7 Days of Freedom in Belgium (1)

At that time, I had a desire to drive around Europe, exploring countries that were still unfamiliar to me. I was looking for a small European country that wouldn't be too crowded with tourists. Belgium came to mind, and I immediately started planning a trip after checking for tickets and finding a suitable time. As usual, this trip included three of us: my father, mother, and son. Two doctors and one nurse.

Flight tickets booked....Schengen visa not required as the old one obtained is valid for 2 years...Saving tens of thousands because of the cost of flying to Bangkok to apply for a visa, food and accommodation for three people is quite substantial.

Rented a car through my usual website, Rentalcar.com, and picked it up and dropped it off at Brussels Airport.

Plan a driving route from Bruges to Brussels on the last day... before booking accommodation to match the driving route, book through booking.com as usual.

The driving plan is a rough outline as shown in the image. However, actual driving may include additional stops and detours depending on the situation. This is the charm of self-driving tours, which cannot be found when traveling with a tour company. We will not have a fixed schedule.

From Brussels, drive north first.

Then drive west before turning back to Brussels.

Subsequently, drive to the eastern and southern regions before heading to the airport on the final day.

These routes were created by me after researching various cities on Google to see if they had any attractions that interested us. I also planned the routes to avoid retracing our steps on the way back, ensuring a diverse experience. Finding interesting places in each city is not difficult… the simplest way is to type the city name followed by "…attractions" in Google, and you'll be flooded with information.

The route has been determined. Let's check the distance to see where we need to stay so we can book accommodation in advance. I use booking.com because I like how it stores information for easy reference, and after using it for a while, I became a genius member, which gives me discounts on accommodation and other benefits.

When comparing flight prices, I often use apps like Skyscanner, Airticket24, and Cheapticket.

Rushing to ZAVENTEM Airport in Brussels... arrived with plenty of time to spare at 10 am. Exchanged currency and bought a SIM card from Thailand, saving time for sightseeing. Headed straight to the car rental counter... purchased all-inclusive insurance, essentially full coverage, for peace of mind while driving. No worries about paying hefty sums in case of minor accidents.

This trip, driving will be difficult because the steering wheel is on the left and you drive on the right. After picking up the car, practice shifting gears, driving forward and backward, and driving in the right lane in the rental car office area. Get used to it before you drive off, and keep repeating to yourself, "Drive in the right lane, right lane, right lane, right lane, right lane."

Embarking on our journey...according to plan, we will spend the night in MECHELEN.

Our first stop is Leuven, a city 26 kilometers away, where we can experience the local culture.

The next city is 25km away. In MECHELEN, the distances between cities are short, making driving easy. You can stop to buy snacks or have a full meal in the city. I will provide a summary of each city with pictures. It is not difficult to find detailed information about each city.

The first day, I arrived in Mechelen in the late afternoon. I took a walk around the city and asked some locals about the area. Some knew what I was talking about, and some didn't. It was fun. As night fell, I took some pictures of the lights in the central square and then walked back to my accommodation. I slept soundly, exhausted from the long journey.