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A EUROPEAN city often overlooked as a summer holiday destination has been named a top place to travel in 2026.

Brussels is often visited as a Christmas destination, known for its huge markets across the city.

However, spring and summer are just as good, if not better, thanks to its amazing restaurant and bar scene, as well as as art scene.

CN Traveller named it as one of their Best Places to Go in 2026, alongside places such as Hong Kong and Australia.

They explained: “This often-overlooked European capital is having a cultural moment, signalling a shift from a bureaucratic hub to a creative powerhouse.”

This includes a number of new openings in the city, including the new The Standard hotel this year, as well as the Kanal-Centre Pompudiu next year, a factory turned exhibition space.

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WEEKEND WONDERS

2 Euro city breaks perfect for a weekend of gorging on food, wine & culture

I visited earlier this year, for a quick weekend trip to Europe.

It’s one of the easiest places to get to thanks to the Eurostar – taking under two hours, it is the second stop after Lille.

And it drops you right in the train station just south of the city, making it an easy walk or tram ride into town.

The first thing to do is grab a cup of coffee, and there are some fantastic spots in town.

My favourite was Wide Awake, a trendy stop with their own roasted beans and delicious snacks including kimchi croissants and walnut cookies.

Of course, tourist stops you need to make include Fritland – a chip shop serving up the best in town with a variety of dipping sauces – and Maison Dandoy, famous for their light and fluffy waffles.

A beautiful spot for photos is Galeries Royales Saint Hubert, one of the Europe‘s oldest shopping galleries.

Dating back to 1847, it was inspired by Italian palaces and Parisian gardens, and is now full of luxury shops and chocolatiers.

Yet head slightly out of town to Rue De Flandres, which was also named one of the coolest neighbourhoods by Time Out earlier this year.

They said it was a street that “captures the spirit of Brussels” adding: “It’s got all the charm – cobbled streets, crooked façades and centuries-old houses – but without the clichés.”

There’s photobooths tucked into shops – I grabbed a vintage one from Photomatique for a few euros.

Urban Therapie is where you can get some great shopping done, all selling independent brands.

And for food, I recommend Knees to Chin, a small Brussels chain restaurant selling Asian fusion food.

Or nearby is Nona Pizza and Nona Pasta, right next to each other and serving up Italian classics.

Make sure to have your cameras ready when wandering around town too, as the city is full of street art and murals.

There is even an official Street Art Trail, which you can find here to help you spot all 150.

Want to take some souvenirs home? One that is unique is the Jeanneke-pis boutique.

The ‘sister’ of the famous Mannekin Pis (the peeing boy), the boutique sells some unusual gifts including statues of the peeing girl herself.

But you can’t go wrong with some classic Belgium chocolates, and can barely walk without being tempted into a chocolatier by its smell.

My favourites include Neuhaus – also in the UK – as well as Mary and Elizabeth.

Some of my other recommendation include Wolf Food Market, an indoor food market with 17 restaurants and bars.

And for a glam stay, the Doubletree by Hilton Brussels City is beautiful (and don’t forget the free cookie at check in).

The Eurostar from London to Brussels takes just 1hr53, with tickets from £39 each way.

ONE of the UK’s prettiest English seaside towns is getting new direct trains to the capital city

Eastbourne was once connected to London Bridge, but these direct routes were scrapped during the Covid.

The new direct route launched earlier this week, running from London Bridge to the Sussex coastal town.

The new route as part of the December timetable will run two trains, with one in each direction.

The Eastbourne train will leave at 6:47am, arriving in London Bridge at 8:25am.

The return London Bridge train will be at 5:03pm, arriving in Eastbourne at 6:35pm.

CHUG ALONG

Victorian seaside town with very unusual beach to get trains to the capital

SEA YOU

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The trains will run Monday to Thursday so is mainly a commuter route, and it will sadly not run in the school holidays.

However, a day trip mid week means it can easily be visited with the new route.

Josh Babarinde MP said: “I am delighted that our campaign to restore the direct train service between Eastbourne and London Bridge has been successful – this is a massive win for our town.”

It will also stop at Lewes, another seaside town previously without a direct London route.

It was also backed by Jenny Saunders, Southern’s Customer Services Director, who said: “I am delighted that we’ve been able to introduce this direct service from the coast to the capital.”

Tickets start from around £25.

Of course, you can still travel to Eastbourne from London Victoria.

Eastbourne was a popular seaside destination during the Victorian times, but became run down over the years.

Yet a resurgence in popularity has even seen it named one of the UK’s best seaside towns.

CN Traveller said it was the “quintessential, old-fashioned seaside resort”.

And back in 2023, Time Out named it one of the best places for a British day out.

It was praised for being a “hub for creatives,” with the Towner Eastbourne art gallery.

One of the most popular spots of Eastbourne is Beachy Head, the beautiful cliffs overlooking the sea.

Otherwise there is Eastbourne Pier, with arcades and live music.

A new service could welcome direct trains from London to major German cities, making it even easier to explore Europe and visit their famed Christmas markets

Proposals for a fresh high-speed rail link connecting Britain and Germany could make future festive market getaways simpler than ever before.

At present, Brits hoping to reach Cologne or Frankfurt via Eurostar must change trains at either Brussels or Paris, turning the journey into a several-hour trek fraught with the hassle of switching services. But direct trains between these destinations are now “one step closer” to reality, following a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed this week between Eurostar and Deutsche Bahn (DB), Germany’s national railway operator.

This development could see high-speed links between London and key German cities operational as soon as 2030. The service would deploy Eurostar’s new double-decker Celestia fleet, which offers significantly increased passenger capacity along the route, reports the Express.

Suggested itineraries include a direct London to Cologne service that takes four hours, and a London to Frankfurt connection completed in five hours, providing a swift and comfortable alternative to air travel. In a statement, Keir Starmer said: “This brings us one step closer to a new rail link that will put Britain at the heart of a better-connected Europe and paves the way for increased trade, tourism and investment.”

A direct service would allow Brits to access beloved destinations such as Germany’s famous Christmas markets more easily, without requiring air travel. Frankfurt Christmas Market, one of the oldest in the country and a favourite among tourists, dazzles with its half-timbered buildings in Römerberg and Paulsplatz town squares, adorned with festive lights.

Alongside the main market, smaller themed markets operate during Advent, including the Frankfurt Artists’ Christmas Market and the new Frankfurt Children’s Christmas Market, featuring trees decorated by children, storytelling tents, entertainment, and child-friendly food.

Cologne, with its multiple Christmas markets spread across the city, would undoubtedly become a popular destination for Brits given a direct Eurostar link. The Cologne Cathedral Market, located in Roncalliplatz, offers a traditional German market experience and is the most frequented.

The Harbour Christmas Market also attracts many visitors, boasting a massive Ferris wheel that provides panoramic views of the Rhine.

Earlier this year, it was revealed that Eurostar plans to introduce direct services from London to Geneva, connecting the British capital with one of Switzerland’s key financial centres. The BBC reported over the summer that this new link could reduce travel time between London and Geneva to just five hours.

However, concerns were raised about whether Eurostar’s East London depot had sufficient space to accommodate the larger trains needed for such continental journeys.

Eurostar is also facing fresh competition from rival operators keen to launch UK-to-Europe rail services, including Virgin, which revealed in October that it was “on track” to introduce its own Channel Tunnel operation. The competing service plans to link London St Pancras International with Paris, Brussels, and Amsterdam by 2030, with ambitions to extend to additional European destinations thereafter.

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