Most foreign travellers will come to Brussels either by train or plane. International trains such as Thalys, Eurostar or the German ICE stop at Bruxelles-Midi/Brussel Zuid station. It’s quite easy to leave the station using public transport, either the Metro (Line 2 that follows the limits of the "Pentagon", the city of Brussels itself) or the Pre-metro (in fact, an underground portion of the tram system) that crosses the city from North to South (more details on the public transport page). If you have a lot of luggage, a taxi may be the best solution. Look for the taxi signs in the station’s hall. They are just outside the station.
From Brussels (Zaventem) International Airport ( BRU ) : Going from Brussels Airport to town is easy as 1-2-3. A train links all 3 main Brussels station (Nord/Noord, Central/Centraal and Midi/Zuid) to the Airport station located at the -1 level of the aiport terminal. When you get off the plane, take the elevator or the escalator and you’re there. And it’s only a 20 minute train ride!
The train starts running from at around 5:30 am until past midnight. From Brussles, the first train is at around 4:40 am until 11 pm (from Bruxelles-Midi) and it will cost you 2,50 € in second class. If you’re taking the train on the week-end, check the schedule as it might be different. For train schedule, go to http://www.b-rail.be.
There is also an Express Bus Line, Line 12 starting at the Brussels Luxemburg train station, it stops at the NATO headquarter on the way to the Airport. They run (from Brussels-Luxemburg) from 7:33 am to 7:34 pm and from the aiport, the buses run from 5:45 am until 11:10 pm. Attention though, on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays line 12 is replaced by (non-express) line 11 starting and terminating at Schuman instead of Luxemburg. Both buses 11 and 12 also stop at Diamant pre-metro station where you can change onto the 23/90 tram to Rogier/Laeken in one Direction and Montgomery/Ixelles/Uccle/Gare du Midi in the other.
Oh... and the ticket is 3 Euros.
The most efficient solution depends on your exact destination in Brussels, for example for Eastern communes like Evère and the Woluwes, as well as the European quarter (Schuman-Luxembourg) it would be the bus whereas if you are headed for the city centre it would be the train. For more information (and alternatives) about going to or leaving the airport, click on the link below.
Website: Brussels Airport
From Brussels-South/Charleroi : a big Irish low-cost airline has chosen Charleroi to establisj its continental hub and others have followed. Approximately 45 minutes away from Brussels, you have 2 solutions : either the shuttle bus (stops at Bruxelles-Midi station) or regular public transportation (take line A to Charleroi-Sud station then a train to Brussels). The advantage of this second option is that for 10 euros (one way), you can use the bus and the train to any destination in Belgium. The other advantage, you are not limited at Bruxelles-Midi. You can also stop at Bruxelles-Central/Brussel-Centraal or Bruxelles Nord/Brussel Noord which might be more convenient.
Website: Brussels South Charleroi Airport
easyCruisetwo www.easyCruise.com cruise in and out of Brussels to a mooring not too far from Nord station. www.tui.com and www.saga.com [for passengers over 50] also cruise the river. You can take a trip to Antwerp, Rottedam and Amsterdam along the river / canal system. Easycruise prices start from GBP9 per cabin per night depending on promotions and how early you book. See Inside Page: Cruising the River
