"De Kusttram - A Bit Of A Disappointment" Adinkerke Transportation Tip by johngayton

Having finally gotten the time off to explore a bit more of Belgium I decided to have an overnight stop at Ostend after I'd done my tobacco shopping (and had an excellent lunch) here in Adinkerke. This also gave me the opportunity to ride the Coast Tram between the two.

As a means of getting around the Belgian coast (well, up and down anyway) this is an excellent service with the trams running every fifteen minutes during the day and the maximum single fare being only 2 Euros if bought before joining the tram (3 Euros from the driver).

The trams are modern and comfortable and although they can get a little crowded around the main towns it is generally a relaxing ride.

Unfortunately the route doesn't actually follow the coast as such but rather it passes through the centres of the coastal towns and villages which all seem to be joined together by a homogenous mass of towering apartment blocks. Glimpses of the sea are just that, the occasional short stretch where the coast's developments briefly peter out before restarting a few hundred metres later.

This made my hour and twenty minute journey kind of a let-down but having said that it is otherwise a very practical and inexpensive service which took me from where I was to where I wanted to be.

Mode: AROUND
Type: Other
Website: http://www.delijn.be/dekusttram/index.htm