The Heart of Europe in 6 Days — Self-Launched (Brussels to Durbuy)
6 days · Belgium, Luxembourg & Germany
Ride in Tours charges £1,090
No-markup version: ~£460 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched version of Ride in Tours' motorcycle circuit through the Belgian and French Ardennes, Luxembourg, the Mosel valley and the Eifel. Instead of a guided 1200cc bike convoy, you travel the same castles, battlefields and river valleys by train, bus and (optionally) a rented scooter or budget motorcycle where it makes sense — with hostel/guesthouse stays and DIY visits to Orval Abbey, Bastogne, Vianden, the Mosel vineyards and the Nürburgring. Same road, same sights, a fraction of the price.
Day-by-day
Arrive Brussels — Old Town briefing & welcome dinner
Brussels, Belgium
Fly or take Eurostar into Brussels (Eurostar from London from ~£40 one-way if booked early; Brussels Airport train to Gare Centrale ~€9). Check into a central hostel or budget hotel near Grand-Place. Spend the afternoon on a free self-guided walk of the Old Town: Grand-Place, Manneken Pis, the Royal Galleries and Mont des Arts. In place of the operator's group briefing, do your own kit-and-route check over a beer — map out tomorrow's train/bus connections. Dinner in the old town (moules-frites or a budget bistro round the corner from Rue des Bouchers, ~£15).
🚌Eurostar London-Brussels from ~£40; airport train ~€9; everything else on foot
🛏Hostel or budget hotel in central Brussels (dorm £20-28 / private double £55-70)
- →Self-guided Grand-Place & Old Town walk
- →Mont des Arts viewpoint
- →Welcome dinner in Brussels old town
Waterloo battlefield & into the Ardennes — Bouillon
Bouillon, Belgium
Take a morning train from Brussels to Braine-l'Alleud (~25 min, ~€5) and walk or take a local bus to the Waterloo battlefield, where the Memorial 1815 museum and Lion's Mound ticket costs ~€14 (book direct). After lunch, take the train south via Namur to Bouillon (approx. 2.5-3h, ~€22-28 with a weekend/off-peak ticket). This replaces the operator's Ardennes motorcycle ride with the same scenery seen from the rail line through the Semois valley. Settle into a guesthouse and walk up to the Semois viewpoint at Roche à la Photo.
🚌Train Brussels-Braine-l'Alleud ~€5; local bus to Waterloo site ~€3; train via Namur to Bouillon ~€25
🛏Guesthouse or small hotel in Bouillon (£30-45 double)
- →Waterloo battlefield & Memorial 1815 (~€14)
- →Lion's Mound
- →Semois river valley walk
- →Bouillon old town evening
Orval Abbey, Montmédy citadel & Bastogne memorial
Bouillon / Luxembourg border
A car-free version of this day needs a little planning: hop the TEC bus towards Florenville (~€4) and take the local taxi or a 8km walk/bike to Orval Abbey (entry + audio guide ~€12), famous for its Trappist beer. In the afternoon, use the Belgian/Luxembourg rail network — Bouillon to Libramont, then bus/train to Bastogne (~€10-15 total) — to visit the Bastogne War Museum and Battle of the Bulge memorial (~€16). The Montmédy citadel in France is awkward without a car; skip it or add it as an optional detour if you hire a car for the day. Overnight in Bastogne or push on to Luxembourg City (train from ~€12).
🚌Regional bus Bouillon-Florenville ~€4; local taxi/walk to Orval; train/bus connection to Bastogne ~€12; onward to Luxembourg ~€12
🛏Guesthouse in Bastogne or hostel in Luxembourg City (£25-40)
- →Orval Trappist Abbey tour (~€12)
- →Bastogne War Museum (~€16)
- →Battle of the Bulge memorial
- →Optional Montmédy citadel detour by hire car
Luxembourg City to the Mosel — Vianden & Bernkastel-Kues
Bernkastel-Kues, Germany
Morning in Luxembourg City (free: Chemin de la Corniche, Bock casemates ~€7 if you want the tour). Then take the train/bus to Vianden (approx. 1.5h, ~€6 with the free Luxembourg public transport network) for the hilltop Vianden Castle (~€10). Continue by train to Trier and then the Mosel valley line to Bernkastel-Kues (~€15-20, or a €9 Deutschland-Ticket day if you already have one). Evening wandering the half-timbered wine town and a glass of Riesling from a local Weinstube. This replaces the 'Road of the 7 Castles' ride with the same valley from the train window.
🚌Free Luxembourg public transport; bus/train to Vianden ~€6; train Trier-Bernkastel ~€18
🛏Hostel or pension in Bernkastel-Kues (£25-40 double)
- →Chemin de la Corniche walk
- →Vianden Castle (~€10)
- →Mosel valley train ride
- →Bernkastel-Kues wine tavern evening
Mosel vineyards, Cochem & the Eifel — towards Monschau
Monschau, Germany
A cheap Deutschland-Ticket day (€58 for a month, or a €9-ish regional day ticket if bought locally for the day) covers unlimited regional trains and buses. Ride the Mosel line to Cochem for the Reichsburg castle and the river promenade, then head north into the Eifel via regional rail to Monschau (long day, 4-5h of connections — leave early). Without a guided convoy, the Nürburgring lap is optional and best done by rental: Nürburgring Nordschleife tourist laps sell for ~€35 per lap, or take a ring-taxi as a passenger for ~€300 (splittable in a small group). If that's over budget, catch the Nürburgring from the Eifel regional bus instead and just soak up the circuit atmosphere.
🚌Deutschland-Ticket €58/month or regional day ticket ~€9-20; regional rail/bus connections
🛏Guesthouse in Monschau (£30-45 double)
- →Cochem Reichsburg castle (~€8)
- →Mosel river promenade
- →Eifel National Park countryside
- →Optional Nürburgring tourist lap (~€35) or ring-taxi
Three-country point, Spa-Francorchamps & farewell in Durbuy
Durbuy, Belgium
Regional buses take you from Monschau via Aachen and Vaals, where a short walk from the Drielandenpunt bus stop brings you to the Vaalserberg three-country border point (free, maze optional ~€11). Continue by bus towards Verviers/Spa and take the local bus or a taxi to the Spa-Francorchamps circuit area (~€10-15), then on to Malmedy and finally Durbuy — the smallest town in the world, all cobbles and kayaks on the Ourthe. Keep your farewell dinner simple: a restaurant on a Durbuy terrace (~£20). Return to Brussels by train from Barvaux (~€20-25) the following morning, or fly out of Liège if it suits your flight.
🚌Regional buses Monschau-Vaals-Aachen ~€10; bus/taxi to Spa-Francorchamps ~€12; bus to Durbuy ~€15; Barvaux-Brussels train ~€22
🛏Guesthouse in Durbuy (£35-50 double) or night train/bus back to Brussels
- →Vaalserberg three-country point
- →Spa-Francorchamps circuit viewpoints
- →Malmedy old town
- →Durbuy cobbled old town & farewell dinner
Self-launched vs. Ride in Tours
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Ride in Tours | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£460 | £1,090 |
| Duration | 6 days | 6 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £630 per person (58%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Ride in Tours-style trips? Check them out here.~£460
estimated per person
You never pay Travel Crew for this — you pay hostels, transport, and activity providers directly, the same as if you'd booked it all yourself.
This publishes your dates so other travellers can find and join you — no tour operator needed.
Customise with Tour BusterCreated by
Travel Crew
0 trips
Frequently asked questions
How much does The Heart of Europe in 6 Days — Self-Launched (Brussels to Durbuy) cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £460 per person for 6 days in Belgium, Luxembourg & Germany. This is an AI-generated estimate based on typical budget-traveller prices — actual costs will vary by season and how you book.
Is this cheaper than booking with Ride in Tours?+
Yes — Ride in Tours charges around £1,090 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £460 — a saving of roughly £630 (58%) per person.
How long is the Belgium, Luxembourg & Germany trip?+
This itinerary runs 6 days, covering 6 day-by-day stops through Belgium, Luxembourg & Germany.
How do I join this trip?+
You can join an existing open departure using this itinerary if one is scheduled, or launch your own departure with your own dates and invite other travellers to join you — no tour operator required.
Isn't it easier to just use a tour operator?+
Well, yes, a tour operator will book all the individual parts of your travel for you and provide a guide. That's obvious, but doing this has the potential to save the group thousands, which can in turn improve your itinerary substantially or save you huge amounts of money. Also, when you launch a departure, Travel Crew has tools in place to help you book the individual sections of the trip or make it easier for you to do this as a group. Really, you do not need a middle man. If you are more comfortable paying more and using a middle man, then you should certainly do this.
Is it safer to book through a tour operator?+
Arguably, there isn't much difference. A self-launched trip runs on the same principle as a group travel crew: collective responsibility, everyone looking out for each other, the same way it would if a group of friends organised the trip themselves — because that's exactly what's happening. You should always take out travel insurance before you go, self-launched or not; that doesn't change either way. Every open departure is published publicly with real dates and a real trip organiser, so it's never an anonymous arrangement, and our support team is reachable any time you need help, including in an emergency while you're away. Longer-term, we're building direct relationships with ground DMCs in popular destinations, offered as an optional paid add-on for extra on-the-ground support. Ultimately, though, the group is responsible for its own conduct and safety on a self-launched trip, same as on any trip you plan yourself.
What kind of trip is this?+
This is a adventure, culture, road-trip trip through Belgium, Luxembourg & Germany, self-launched rather than run by a tour operator — you organise it with a group you find or bring yourself.
Would you like to name the operator, name the trip, or have any suggestions about how to improve this itinerary?
Drop your comment below — if you've done a similar route, tell us what worked, what you'd add, or what you'd skip.
No comments yet — be the first to share your take.
Sign in to leave a comment.