A guide book or two would be good so you can see what interests you.

Of course you can travel somewhere else.

You need to buy a guidebook for Belgium that will include current information about train trips out of the city as well as tell you what might be of interest to you inside Brussels. But it is quite easy to visit other places for a day. Be aware that information you find on the web might be out of date, so it is better to buy a guidebook.

Day trip to Brugges, Ghent or the beach at Oostende all short train rides.

PLEASE - do a little research and then ask questions. We are not travel agents you are paying - just people taking time and energy trying to be helpful. Be courteous enough to do a little work yourself first.

Day trip to Lille or Antwerp or a beach resort such as Knokke-Heist.

Use the "Destinations" tab on this website to see what sights in Brussels and surrounding area appeal to you. When you have chosen sights, come back with questions.

nyt: I agree 100%...saves me from saying it.

I think Brussels gets a bad rap...I've enjoyed two different visits and also took day trips (Brugge, Antwerp ,Waterloo (being a history honk). So c'mon Mark, meet us at least halfway.
stu

NYTrav is completely right.

This is an especially ignorant question: "Can I travel somewhere else?" Belgium is slightly larger than Maryland - can you go from Baltimore to somewhere else in a day?

In Brussels, and around the country, you can certainly look for tributes to King Leopold II, the Builder King who raped the Congo.

Taste beers and chocolates.

<< Be aware that information you find on the web might be out of date, so it is better to buy a guidebook.>>

Huh? A guidebook is way more likely to be out of date.

But at any rate, a map, a guidebook, and a brain in gear is all you need.

Even Brussels to Amsterdam is only 2 hours by train. You could leave at 8 a.m., and return at 9 p.m., giving you 9 hours in Amsterdam.

>>what to do in brussels (sic)<<

Leave promptly.

Mark, why don't you tell us a little about what you already have planned, and maybe some interests you have. That might help. Also, though probably not as important, what area you are staying in Brussels (won't help me, but someone might have more geographical suggestions).

Thanks for your replies. The trip was only decided upon yesterday Nd I am doing some research this weekend. I guess I was looking for a head start. I will be back after plenty of research.

In Brussels:
Grand Place
Self-guided Comic Mural walk
Automium and surrounding park
Museums
Beer
Chocolate
Oogle the Art Nouveau architecture

Outside Brussels:
Bruges
Ghent
Ardennes mountains
Antwerp
etc etc etc

My husband and I spent 11 days in Brussels in the fall of 2011. We saw sights in the city and took quite a few day trips. We did not go to Brugge (Bruges) or Gent (Ghent) on this latest trip because we had visited them before, but both are good day trip destinations, too.

My TR should give you some ideas
http://www.fodors.com/community/europe/10-days-in-belgium-plus-a-day-in-the-netherlands.cfm

It is weird when eople answer threads only to start shrieking that they are being "put upon" by questions on the internet that are not directed at them. Who is the "we" that is complaining that "we" are doing work for free?

Who asked you to be here? You do it of your own free will unless you are an addict -- and that is not the original poster's problem. No need to be nasty to them.

You are not obliged to answer a question and wrong, if you do, to answer with a nasty response.

Just skip them if you don't have anything helpful to say. Asking for pity as a "Fodorite" is inane.

it is also inane to recommend getting a guidebook if you think they are out of date. In truth, most information in guidebooks is updated more frequently than internet sites -- and I've discovered that some of the most vocal Fodorites on the Europe board actually don't travel very often. Most haven't been in Belgium for eons. Their personal experience of the country is no guide to trains, etc today. A guidebook is better.

Sorry, I have often found guide books out of date.
If one is looking for a hotel, restaurants or a museum direct contact is
my approach.
BTW, I was in Brussels and Bruges in July 2012.
Not my first visit to either.
November - moon has some good ideas...
I love

sorry, too soon
I love Magritte, and always visit his museum.
Amsterdam is not far, neither is Paris!

pizzo: I don't disagree, but it does help to have a starting point as to what they are already looking at and/or their interests. If a poster knows nothing about a destination, even an out of date guidebook will be much more helpful than this forum.

Perhaps the responses would have been different if the OP had said something like >>My partner has a conference in Brussels and very last minute I've decided to join him. I know nothing about Brussels/Belgium. Where should I start?<<

Now MarkBubbling has returned and posted essentially that. It doesn't sound like he was terribly offended. Just got off on the wrong foot a bit. So no need to slam each other for what/how things were said.