Belgium Transport

Brussels Zaventem Airport (BRU) is Belgium’s main international airport, located 12km northeast of the city. The Airport City Express train connects the airport with all three main railway stations (Brussels North, Central and South), running every 15 minutes from 06:00 to 00:00 and taking just 15-20 minutes travel time. The airport train station is located on level one below the terminal. Other trains also depart frequently for destinations all over Belgium. Coaches depart from the airport bus station on the ground level for major cities in Belgium, France and The Netherlands. Buses run regularly to and from the city and the bus station is located below the Arrivals Hall. Taxis to the city take about 40 minutes travel time and are available from outside the Arrivals Hall. All licensed taxis are marked by yellow and blue license emblems. A tip is generally included in taxi fares. Hotel courtesy coaches go to Holiday Inn, Novotel and Sofitel. Airport facilities: car parking, car hire, outgoing duty free shops, medical facilities, computer and fax facilities and conference and business facilities. 

Charleroi Airport (CRL) is 5km from Charleroi and 46km from Brussels. Airlines serving the airports include Ryanair, which operates cheap flights to several European destinations from Charleroi. Buses depart every 30 minutes to Charleroi (travel time: 10 minutes). There are also regular coaches and trains to Brussels (travel time: 45 minutes). Airport facilities: automatic money changer, car hire, cafe, business lounge and duty free shop. 

Duerne Antwerp Airport (ANR) is 2km east of the city and services a modest number of flights to/from London, UK as well as Brussels. There is a regular bus service (No. 16) to Central Station. Taxis are available. Airport facilities: auditorium, bank, bar/restaurant, car hire, lounges, Jero Business Center, and outgoing duty free shop. 

Liège Airport (LGG) handles mostly air cargo from select airports in Greece, Spain, Tunisia, Turkey and a few other destinations along the Mediterranean coast. There are taxis, trains and a regular bus service into downtown.

Ostend-Bruges Airport (OST) is the international airport for Bruges (Brugge) and is 5km from the city centre. It handles flights on discount airlines serving select airports in the Canary Islands, Greece, Spain, Tunisia, Turkey and a few other destinations along the Mediterranean coast. Taxis and trains are available. Airport facilities: car parking, car hire, currency exchange, restaurant, bar and duty free shop.

Brussels Airlines (SN) is the national airlines and serves around 58 European destinations as well as others worldwide. For further information, visit their website at: www.flysn.com. Several other airlines operate flights to/from Belgium as well.

Airport Departure Tax: Brussels Zaventem- €20.93, Charleroi- €13.49, Duerne Antwerp- €10, Liège- €7, Ostend: €10.

Bus
Eurolines (www.eurolines.com) and National Express (www.nationalexpress.com) buses connect Belgium with France, Germany, The Netherlands and the UK. Travellers can either choose Mini-Pass breaks or book a 15, 30 or 60 day pass. The Mini-Pass gives travellers the freedom to visit three cities, staying as long as they like in each city.

Car
If you are driving your own vehicle into Belgium, you must carry your passport, driving license, insurance documents and vehicle registration (proof of ownership). By law, all vehicles should also carry a first-aid kit, fire extinguisher and warning triangle (to be displayed on the road in case of a breakdown or accident).

Rail
The Belgium national railway, Société Nationale des Chemins de Fer Belges (SNCB) (www.b-rail.be), operates frequent day and night trains to destinations in Andorra, Austria, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Switzerland and the UK. High-speed trains (Trains à Grande Vitesse or TGV) operate between Belgium and France, connecting Brussels with destinations in Brittany, on the French Atlantic coast, the Côte d’Azur and the French Alps. Cities that can be reached from Brussels by TGV include Bordeaux, Cannes, Chambéry, Lyon, Marseille, Nice, Perpignan, Rennes and Valence. TGV trains depart from Brussels and need to be booked in advance. Further high-speed trains are operated by Thalys (www.thalys.com). The main international Thalys trains link Brussels to Amsterdam (The Netherlands), Cologne (Germany) and Paris (France).

Eurostar operates direct high-speed trains from London’s Waterloo International station to Paris’ Gare du Nord station to Brussels Midi/Zuid station. It takes just two hours 40 minutes from London to Paris (via Lille) and then two hours 20 minutes to Brussels. For further information and reservations, visit the Eurostar website at: www.eurostar.com; or Rail Europe: www.raileurope.co.uk.

Rail Passes
The Inter-Rail pass offers unlimited second-class train travel in up to 29 European countries (including Morocco and Turkey) split into eight zones. Three different tickets are available. The pass also gives discounts on Eurostar and some ferry routes. Passengers must be resident in Europe for at least six months before the pass is used. Travel is not allowed in the passenger’s country of residence. Visit www.interrailnet.com for more information.

The Eurailpass offers unlimited first-class train travel in 17 European countries. Tickets are valid for 15 days, 21 days, one month, two months or three months. There are five different Eurailpasses available. The passes cannot be sold to residents of Europe, Turkey, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia or the Russian Federation. Visit www.eurail.com for more information.

The European travelcard Railplus entitles the buyer to a 25% reduction on all international conventional trains, on condition that the journey crosses at least one border. Visit www.international-rail.com for more information.

The Benelux Tourrail ticket offers five days of unlimited travel within a period of 30 days by rail in Belgium, Luxembourg and The Netherlands. Visit www.railpass.com/eurail/passes/benelux.HTM for more information.

Sea
The main ports are at Ostend and Zeebrugge. Two overnight car-ferries operate between Zeebrugge and Hull (UK), as well as between Zeebrugge and Rosyth (Scotland). Fares and schedules vary widely according to seasonal demand. Visit www.poferries.com for UK ferries and www.superfast.com for Scotland ferries. These ferries take 14 hours from Hull and 17.5 hours from Rosyth. As of the year 2002, regular passenger ferry services are no longer available between Ostend and the UK. However, Hoverspeed (www.hoverspeed.com) runs a bus twice daily between Ostend and Calais (France), taking 1 hour 15 minutes in travel time.

Air
Belgium is such a small country that there are very few internal flights. Brussels-Antwerp is the only connection and it’s rarely used as the train is much cheaper and faster.

Bicycles
Bicycles are a popular form of transport in Belgium, especially the picturesque town of Brugge. The medieval centre of Brugge is closed off to cars, making it a lovely place to explore by bicycle. Bikes can be rented at 18 major train stations throughout Belgium and can be returned at any other participating train station of your choice. Often trains will let you bring a bicycle on free of charge.

Bus
Bus services operate between Brussels airport and Antwerp, Ghent and Liège. However, buses tend to me a secondary means of getting around Belgium as the rail network is so efficient and widespread. The exception is the Ardennes. Here many train lines run to some bigger settlements, but many smaller villages are connected only by bus. Without a vehicle, you’ll find relatively short distances can involve long waits as bus routes are often sparsely serviced.

Rail
Trains are the best way to get around Belgium. SNCB operates a dense railway network with regular trains on most lines. Major train stations have information offices. There are four levels of service: InterCity (IC) trains which are the fastest, InterRegional (IR), local (L) and peak-hour (P) commuter trains which stop at special stations only. Depending on the line, there will be an IC or an IR train every half hour or hour. For more information, visit www.b-rail.be

Rail Passes
Go Pass offers preferential tariffs for 10 second-class trips within one year to people aged 26 and under. The Rail Pass offers preferential tariffs for 10 second-class trips within one year to people over 26. People aged 65 and over benefit from special tariffs. A 50% reduction card is also for sale. It entitles the holder to buy an unlimited number of half-price single tickets.

Road
Belgium’s motorways tend to be in excellent condition with a relatively easy flow of traffic across the country. The exceptions are, of course, peak-hour traffic on the ring roads surrounding Brussels and Antwerp, and the E40 to the coast is usually jam-packed on summer weekends.

When driving in Brussels, most road signs are bilingual. Yet out in the countryside confusion can occur with signs that use different spellings of place names in French, then suddenly switching to Flemish and visa versa.

Drivers from non-EU countries officially need an International Driving Permit. If you plan to rent a car within Belgium, it is usually less expensive if you arrange it before leaving home. Car rental agencies in airports tend to charge 15% more than agencies in town. Rental prices include insurance, VAT, and most companies offer unlimited kilometres. You will also need to be over 23 years of age, show your passport or ID card, driver’s license and credit card.

Keep in mind that Belgian drivers tend to be fast and aggressive whether driving on sleek highways or pot-holed inner-city streets and country lanes. Traffic drives on the right. Seat belts must be worn in the front and back seats of vehicles. Children under 12 are not permitted to travel in the front seat of a car. Trams always have priority on roads. 

Taxi
Taxis are plentiful in all towns. The tip is included in the final metre price. If there are no taxi stands, taxi companies may be telephoned for an extra charge.

Travel Pass
The "Brussels Card" gives free access to nearly all the Brussels museums and free Brussels (STIB) public transport for a period of 72 hours. It is valid for three days and includes a chip card, a ticket for public transport and an illustrated guide. It also gives a 25% discount in the famous mussels restaurant "Chez Léon", when using the service of the "Brussels Line" (the blue double-decker buses that take you through the city), and on the entrance fee at the Museum of the Royal Toone Theatre. The Brussels Card is available at tourist information counters, hotels, museums and agencies of the Brussels public transport. Visit www.brusselscard.be/ for more information.