Getting There -- Trains depart hourly from Brussels for the 70-minute trip, and from Bruges at least every half-hour for the 15-minute trip, to Oostende station, Stationsplein (tel. 02/528-28-28; www.sncb.be), a neo-baroque edifice (1913) at the harbor. The Kusttram (Coast Tram) has fast, frequent service connecting all the seacoast resorts. By car from Brussels and Bruges, take A10/E40 west; from the other coast resorts, take the N34 coast road.
You can sail in from Ramsgate in south England with TransEuropa Ferries.
Visitor Information -- Toerisme Oostende is at Monacoplein 2, 8400 Oostende (tel. 059/70-11-99; fax 059/70-34-77; www.toerisme-oostende.be). The office is open May to October, Monday to Saturday from 9am to 7pm, and Sunday from 10am to 7pm; November to April, Monday to Saturday from 10am to 6pm, and Sunday from 10am to 5pm.
Getting Around -- Most points of interest in the town are close together. You can easily reach them by foot or by renting a bicycle from the rail station for 9€ ($11) a day. De Lijn bus lines 5, 6, and 39 go along the seafront to the west; if you want to get to points farther along the coast, in either direction, take the Coast Tram from a stop next to the rail station; for bus and tram information, call (tel. 070/22-02-00; www.delijn.be). You can pick up a taxi at the rail station or the Casino-Kursaal, or call Taxibond (tel. 059/70-27-27).
