Located in the earth of Europe, with 4 capital cities and more than 60 million of people living within 300 km, Brussels has a good road, rail and air connection.
How to get to Brussels by car?
Belgium has a very developed highway network and a highway called the Brussels Ring is surrounding the city. But if you decide to come by car, pay attention that Brussels is known to be one of the most congested cities in Europe.
You will need also to pay attention that the Brussels-Capital Region is a Low Emission Zone (LEZ). You can check if your car is allowed on the website of the Brussels-Capital Region: lez.brussels. If your car is not allowed, Park and ride car parking are accessible on the entry of the Brussels-Capital Region. Or you can buy a day pass of 35 € per day with a maximum of 8 days per years. More information on lez.brussels.
If your car is allowed in the Low Emission Zone, you will also have to register your vehicle (except for vehicles registered in the Netherlands). This registration is free and valid 5 years, but if you don’t register your vehicle, at least before midnight of the next day of the entry in the LEZ, you will have to pay a fine of 150 €. Any registration in another city in Belgium (like Antwerp) is not valid. You can register your vehicle on the following website: lez.brussels
How to get to Brussels by train?
The railway network is also very developed. So, Brussels is easy to reach from all the surrounding countries and it is linked to London, Paris and Amsterdam with high-speed train.
Getting to Brussels from London
Even if the United Kingdom and Belgium are separated by the North Sea, Brussels is directly accessible from London by high-speed train. The Eurostar link the station London Saint Pancras International in the center of London with the Brussels-South Station in the center of Brussels. With a speed up to 320 kilometers (200 mph), it takes around 2 hours to make the 317 km (197 mi) that separate the two cities. More information and online tickets on: www.eurostar.com.
Getting to Brussels from Paris
Brussels is very easy to access from Paris. The most easy way is to take the Thalys high-speed train that connects the two city centers in around 1 hour and 30 minutes, several times a day. More information can be found on their website: www.thalys.com.
Getting to Brussels from Amsterdam
The Capital city of the Netherlands has also good high-speed train connection with Brussels. Both Thalys and Eurostar run daily between Amsterdam Central and Brussels South. It takes between 1 hours 30 minutes and 2 hours to link the 2 cities.
How to get to Brussels by plane?
Brussels has two international airports. The Brussels National Airport (airport code: BRU), located in Zaventem , is the main airports of Brussels and also the closest one to the center. Indeed the airport border the Brussels-Capital Region. Brussels National Airport is also the main airport for the long-haul international flights from outside of Europe.
The second airport is the Brussels South Charleroi Airport (airport code: CRL). This airport is next to the City of Charleroi at around 55 km (34 mi) southward of Brussels. Many budget airlines like Ryanair and WizzAir mainly use this airport instead of the Brussels National Airport.
Brussels National Airport to city center
Located in Zaventem, the Brussels National Airport is very close from the center of Brussels. The Brussels Airport – Zaventem train station is located in the airport and allow to join the Brussels Central Station, in the center of Brussels, in less than 20 minutes. More information can be found on the website of the website of the National Railway Company of Belgium.
Brussels South Charleroi Airport to city center
The Brussels South Charleroi Airport is located next to the city of Charleroi at 55 km (34 mi) southward of Brussels. The most convenient to go from the Airport to Brussels is to use the shuttle bus. They connect every 30 min the airport and the Brussels South Station. It takes around 50 min to make the trip. More information can be found on the website of the Shuttle bus.
International bus service
Several international bus companies that provide bus connection between major European cities also serve the city of Brussels. More information can be found on the website of these companies: Flixbus and Eurolines.
