The past year has meant big changes for me and I wanted to do something really exciting for my 40th birthday. I obviously lovely travelling but had never done an EDT… until now. My Mum bought me a ticket to do a coach trip by day from North Walsham to Bruges with Wrights Coaches, which was a bargain at only £80.
The 3:15am start
North Walsham at 3am is not exactly buzzing with activity, until you get a couple of random drunks asking where you’re going at that time of the morning. Luckily, they were in good spirits and laughed when I said a coach to a different country.
Being at the bus stop at that time was a bit strange though and if I’m honest, I was a bit nervous. I like to get places early so I was on my own for a little while, until some others slowly started to turn up. I sat thinking about whether or not I’d packed everything I needed and checked for my passport what felt like a million times.
But, as soon as the coach turned up, it was quick to board and find my seat. The trip wasn’t full so I ended up with 2 seats to myself, so I had plenty of space for my bag.
Solo travel on a coach is actually very… straightforward
I did wonder beforehand whether travelling alone for a long day out like this would feel odd but it didn’t. I went to Canada all on my own when I was about 18/19 (twice) so I don’t know why I was so worried about this one.
In fact, coach travel is probably one of the easiest ways to do a solo trip. There’s no navigating, no decisions to make, no pressure to chat unless you want to. I did get chatting to a couple of the other passengers but most of the coach decided to go to sleep once we’d stopped picking up anyone else. I managed to get a good few hours sleep before hitting a service staion just before the Channel crossing.
Channel Crossing
Having only flown or used Eurostar, going on the LeShuttle Channel Crossing was a very different experience for me. There was a lot of time going through passport control and it took what felt like forever. Being sat on the coach while it drove onto the train was quite surreal, and it didn’t seem like it would fit.
The crossing only takes about half an hour, which was quicker than I expected. However, sitting on the train wasn’t the best idea and it felt like being on a really rocky ferry. Most passengers chose to get off and wait by the side of the coach instead. I teamed up with another solo traveller to go for a walk and find the toilets. It turned out we went the wrong way though and walked much further than we needed to.
Arriving in Bruges (around 11:30am)
The journey to Bruges after the crossing took about 1 hour 30 minutes, with a little bit of traffic. We finally made it by about 11:30 though. By this point, I think adrenaline was taking over, even though I was tired.
The coach dropped us off in a huge car park but it was only a short walk, around 15-20 minutes, to get into the centre of Bruges. You get to walk over a beautiful red bridge and are surrounded by green areas on the way, which was gorgeous especially in the sun.
No plan is the best plan
One of the nicest things about doing this trip solo was not having to agree on anything and Bruges is perfect for that. For the first time in what seems like forever, I went into this one having not really looked at anything beforehand.
I made friends with another solo traveller on the coach and we have similar ideas about what we wanted to do, and similar interests, so we actually found ourselves spending the day together. Although I would have been more than happy to wander around on my own, it was also nice to have someone to chat to.
Frites, waffles, repeat
When it comes to food in Bruges, simple is sometimes to best way. I went with two things in my mind… I wanted waffles and frites and didn’t really care which order they came in.
The great thing about choosing food choices like this is that it doesn’t use up too much of your time. Although a sit down in a cafe or restaurant would have been nice (to save my feet), I ate these quickly and that meant I could see more of Bruges. Sit down meals take up time and that’s something I didn’t really have on this trip.
The boat trip (highly recommended)
A must-do activity in Bruges is a boat trip along the river. However, being on a coach trip meant arriving late and tours can be booked up or super busy by this point. Yes, a boat trip is very touristy but it’s also really worth doing.
Expect to pay around €15 for a 30 minute boat trip. We queued up for around 30-40 minutes which wasn’t bad going considering how busy everything was on this day. We found one place that had an undercover waiting area, which was perfect but it was really hot on this day and it gave us some shade.
You get a completely different view of Bruges from the water and it’s quieter, slower, and somehow even more picturesque. It’s also a good excuse to sit down for half an hour and let your feet recover, which is not to be underestimated on a cobbled city day. Guides tend to speak a few different languages and the commentary is always really interesting.
Wandering, shopping and the chocolate problem
Bruges is dangerously easy to shop in. Chocolate shops appear constantly, usually just when you’ve convinced yourself you’re “done buying things”. Many shops have beautifully dressed fronts and windows too, so they really know how to get your attention.
There are also plenty of small independent shops selling souvenirs and gifts, and before you know it you’re carrying a bag that started the day empty and now has opinions of its own. I ended up buying quite a few more pins than I had originally planned on but I found a shop that had loads of great pins to choose from.
The journey back (Dunkirk to Calais ferry)
Eventually it was time to head back to the coach, after around 5 hours in Bruges. This was a good amount of time but definitely not enough to do everything I wanted. I guess I’ll have to go back!
We crossed back via the ferry from Dunkirk to Calais, which is a welcome break in what is otherwise a long return journey. There was quite a bit of time waiting around before we could board the ferry but there was a good duty shop to keep us busy for a while.
As we were on a coach trip, we were all given food vouchers for a meal on board. I had wondered what we did for dinner or something to eat before the long drive home so this was perfect. I wasn’t expecting much if I’m completely honest but I ended up being really surprised. The food was really nice watching the view as we sailed away was lovely.
Back in North Walsham around 2am
The drive back to North Walsham felt really long but after such a good day, I was exhausted. I think most passengers felt the same. We got into Calias around 9pm so as soon as we got moving, I got comfortable and tried to get a couple of hours sleep. It was easy enough to get to sleep though as the coach was so comfortable. Having 2 seats to myself helped though as it meant I could spread out.
Final thoughts
A solo EDT to Bruges sounds like something you might overthink before booking. In reality, it’s one of the simplest ways to travel. Everything is organised, the coach does the work and you don’t have to walk too far to get to all of the good stuff.
Although I was quite nervous before this trip, I ended up having the best day and it was exactly what I needed it to be.
