Selected Travel Guide:		More Brussels Travel Guides:			Adjust Font Size:

Getting There By Air:

Brussels Zaventem (BRU)
Tel: 0900 70000.
Website: www.brusselsairport.be

Brussels Airport, operated by Brussels Airport Company (tel: (02) 753 4200), is situated 12km (8 miles) northeast of Brussels, offering flights to over 180 destinations worldwide. In 2006, more than 16.7 million passengers passed through the airport, which is a modern facility quite in keeping with the stature of the city it serves. Comprehensive free information guides are widely available around the airport.

Airport facilities: These include post office and medical facilities, bank and bureaux de change, ATMs, bars, restaurants, shops, tourist information and car hire from Avis, Europcar, Hertz, National/Alamo and Sixt.

Business facilities: The Regus Skyport Corporate Meeting Center (tel: (02) 714 0200) is located on the fourth-floor ‘Promenade’ level and offers 10 small meeting rooms and secretarial services.

Transport to the city: The Airport Line bus service, operated by MIVB/STIB (tel: (02) 515 2000; website: www.stib.irisnet.be), runs three to four times per hour daily (journey time - 40 minutes). The De Lijn bus (tel: (070) 220 200; website: www.delijn.be) operates every 45 minutes to the city center Monday to Saturday (journey time - 40 minutes). Also operated by STIB, the Airport City Express trains to the city (journey time - 15 minutes) depart every 15 minutes to Brussels’ three main stations - Gare Centrale, Gare du Nord and Gare du Midi. Services operate daily.

Taxis Verts (tel: (02) 349 4949; website: www.taxisverts.be) operates a transfer service to the city; prices start from around €35. Hotel courtesy coaches go to the nearby Holiday Inn, Novotel and Sofitel.

Brussels South Charleroi Airport (CRL)
Tel: (07) 125 1211.
Website: www.charleroi-airport.com

Brussels’ second and smaller airport is located 55km (37 miles) south of Brussels, in Charleroi - a one-hour drive from Lille, in the north of France. More than 2 million passengers used the airport in 2004, and a new terminal opened in January 2008. The privately owned airport, which belongs to the Walloon region and private investors, is an international airport for passenger and freight traffic, a test and training flight base for aeronautical industry and a center for general and business aviation. The acknowledged training center of all Belgian airlines, Belgian Flight School, is also based here. Low-cost airline Ryanair serves destinations in the UK, Italy, France, Ireland and Spain, while Wizz Air offers links to cities in Hungary, Poland and Slovenia.

Airport facilities: Facilities include bars, shops, lost property, a bank and duty-free shop. Car hire is available from Avis, Hertz, TC Location and Europcar.

Business facilities: There is a first class lounge available in the terminal.

Transport to the city: The MIVB/STIB (tel: (02) 515 2000; website: www.stib.irisnet.be) bus 68 runs from Charleroi Airport to the nearby Charleroi train station (journey time - 10 minutes). From there, a frequent SNCB (tel: (02) 528 2828; website: www.b-rail.be) train service connects to Brussels’ main stations (journey time - 45 minutes). A combined ticket is valid to any station in Belgium. There are plans to extend the rail link directly to the airport, but this is some years away.

There is a regular shuttle coach service to Brussels city center, with up to 20 departures each way daily (journey time - approximately 1 hour).

Approximate flight times to Brussels: From London is 55 minutes; from New York is 7 hours 30 minutes; from Los Angeles is 13 hours 35 minutes; from Toronto is 7 hours 45 minutes and from Sydney is 27 hours.

Getting There By Road:

Traffic drives on the right. Major towns are connected by toll-free motorways. Motorways are signposted with a white ‘E’ on a green background, major roads with an ‘N’ and minor roads with a ‘P’. The speed limit on motorways and dual carriageways is 120kph (75mph), on single carriageways outside built-up areas is 90kph (56mph) and in built-up areas is 50kph (31mph).

The minimum driving age is 18 years. A valid national driving license is required and national stickers must be displayed. EU nationals taking their own cars to Belgium are advised to obtain a Green Card, as basic insurance is mandatory for driving in Belgium. Children under 12 are forbidden to travel in the front seat without a child restraint. Seat belts must be worn in the front and back of vehicles. The maximum legal alcohol to blood ratio for driving is 0.05%. Driving licenses will be withdrawn for at least six hours if the breathalyser test is positive.

A warning triangle must be displayed at the scene of a breakdown or accident. After paying a membership fee and subscription, at the site of the breakdown, services can be obtained from the Royal Automobile Club de Belgique, Rue d’Arlon 53 (tel: (02) 287 0911; website: www.racb.com), or Touring Club de Belgique, Rue de la Loi 44 (tel: (02) 233 2202; website: www.touring.be). The latter has a reciprocal agreement with the AA, while VTB VAB Auto Assistance, 100 Rue Pastoor Coplaan, Zwijndrecht (tel: (03) 253 6101), has a reciprocal agreement with the RAC.

Emergency breakdown services: Royal Automobile Club de Belgique (tel: (02) 287 0900 or (078) 152 000); Touring Club de Belgique (tel: (070) 344 777); VTB VAB (tel: (070) 344 666).

Routes to the city: The extensive motorway ring road around Brussels offers easy access into the city center. Routes E19 and A12 lead north to Antwerp - from there, the E19 continues over the border toward Rotterdam and Amsterdam in The Netherlands. Route E19 also extends south to Paris, becoming E15. Route E40 links Brussels with Ghent - from there, Ostend is reachable via route E17. Route E411 links Brussels to Namur and route E40 to Liège, continuing east over the border toward Cologne, from where the E35 heads toward Frankfurt.

Approximate driving times to Brussels: From Antwerp - 35 minutes; from Ghent - 45 minutes; from Ostend - 1 hour 20 minutes; from Namur - 45 minutes; from Liège - 50 minutes; from Amsterdam - 2 hours 25 minutes; from Paris - 3 hours 20 minutes; from Frankfurt - 4 hours 15 minutes.

Coach services: Several companies provide bus services to nearby Belgian cities - all are much slower than the equivalent train routes. De Lijn (tel: (070) 220 200; website: www.delijn.be) operates buses between Brussels and Flanders, while TEC (tel: (010) 235 353; website: www.tec-wl.be) provides a similar service to French-speaking Wallonia. Most buses depart from Gare du Nord, in the Espace Nord, although some depart from Place Rouppe, in the Marolles district. There is a general enquiries line (tel: (02) 515 2000).

Eurolines (tel: (02) 274 1350; website: www.eurolines.com) operates international services to major European destinations. It has direct routes to Cologne, Munich and Luxembourg from Noord I, CCN Noordstation, Rue du Progrès - Vooruitgangstraat 80  (tel: (02) 274 1350) and services to certain destinations in France, Portugal and Spain from Zuid/Midi, Place de la Constitution 10 (tel: (02) 538 2049).

Getting There By Rail:

Some €9 billion were pumped into the Belgian National Railways - SNCB/NMBS (tel: (02) 528 2828; website: www.b-rail.be), in a 10-year modernization completed in 2005. The service is fast and very efficient. There are three major railway stations in Brussels - Bruxelles-Central, located in the heart of the city, Bruxelles-Nord, to the north of the main ring road, and Bruxelles-Midi, to the south. They share a rail enquiries line (tel: (02) 555 2555). All three stations have bars, refreshments and disabled access, while Bruxelles-Midi and Bruxelles-Nord both have car parks.

Rail services: Most domestic trains stop at all three stations. Eurostar trains (tel: (02) 528 2828; website: www.eurostar.com) from London and Thalys express trains (tel: (070) 667 788; website: www.thalys.com) from Aachen, Amsterdam, Cologne, The Hague, Rotterdam and Paris stop at Bruxelles-Midi, the TGV (high-speed train) terminal. Links to Paris (journey time - 1 hour 30 minutes) and London (journey time - 1 hour 51 minutes) are fast and efficient.

Getting Around:




Public Transport
The integrated bus, overground and underground (prémétro) tram and métro network is operated by Société des Transports Intercommunaux Bruxellois, known as STIB (tel: 0900 10310; website: www.stib.irisnet.be). The system operates daily 0600-2400. Although efficient and extremely clean, the network is not without its problems - plans to replace the underground trams with an extended métro system have yet to materialize. However, recent improvements include the addition of lifts for disabled passengers at Maelbeek, De Brouckère and Gare-Centrale stations. STIB information points are located at Porte de Namur, Rogier and Midi métro stations, as well as at the Anspach Shopping Center, Rue de l’Evêque.

Above ground, the métro is identified by a sign bearing a white ‘M’ on a blue background. Many stations display the works of local artists and métro seats are soft and comfortable - the service is pleasant even during rush hour (0730-0930 and 1600-1830). Métro lines 1A and1B form a giant ‘H’ shape. Métro line IA runs northwest to southeast, from Roi Baudouin to Herrmann-Debroux. Line 1B runs southwest to northeast, from Erasmus to Stockel. Lines 1A and 1B join in the middle, running along the same lines from Beekhant to Merode, to serve the central part of the city. The incomplete circle of line 2, from Simonis to Clemenceau, follows the inner ring road underground. New vehicles were introduced on some routes in 2007.

Tram and bus stops are indicated by red and white signs respectively. The route number and destination are displayed on the front of the vehicle and all stops are request stops. Brussels’ bright yellow and blue trams serve the city center and suburbs. The trams reach their highest speeds underground - the prémétro runs south, underneath the heart of the city from Gare du Nord, stopping at Place de Brouckère and Bourse, and Bruxelles-Midi (Eurostar terminal). Some services run on to St-Gilles and Albert.

You can buy transport tickets at métro stations and many newsagents. The tourist reception desk at Rue du Marché-aux-Herbes 63, and the tourist information office at the Town Hall in Grand-Place sell day transport tickets (see below) and give out free maps of the network - also available at most métro stations. Tickets must be stamped at the métro ticket barrier, either prior to or upon boarding the bus or tram. You can also buy bus and overground tram tickets prior to upon boarding the vehicle (exact change is required for the latter). Once purchased, the ticket is valid for any form of public transport, including changes.

It is cheaper to buy a one-hour ticket (la carte d’une voyage) in advance. Buying 10 (hour-long) journey tickets (la carte Jump de 10 voyages) is cheaper still. Alternatively you can buy a one-day pass (la carte Jump d’un jour) which is valid for two people at weekends and holidays. A one-day group card (maximum five persons) is valid at weekends, holidays and after 0900 on weekdays. The discounted cards are generally not valid on the airport or NATO routes.

In addition to the STIB network, Belgian National Railways (see Getting There By Rail) local trains depart from Bruxelles-Chapelle, Bruxelles-Quartier Léopold, Bruxelles-Schuman and Bruxelles-Congrès, linking the inner city to the suburbs.

Taxis
Autolux (tel: (02) 512 3123; website: www.taxisautolux.be) is the official taxi service in Brussels. These cars are marked with a blue and yellow plaque and travel from Brussels Airport to the required destination in the city. In central Brussels, taxis are available at centrally located ranks at the major railway stations and at the Bourse, Place de Brouckère and Porte de Namur. Alternatively, you can hire taxis by telephone via radio taxi companies. These include Taxis Verts and Taxis Orange (tel: (02) 349 4949; website: www.taxisverts.be) and Taxis Bleus (tel: (02) 268 0000; website: www.taxisbleus.be). A €1 or €2 tip is acceptable.

Driving in the City
Although commuter traffic is heavy on the outskirts of Brussels during rush hour (0730-0930 and 1600-1830), the center is relatively easy to negotiate, once the one-way system has been mastered. There is considerable ongoing work to reduce city center traffic levels, including extensive pedestrianization and traffic management schemes.

In addition to car parks located in the city center, there is pay-and-display parking (accepting €0.10, €0.20, €0.50, €1 and €2 coins) in certain streets. The rules for use vary according to the time of day. There is also a large public car park under the Novotel Hotel, Rue de la Montagne. Street parking rates vary, and apply Monday to Saturday 0900-1300 and 1430-1900, with free street parking available on Sunday and holidays.

Car Hire
Car hire is available to drivers aged 23 years and over, on presentation of a passport or identity card and valid national driving license, held for at least one year. All the major providers are present at Brussels Airport. Other locations throughout the city include Avis, Gare du Midi (tel: (02) 527 1705; website: www.avis.be), Budget, at the Bristol Stephanie Hotel, Avenue Louise 91 (tel: (02) 646 5130; website: www.budget.com), Europcar, Eurostar/Thalys Arrival Hall, Brussels Midi station, Avenue Fonsy 46 (tel: (02) 522 9573; website: www.europcar.com), and Hertz, at Bruxelles-Midi station (tel: (02) 524 3100; website: www.hertz.be).

Third Party Liability insurance should be covered by the hire rates, but you should always check this.

Bicycle Hire
Pro Vélo, Rue de Londres 15 (tel: (02) 502 7355; website: www.provelo.org), offers bicycles for hire as well as guided themed tours.

Related Brussels Content

Related Belgium Content

Belgium Airport Guides: Brussels Brussels Midi	Belgium City Guides: Antwerp City Guide Bruges City Guide Brussels City Guide
Belgium Attraction Guides:
Atomium Cathedral of Our Lady (Onze Lieve Vrouwe-Kathedraal) Central Square (Grand Place)	Flanders Fields Statue of the Pissing Boy (Manneken-Pis)