restaurants inside the station—before going through security and passport control. After that, we sat in the waiting area, ready for our train. It was slightly delayed, but these things happen, and it didn’t take away from what had been a fantastic day.
The journey back to London took around two hours, and we were home before midnight. All in all, it was an incredible day, and I would 100% recommend visiting Brussels with your kids. I’d love to return, maybe for a weekend next time, as there’s so much more to do. For instance, there’s a Legoland Discovery Centre that my daughter would love to visit, but we simply didn’t have the time on this trip.
If you’re wondering when the next Eurostar sale is, I don’t have that information, but I highly recommend signing up for their marketing emails to stay updated. You can also keep an eye on my Instagram stories—whenever I spot a sale, I always share it there. Brussels was such a fun and family-friendly destination, and I can’t wait to visit again!
