Werchter Festival - Travel Question

PittsburghPJ

Hey everyone,

A friend of mine and I are thinking we are going to head over to Belgium and make this our first PJ show in Europe! I had a couple questions about getting to and from the festival that I was hoping some European Ten Clubbers might be able to help us out with.

1) I read on the festival website that you can get a free train pass to Leuven using your festival ticket, and from Leuven you can take a shuttle bus for free to the festival. If I get a 4-day festival pass, does that entitle me to four free train passes?

2) Since we are coming all the way from America, we thought it might be worth the extra money to stay in Brussels rather than camping - that way, we can spend some time and see the city in addition to attending the concert. Would that pose any travel issues getting to/from the festival each day? From the research I've done, it seems like getting TO the festival from Brussels would be easy enough, but I was concerned with getting BACK each day after the show. For instance, do trains stop running between Leuven and Brussels at a certain time? Would hiring a car from between Leuven and Brussels be unreasonable?

Thanks for anyone who takes the time to answer! I also posed these questions using the Feedback link on the festival website, but I also wanted to get some fans' and locals perspectives.

Thanks a ton!!!

RITFW,

- Mike

dimitrispearljam

seems you can use all 4 days the train..but the last train from leavun to brussels,is earlier than the end of the festival day..
viewtopic.php?f=4&t=177531
check first page of the thread.there are belgium train links

PittsburghPJ

dimitrispearljam wrote:

seems you can use all 4 days the train..but the last train from leavun to brussels,is earlier than the end of the festival day..
http://community.pearljam.com/viewtopic ... 4&t=177531
check first page of the thread.there are belgium train links

Thanks! Isn't the hotel included in the package deal that 10C is offering for Werchter Festival in Brussels? I'm not going to purchase that, but how would someone who purchased that hotel stay get back to Brussels each night after the show?

dimitrispearljam

Pearl Jam :: June 29, 2012
Rock Werchter Festival
Werchter, Belgium
www.rockwerchter.be

Travel Packages for 2 people:

•Three (3) or Four (4) Nights at the Radisson Blu Brussels
•Two (2) 4-Day Combi Tickets to Rock Werchter
•Two (2) Limited Edition Pearl Jam Rock Werchter Screen Printed Posters
•Complimentary train transportation to and from Brussels to Leuven Train Station
•Complimentary shuttle transportation to and from Leuven Train Station to the Festival Site
(All Transportation provided by the Rock Werchter Festival)
•On Site CID Entertainment Event Hosts

Pearl Jam Rock Werchter Travel Packages
3 Nights for 2 People (Friday Check In) €1,079
4 Nights for 2 People (Thursday Check In) € 1,249
4 Nights for 2 People (Wednesday Check In) € 1,259

thats the package deal...

PittsburghPJ

Right...so the hotel is in Brussels, but the last train from Leuven to Brussels leaves before the end of the festival day? How does that work? If you buy that package, do you have to leave the festival early? That's no good.

I emailed the travel company about this, too.

dimitrispearljam

PittsburghPJ wrote:

Right...so the hotel is in Brussels, but the last train from Leuven to Brussels leaves before the end of the festival day? How does that work? If you buy that package, do you have to leave the festival early? That's no good.

I emailed the travel company about this, too.

you did well..
the last train is 00:03 am from leaven to brussels
the festival will finnish around 1-1:30 am...
+there is a walking 3 miles distance to go to bus area from the venue...
the bus lead you to train station

derbydave

On my last trip to Europe in 2009,
I flew in & out of the Brussels / Diegem, BE airport and got a GREAT deal on a rental car!!
We drove all over Europe - France, Spain, Northern Italy, Germany & Luxembourg back to Brussels...
Had a blast seeing so much of Europe!!!
2 things really helped me while traveling:
First - get a good GPS with European maps
Second - ask for a rental car that runs on diesel fuel (it's a lot cheaper than normal gas)
Finally, tolls can be kind of high, but if you want to see more of the sights...
you can't beat driving yourself!!! :ugeek:

Mamasan Bren

Yeah, you really got to make sure you make that it to, at the very least, the final shuttle bus so as to catch the final train. Or you can do like I did there in '07 and befriend a Belgian to catch a ride with. I just made friends with a local on the bus out to the festival and hung out for it. This pal shared with me his estuves at it. It was tasty gravy meat on top of french fries. About halfway through he asked me if I knew what I was eating? I said no, not really. He said it's horse meat. So, avoid that if you have any love for Mr. Ed.

PittsburghPJ

Renting a car is definitely an option - although it would be much nicer to use public transportation.

Would the last shuttle bus leave before the end of the concert, as well? That doesn't seem right

dimitrispearljam

PittsburghPJ wrote:

Renting a car is definitely an option - although it would be much nicer to use public transportation.

Would the last shuttle bus leave before the end of the concert, as well? That doesn't seem right

if you leave earlier,gonna miss pearl jam...

PittsburghPJ

dimitrispearljam wrote:

PittsburghPJ wrote:

Renting a car is definitely an option - although it would be much nicer to use public transportation.

Would the last shuttle bus leave before the end of the concert, as well? That doesn't seem right

if you leave earlier,gonna miss pearl jam...

Exactly- which means leaving early is not an option!!!!

PittsburghPJ

Just a friendly bump, as I don't think my original post was made at the best time for the European 10Clubbers!

The festival confirmed with me that there are no extra night-trains, but there will be shuttle busses available after the concert ends each night. So, looks like I will try and stay in Leuven. Any other helpful hints would be appreciated!

melbourneflower

This is a valid question for those considering the travel package.

I went to see PJ at Werchter in 2010 - my day ticket covered transport on the train from Brussels to/from Leuven and the bus from Leuven to/from the festival site. The buses from the festival site to Leuven run after the headlining act has finished so you won't have any problem getting from the festival site back to Leuven - be aware (as Dimi has set out above) that there is quite a long walk from the festival site to where you pick up the bus back to Leuven - I'm talking 30-40 mins walk.

If you are not camping then the issue is getting back to Brussels at night from Leuven and as people have said the last train from Leuven to Brussels leaves well before the headlining act have finished so unless you leave early OR have a bus or car organised to get you back to Brussels each night you will be stuck in Leuven waiting for the first train in the morning (which was about 5.30am). I assumed there would be extra trains running and/or night buses going from Leuven to Brussels - I was wrong and spent the night hanging out at the Leuven train station waiting for the first train.

If I was going to Wertcher again I would book a hotel in Leuven and stay there for whatever nights of the festival I was attending - you can easily get from the festival site back to Leuven after the headlining act has finished each night and then you don't have to bother with waiting for the train or driving back to Brussels. It's also much more convenient if you are going back to the festival again the next day. Let's face it - you are not going to want to get up and do some morning sightseeing in Brussels on the days before you head out to Werchter so the best thing to do in my opinion is make it as easy for yourself as you can to get to/from the festival site each day.

My advice - stay in a hotel in Leuven on the days of the festival and then stay in a hotel in Brussels for a couple of days either side and do your sightseeing then. If you are going to go the Leuven hotel option then I'd get on to that quick smart as there are not that many hotels there and they fill up quick at Werchter time.

If the travel package is going to organise transport back to Brussels for you each night by bus then that is cool - if not, you're gonna be left to work out your own way back to Brussels and it will be a pain.

Hope that is helpful.

vant0037

melbourneflower wrote:

This is a valid question for those considering the travel package.

I went to see PJ at Werchter in 2010 - my day ticket covered transport on the train from Brussels to/from Leuven and the bus from Leuven to/from the festival site. The buses from the festival site to Leuven run after the headlining act has finished so you won't have any problem getting from the festival site back to Leuven - be aware (as Dimi has set out above) that there is quite a long walk from the festival site to where you pick up the bus back to Leuven - I'm talking 30-40 mins walk.

If you are not camping then the issue is getting back to Brussels at night from Leuven and as people have said the last train from Leuven to Brussels leaves well before the headlining act have finished so unless you leave early OR have a bus or car organised to get you back to Brussels each night you will be stuck in Leuven waiting for the first train in the morning (which was about 5.30am). I assumed there would be extra trains running and/or night buses going from Leuven to Brussels - I was wrong and spent the night hanging out at the Leuven train station waiting for the first train.

If I was going to Wertcher again I would book a hotel in Leuven and stay there for whatever nights of the festival I was attending - you can easily get from the festival site back to Leuven after the headlining act has finished each night and then you don't have to bother with waiting for the train or driving back to Brussels. It's also much more convenient if you are going back to the festival again the next day. Let's face it - you are not going to want to get up and do some morning sightseeing in Brussels on the days before you head out to Werchter so the best thing to do in my opinion is make it as easy for yourself as you can to get to/from the festival site each day.

My advice - stay in a hotel in Leuven on the days of the festival and then stay in a hotel in Brussels for a couple of days either side and do your sightseeing then. If you are going to go the Leuven hotel option then I'd get on to that quick smart as there are not that many hotels there and they fill up quick at Werchter time.

If the travel package is going to organise transport back to Brussels for you each night by bus then that is cool - if not, you're gonna be left to work out your own way back to Brussels and it will be a pain.

Hope that is helpful.

Thanks! This is EXTREMELY helpful; I might be making it over for some shows this summer, and Werchter was a stop I wanted to hit, but knowing this might change my mind. I assumed we could stay in Brussels and catch a train back after the show. How pissed would my wife have been if we got back to the train station in Leuven after a long festival day, expecting to go back to a nice hotel bed in Brussels, only to find out we'd be spending the night in a train station???

Thank you for the first-hand information!

melbourneflower

vant0037 wrote:

Thanks! This is EXTREMELY helpful; I might be making it over for some shows this summer, and Werchter was a stop I wanted to hit, but knowing this might change my mind. I assumed we could stay in Brussels and catch a train back after the show. How pissed would my wife have been if we got back to the train station in Leuven after a long festival day, expecting to go back to a nice hotel bed in Brussels, only to find out we'd be spending the night in a train station???

Thank you for the first-hand information!

If you can make it Werchter then go - it is easily THE best organised festival I've ever been to and the line-ups are consistently excellent - just be aware of the transport situation and make arrangements that are convenient for you

Geert

Maybe you can find some Belgian 10c-members where you can stay for a night!

PittsburghPJ

Thanks for all the help, everyone!

We have made reservations at Condo Gardens in Leuven. Any reviews?

dimitrispearljam

PittsburghPJ wrote:

Thanks for all the help, everyone!

We have made reservations at Condo Gardens in Leuven. Any reviews?

http://www.booking.com/hotel/be/hotelbi ... _confemail

i stayed here..was cool huge room,even for work out inthe room..

JOEJOEJOE

It looks as if PJ may be playing before Deadmau5 on the mainstage.

PittsburghPJ

dimitrispearljam wrote:

PittsburghPJ wrote:

Thanks for all the help, everyone!

We have made reservations at Condo Gardens in Leuven. Any reviews?

http://www.booking.com/hotel/be/hotelbi ... _confemail

i stayed here..was cool huge room,even for work out inthe room..

I looked there! But sold out...

Can't wait to meet some European 10Clubbers in Belgium!

PittsburghPJ

JOEJOEJOE wrote:

It looks as if PJ may be playing before Deadmau5 on the mainstage.

They likely will play before deadmau5. The dance act is usually last.