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French & Belgian Christmas Markets – Bruges & Lille - JG Explorer

French & Belgian Christmas Markets – Bruges & Lille - JG Explorer


4 days
from £369££pp

2025 Dec


What better way to get into the Christmas spirit than a short hop across the Channel to stock up on some unique gifts? As well as time in Lille, we head to the delightful Christmas markets in pretty Bruges and Arras, both of which are set against picturesque backdrops. Enjoy the exquisite sight of medieval buildings illuminated by twinkling lights and traditional stalls that entice visitors with their delicious specialities, colourful crafts and charming stocking fillers.

Highlights

  • Return coach travel aboard a JG Explorer Coach (see Helpful Information below)
  • Ferry crossings
  • 3 nights at a selected hotel in France/Belgium (JG3 rating) with breakfast
  • Excursions to Ostend, Bruges Christmas Market, Arras Christmas Market & Lille
  • En-route visits to Ypres & Dunkirk

Itinerary

We take the ferry to Calais before travelling to the lovely Belgian town of Ypres. The charming cobbled streets lined with pretty Flemish-style buildings belie the town’s past as the scene of some of the most intense battles of the First World War. Almost completely destroyed, the town was faithfully rebuilt, including the striking medieval Cloth Hall. Here we have some free time to find a local restaurant for dinner before we continue to our hotel.

We spend a couple of hours in the seaside resort of Ostend before heading to the beautiful medieval city of Bruges, famous for its picturesque canals. Held in the city’s main market square, the Christmas Market is full of stalls selling a tempting array of hand-made Christmas decorations and gifts as well as tasty local produce and warming mulled wine. Enjoy dinner in Bruges before we return to the hotel.

The charming Arras Christmas Market awaits, held in the magnificent setting of the Grand Place. Against the soft silhouettes of the rounded Baroque townhouses, over 100 artisans sell traditional crafts and gifts from their wooden chalets, transforming the whole square into a magical winter wonderland. In the late afternoon we continue to Lille, where lovely decorations and lights illuminate the Flemish architecture. Be sure to sample the spice bread or enjoy other regional specialities from the festive food stalls for dinner before we rejoin the coach to head back to our hotel.

This morning we check out of the hotel, stopping at Dunkirk for some free time before heading back to Calais for our return ferry home.


Accommodation

We’ll stay at a well-appointed hotel such as the Acacias in Tourcoing or the Horizon in Ath. All the comfortable rooms are en suite and other facilities include a bar and restaurant.

Your hotel will be confirmed approximately 3 weeks before departure, therefore we cannot guarantee that the hotel will have a lift and/or ground floor rooms and may be unsuitable for those with limited mobility.

Hotel Rating

Hotels with a JG3 rating tend to be a more formal style of hotel, often part of a hotel chain, or are very-welcoming family-owned properties. Generally, they offer a greater range of facilities and services, and bedrooms tend to be a little more spacious with additional features. Public areas are larger and include lounge seating, bar and restaurant with good quality food served either buffet style or waiter service.


Helpful Information

We are pleased to introduce JG Explorer – a brand-new deluxe coach, thoughtfully designed to provide an elevated coach experience and ensure your journey is special and memorable.

Exclusive to the JG Travel Group, the design of these coaches has been meticulously thought through with your comfort in mind – with only 44 seats meaning more room on board and padded seats. There’s improved legroom and a footrest, making certain that wherever you sit, you’ll be able to relax and enjoy your journey. We know it’s the small things that make a big difference in terms of ease and added convenience, so our JG Explorer coaches feature a floor-level, rear-mounted toilet, accessible to all customers.

On-board entertainment throughout your journey is easy to find on the JG Explorer, with access to Azimut, our wireless media system, providing films and quizzes. Simply bring along your smartphone or iPad and enjoy this entertainment interruption-free, with the use of our extra reliable Wi-Fi, free to all passengers and a handy USB port at each seat.

The layout of the JG Explorer includes a floor-level, rear-mounted kitchen with a sink, an espresso machine to purchase delicious Nespresso coffee, dispensed by your driver during comfort breaks, and a fridge stocked with cold drinks and milk. Customers are welcome to help themselves to complimentary JG bottles, that can be used for refill at the built-in cold-water filter, cutting down on the need for disposable plastic bottles and doing our part for the environment.

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