As with all settlements on the Belgian coast, Blankenberge is on the route of the Belgian coastal tram.
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The tram is the principal local transport service in and through Blankenberge.
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De Lijn's fleet livery is white, grey and black with a yellow flash. However, a number of the trams carry advertising liveries.
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The tram generally operates every 15 minutes, 7 days a week. From October to March, the frequency drops to every 20 minutes on Mondays to Fridays, although a 15-minute frequency is maintained at weekends. Trams are less frequent during the early morning and evening.
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Extra trams are loaned from the system in Gent for July and August to enable this enhanced service to operate.
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The tram is complemented by a couple of bus services.
Bus route 33 links Blankenberge with the nearby city of Brugge, also known as Bruges. Buses generally run at an hourly frequency, seven days a week.
I found articulated buses and standard single-deckers in use on route 33.
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Route 38 is a local service operating within Blankenberge, under the brand name "Centrumbus". I found a minibus in use on this service.
Like route 33, route 38 operates to an hourly frequency, seven days a week, but there is no evening service.
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There is one further bus service. Route 36 is a demand-responsive service operating from Blankenberge into the sparsely-populated area inland. DeLijn's demand-responsive services are branded as 'Belbus'.
A simple fare system applies on the DeLijn network, including Belbus services. At the time of writing a single ticket costs €3, regardless of distance travelled, and includes interchanges for up to 60 minutes after first boarding. 10-journey tickets are available for €16, offering a considerable saving over individual single tickets. A one-day ticket giving unlimited travel on almost all DeLijn services is available for €7, there is also a three-day ticket costing €14.
Single journey tickets and 1- and 3- day tickets can be bought from bus drivers. They are also sold by tram drivers, at stops which do not have a ticket machine or a ticket vending kiosk. Ticket vending kiosks and ticket machines at tram stops also sell the 10-journey ticket, these cannot be bought on board a bus or tram. Belgian railway stations and a network of ticket agents also sell the 10-journey ticket and the 1- and 3-day tickets.
Tickets can also be bought by SMS text message for immediate use, or on a mobile app for immediate or later use. Tickets bought by SMS or mobile app are considerably cheaper than traditional tickets.
Within the West Flanders province, there is also a 7-day pass valid on all DeLijn services within the province. West Flanders covers the entire Belgian coastline, and also includes Brugge and Ieper (Ypres). The 7-day pass costs €26 for one person or €40 for two people travelling together. Unlike the 1- and 3-day tickets, the 7-day pass is restricted to West Flanders and cannot be used on services in other provinces. The 7-day ticket is sold by ticket machines and ticket vending kiosks.
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The town has a railway terminus, with hourly trains to Brugge, Gent, Brussels and beyond. These are provided by Belgian national rail operator NMBS/SNCB.
The rail system has its own fare and ticketing system, which is separate from the DeLijn system. DeLijn tickets cannot be used on NMBS/SNCB train services.
Images in this post were taken during August 2018.
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