Because finding the right train or bus in a foreign country can be tricky: let us help you plan your journey from the moment you arrive in Belgium. Whether you took a plane or a train in, and whether you’re staying in Brussels, Bruges or all the way in Ypres.
You arrive by plane in Brussels Airport (Zaventem)
You are lucky. Brussels Airport has its own train station and there are direct connections to the main Belgian cities. We’ve listed a few train journeys here along with how long they take and what the ticket price is. You can buy tickets in the station itself. When you buy one on the train, you will pay €12 extra. Train tickets usually already include the Diabolo tax (a compensation for the new train tunnel and station), so normally you won’t have to pay anything extra. One warning though: hold on to your tickets to get through the barriers!
- Brussels: To get to the centre of our wonderful capital, take the train to Brussel-Centraal. The journey takes 15 minutes and costs €8,60.
To take a Eurostar or Thalys train to Londen, Paris or Amsterdam, take the train to Brussel-Zuid / Bruxelles-Midi, where you can continue your journey. This takes you 20 minutes and also costs €8,60.
Brussels also has a third station, Brussel-Noord, but it is used not that often by travelers. Just in case: the journey from Brussels Airport takes Services 10 minutes and costs €8,60.
- Bruges: Bruges has only one station, so there shouldn’t be any confusion. Your train ride from the airport takes approximately 1,5 hours and costs €20,80.
- Ghent: Ghent has two stations, but the only one you’ll need wholesale mlb jerseys is Gent-Sint-Pieters. It takes 1 hour to get there by train, and a ticket is €15,40.
- Antwerp: Again, a few stations, but night the main one is Antwerpen-Centraal, also one of the most beautiful train stations in the world. (Believe us, it’s true.) A journey from Brussels Airport takes 30 minutes and costs €11,30.
- Ypres: This is a bit of a journey, but with a few changes you will get there. First, take the train to Kortrijk, then change to get the train to Ypres. This will take you 2,5 hours, a ticket is €24,20.
By the way, a quick reminder for when you take the train back to the airport on your way home: the station is called Brussel-Nationaal-Luchthaven. So don’t get off at Zaventem station, that will only get you to the cheap jerseys city next to the airport.
(Brussels Airport was targeted during the 22 March attacks, but is up and running again. Safety measures and precautions have been taken, and you will be checked a few times before you can enter the airport. All up to date information about security procedures, flights and check-in times can be found on their website.)
You arrive by plane in Brussels South Airport (Charleroi)
Apart from the fact you probably took a slightly Kewanitaan cheaper flight than most travelers who arrive at the actual Brussels Airport – and thus saved a bit of money – you are not so lucky. Brussels South is our low budget airport in the city of Charleroi, and is Greenpeace actually 42 kilometres away from the centre of our capital. It does not have its own station, and it is a bit of a pickle to get out of there. But don’t worry, when you’re not in a massive hurry, you will get to your destination.
- Brussels South is connected with the city of Charleroi Edwin by bus. It is number A in front of the airport building, and a single ticket will cost you €5. The journey takes around 20 minutes, and the bus drops you off in front of the Charleroi-Sud station.
Here you can take a train to Brussels, which takes 1 hour and costs €9,50. For other major cities, we recommend going via Brussels as well. In the airport you can also buy a ticket that combines the bus and train journey to any Belgian station, but the price stays the same. - Another option is the Brussels City Shuttle. It costs between €5 and €14 for a single journey, takes 1 hour and drops you off at the Brussel-Zuid / Bruxelles-Midi station. Book your tickets here.
- The same company also offers shuttle services to Ghent and Bruges, which take 1h 20min and 2h 10min respectively. Tickets vary from €5 to €20, and can be bought here.
You arrive by train in Brussels-Midi
You have probably taken a Eurostar from London, a Thalys from Paris or Amsterdam or an ICE Flanders train from Germany. Brussels-Midi (or in Dutch, very confusingly: Brussel-Zuid*) is one of the main stations of the country, so there are very good train connections with other cities.
- Brussels: Technically you are in Brussels already, but not quite in the actual centre with Manneken Pis and the Grand Place. You can take a train from Brussels-Midi to Brussel-Centraal, it is the next stop. This journey takes 5 minutes and costs €2,10.
You can also take the metro, but for a 5 minute journey we find taking two trains a lot of hassle. Is it sunny outside? Walking from Brussels-Midi to the Grand Place (1,8 kilometres) shouldn’t take you more than 20 minutes. - Bruges: Your train ride takes approximately 1 hour and costs €14,30.
- Ghent: Ghent has two stations, but the only one you’ll need is Gent-Sint-Pieters. It takes 35 minutes to get there by train, and a ticket is €9,00.
- Antwerp: Again, a few stations, Jok but the main one is Antwerpen-Centraal. A journey from Brussels-Midi takes 45 minutes to 1 hour, and costs €7,40.
- Ypres: This is a bit of a journey, but with a few changes you will get there. First, take the train to Gent-Sint-Pieters, then change to get the train to Ypres. This will take you 1 hour and 50 minutes, a ticket is €17,70.
*Why does Brussels-Midi have two confusing names, you ask?
Our capital has three main stations: Noord, Centraal and Zuid. Those are the names in Dutch. In French they are called Nord, Central and Midi. Why not Sud then? Because ‘midi’ in French wholesale jerseys means south, and not the middle. Simple, we know. You had no idea Belgians speak either Dutch, French or German?” We’ll enlighten you in this article.
