Starting your journey from Calais, you’ll have several key destinations within a few hours’ drive. Here’s a quick rundown of driving times from Calais:
To maximise your day, start early. Aim to leave Dover by 7 AM, allowing you to arrive at your first destination in time for lunch!
With its efficient loading and unloading process and short 35-minute crossing time, consider the Eurotunnel rather than the ferry.
Belgium is filled with excellent places to buy beer by the crate. Here are some top recommendations:
Supermarkets in Belgium are a convenient and often more affordable option for purchasing beer by the crate. The beers in supermarkets will usually only sell popular brands. Some of the best chains to consider are:
When buying from supermarkets, look out for promotions and bulk discounts to get the best deals.
Drankencentrale is a popular choice for purchasing large quantities of beer. These shops specialise in wholesale beverage sales, often offering a vast selection of beers at competitive prices. Some well-known Drankencentrale locations include:
These shops are ideal for stocking up on crates of beer and often provide better prices for bulk purchases than regular retail shop
You can fit in a couple of brewery visits even on a tight schedule. Booking tours in advance is crucial. Here are a couple of recommendations:
Belgium is known for a variety of unique beer styles. Familiarise yourself with some of these to enhance your shopping and tasting experience:
Plan to have lunch at one of Belgium’s famous beer cafés. Some top choices include:
Belgium has strict drink driving laws to ensure road safety. The legal blood alcohol concentration (BAC) limit is:
Exceeding these limits can result in severe penalties, including heavy fines, license suspension, and even imprisonment. It is crucial to plan your tastings and purchases to ensure you remain within these limits. Consider designating a driver who abstains from drinking or staying overnight and use public transport and taxis. For the driver who abstains, there are some amazing zero alcohol beers available
The legal drinking age in Belgium is 16 for beer and 18 for spirits.
Despite the UK having left the European Union, you are still allowed to bring back up to 42 litres of beer when returning to the UK without paying any tax or duty.
This is the equivalent of approximately 12 cases of 12 bottles each (assuming 330 ml bottles).
Belgian beers can be strong, often ranging from 6% to 12% ABV or higher. Pace yourself, drink plenty of water, and take time to enjoy the flavours. Remember, you have a drive back to Calais. Alternatively, book a room, drive back the next day and work your way through the beer menu.
Ensure you have ample time to return to Calais, considering traffic and any potential delays. Aim to leave your last destination by 5 PM to comfortably make it back to Calais for your return journey.
In Flanders google drankencentrale + the name of the municipality where you will be or “drankenshop”, or “drankenhandel”
A day trip booze cruise to Belgium offers a whirlwind tour of some of the best beer experiences in the world. With careful planning, you can sample a variety of beers, visit iconic breweries, shop at supermarkets, specialised beer shops, and Drankencentrales, and bring home a substantial collection of Belgian brews. Cheers to a successful and enjoyable trip!
