Great Value Short Breaks

Enjoy a short break in Europe, for a

fantastic price. The Independent, The Independent on Sunday, and Thomson Breakaway have joined forces to offer these great value trips. Today, the destination is Belgium. If the gilded houses and gastronomic delights of the cities are too hard to resist, you could travel to Brussels, Bruges, or Ghent with Thomson Breakaway Cities. Alternatively, you could opt for a break to the tiny villages, rolling flatlands, and densely overgrown forests of the Belgian countryside.

Choose your hotel

Thomson Breakaway Cities features more than 30

Belgian city centre hotels from simple 1T hotels to deluxe 5T Select in Bruges, Brussels, Antwerp, and Ghent. Thomson Breakaway Short Breaks features seven very individual properties in the Ardennes and Flanders regions of Belgium. Every hotel has been carefully selected and graded according to detailed assessment by Thomson as well as from analysis of customer satisfaction questionnaires.

To book your European break

Simply call the Thomson Breakaway holiday

hotline on 0181 210 4515 immediately, quoting reference COI X02 to make your reservation.

The reservation lines will be open from 9am - 5pm on Saturday and Sunday, and between 8am and 9pm on all other days. Then send in four

tokens from the nine that will appear in The

Independent and The Independent on Sunday

between 6 February and 14 February (inclusive). To validate your offer, please send the tokens with the completed application form, which will appear from Tuesday 9 - Sunday 14

February, to The Independent European Break Offer, PO Box 21063, London, N1 8WY.

If you would like a brochure, call the brochure hotline on 01509 268 268 quoting reference CBIN05.

What your holiday includes

Short breaks: The price of your Thomson Breakaway Short Break holiday is per person, based on self drive by Eurotunnel from Folkestone to Calais, sharing a twin room in a 2-star Flanders hotel with continental breakfast. Taxes and a complimentary guidebook are also included.

Cities: Offers are per person, based on

Eurostar to Brussels (with ongoing local trains to Bruges and Ghent), sharing a twin room in a 2T Brussels hotel with continental breakfast. Taxes and a complimentary guidebook are also included.

Additional information

Single rooms are subject to supplement and may be limited in availability. Ferry and Hoverspeed

upgrades are available on Short Breaks at a supplement. Other durations may be available at a supplement. Midweek supplements may apply on some Brussels departures.

The following is just a small selection of the hotels included in this great offer. Prices are based on 1 or 2 nights although other durations are available at

a supplement:

Brussels

2T hotels

1nt from pounds 99 / 2nts from pounds 119

e.g. Hotel Delta

Located by the fashionable Avenue Louise, with its luxurious boutiques, cinemas and restaurant, the Delta hotel is a modern hotel with clean, spacious, comfortable rooms. The hotel has a `Deck 17' brasserie where you can enjoy a light snack or drink.

Location: Just by Avenue Louise, 10 minutes walk to the Grand Place and the Place du Sablon.

Facilities: All rooms have private

facilities, TV, hairdrier, minibar

and phone.

3T hotels

2nts from pounds 129

e.g. Hotel Arenburg

The elegant Arenburg provides the perfect environment in which to relax and unwind after a long day's sightseeing and shopping - choose from the cosy bar or the spacious lounge.

Location: Located in the city centre, within a few minutes' walk from the Grand Place and the Opera.

Facilities: Elegant restaurant with varied menu. Wood panelled bar, spacious dining room and lounge, 24 hour reception. Modern rooms have a telephone, radio, TV and minibar.

4T hotels

2nts from pounds 145

e.g. Hotel Bedford

The personalised service and

excellent location of the Bedford are just two of the highlights of this newly refurbished hotel's character, as well as the piano bar and restaurant which enjoys a fine reputation for its gastronomic delights.

Location: On the Rue du Midi close to the main shopping district, five

minutes from the Grand Place and modern art museum.

Facilities: Elegant restaurant with varied menu, lounge, piano bar, 24- hour reception. Spacious rooms have radio, hairdrier , TV and minibar.

Bruges

2T hotels

2nts from pounds 135

e.g. Hotel Europe

The old-fashioned Europe is a small hotel whose owners love Bruges and love their guests to feel the same.

Standing in a tranquil location

alongside the Augustijnenrei Canal, the Europe's cosy and well appointed bar is at the hub of this jolly hotel.

Location: Five minutes' walk to Market Square, around two minutes to Van Eyck Square.

Facilities: Bar and breakfast room. Rooms with radio and telephone.

3T hotels

2nts from pounds 149

e.g. Hotel Navarra

Built for the Consul of Navarra in 1602, the hotel has undergone detailed restoration and retains much of its original charm. This, combined with 20th-century comfort and a peaceful location, ensures the Navarra offers all you could ask for.

Location: Close to the Belfry and Market Square.

Facilities: Swimming pool in the vaulted cellar, plus sauna and fitness room (all free of charge). Rooms have cable TV, minibar, hairdrier and trouser press.

4T hotels

2nts from pounds 159

e.g. Hotel De' Medici

The De' Medici, one of the most beautiful hotels in Bruges, overlooks one of the city's peaceful canals. Its swish interior is an eclectic mix of styles and it houses a Japanese restaurant.

Location: 10-minute walk from the city centre and Market Square. Situated in the historic centre of Bruges with most museums within walking distance.

Facilities: Combined lounge and bar, Japanese patio garden, free entry to fitness/health centre; whirlpool, solarium and Turkish steambath. All rooms have a hairdrier, radio, TV

and minibar.

Ghent

2T hotels

2nts from pounds 119

e.g. Hotel Ibis Kathedraal* (inc. free return day trip train ticket to Bruges)

Overlooking a square in the centre of the city, the Ibis Kathedraal is a well located and convenient base for all the city's main sights.

Location: Set in the centre of Ghent with a range of eateries nearby.

Facilities: Reasonably priced restaurant, bar and lounge area. Comfortable bedrooms with TV and radio.

Flanders

2T hotels

2nts from pounds 85

e.g. Blaedelijn in Lampemisse

When you cross the moat and enter the doors of this historic site you leave behind the stresses of modern life. The Steenkiste family have taken great care in restoring this farm building. The bedrooms are all individually decorated with hand-crafted furniture.

Location: Near the small village of Lampemisse.

Facilities: Duplex rooms with staircase leading from lounge area to sleeping area.

3T hotels

2nts from pounds 125

e.g. Villa Gracia

This exquisite villa has recently been restored and sits in its own gardens on the edge of the Ardennes forest. The villa and surrounding area is a haven of tranquillity, ideal for picnics and relaxation.

Location: South of Namur on the banks of the river Meuse.

Facilities: Elegant breakfast-room. Beautifully appointed bedrooms with furnishings and facilities of very high standard.

Please note that the above is only a selection of hotels included in the offer.