On 4 October 1830, Belgium declared its independence. The Netherlands recognized the situation on 19 April 1839. But the National Holiday is 21 July, as Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha took the constitutional oath to become King of the Belgians.
Brussels Airport to refurbish all 33 boarding bridges in Pier A
Brussels Airport has begun a €25 million project to refurbish all 33 passenger boarding bridges in Pier A, with the work scheduled to be completed by 2031.
ENGLAND | Roaming London by bus instead of by tube
In 2024, I showed Oscar from Denver, Colorado the highlights of London. It was his first time in England. In contrast, Thanh and I have been to the capital of the United Kingdom many times. During the weekend of Pentecost 2026, we went together for a weekend of museums, food, and a concert.
Spain and France revive cross-border rail links as Hendaye broad-gauge tracks are saved
Rail connections between Spain and France are set for a significant boost after the Spanish government and French rail infrastructure manager SNCF Réseau agreed to preserve the Iberian-gauge tracks at Hendaye station, paving the way for the return of cross-border commuter services and further international rail improvements.
JAPAN | Kyoto Station
Autumn 2025. We – Sam and Danny, Michel and Wille, and Timothy – are travelling to Japan for a quite classic tour of the Land of the Rising Sun. We are flying separately as we used miles. On the planning: Tokyo, Kanazawa, Shirakawa, Osaka, and Expo 2025, Hiroshima, Himeji, Miyajima, Kyoto, Nara, Nagoya, Hakone, and…
TUI Fly plans more flights from Belgium in summer 2027
TUI Fly plans to increase its flight programme from Belgium next summer, 2027, with more services to a number of existing holiday destinations and several potential new routes. The airline says Belgium will benefit from a wider European reshuffle designed to make more efficient use of its aircraft.
KOBLENZ | The Middle Rhine Museum or Mittelrhein-Museum at Forum Confluentes
After Bonn in 2023 and Münster in 2024, Dennis and I went further than North Rhine-Westphalia for our 2025 Christmas market in Germany outing. We went to Koblenz in Rhineland-Palatinate, at the confluence of the Rhine and the Moselle rivers. Hence the name of the city.
Belgium travels, but not everyone can: 73% of Flemish residents took a holiday
Belgian residents made 5.3 million trips involving at least one overnight stay in the first quarter of 2026, a 0.9% increase on the same period a year earlier. But new figures also show a clear divide in who gets to travel, with financial constraints keeping many people at home.
REVIEW | Hainan Airlines: Brussels to Chongqing – Boeing 787-9 – economy
The Philippines in 1996-1997, China in 2000, Vietnam in 2009, Japan in 2013 and 2025, South Korea in 2014 and 2024, Taiwan in 2017 (the starting point of Trip By Trip), Singapore in 2018, Hong Kong and Macau in 2023. I like travelling to East Asia. Yet I never visited Thailand, for many westerners the…
LONDON | Chelsea – Ottolenghi – Hyde Park – Kensington Gardens
In 2024, I showed Oscar from Denver, Colorado the highlights of London. It was his first time in England. In contrast, Thanh and I have been to the capital of the United Kingdom many times. During the weekend of Pentecost 2026, we went together for a weekend of museums, food, and a concert.