Brussels
Getting there
By Air:
Brussels International Airport (+32 2 753 7753 / http://www.brusselsairport.be) is situated 8 miles east of the city. There are plenty of restaurants, bars, shops, and a stunning array of art displays spread throughout the single terminal, offering delay diversions. Info booths, ATMs, and currency exchange stations are also widely available. Airlines include:
Aer Lingus (+1 800 474 7424 / http://www.aerlingus.com)
Air Canada (+1 888 247 2262 / http://www.aircanada.ca)
Air France (+1 800 441 0770 / http://www.airfrance.com)
Air Malta (+1 877 702 2600 / http://www.airmalta.com)
Air New Zealand(+1 800 262 1234 / http://www.airnewzealand.com)
Air Transat (+1 877 872 6728 / http://www.airtransat.com)
Air Wales (+870 777 3131 / http://www.airwales.com)
Alitalia (+1 800 223 5730 / http://www.alitalia.com)
American Airlines (+1 800 433 7300 / http://www.aa.com)
BMI Baby (+1 800 788 0555 / http://www.bmibaby.com)
British Airways (+1 800 217 9297 / http://www.ba.com)
Condor ( +1 800 364 1667 / http://www.condor.com)
Corendon Airlines (+32 2 722 9494 / http://www.corendon.com)
KLM (+1 800 447 4747 / http://www.klm.com)
Lufthansa (+1 800 645 3880 / http://www.lufthansas.com)
TAP Portugal (+351 707 205 700/ http://www.flytap.com)
US Airways (+1 800 428 4322 / http://www.usairways.com)
United Airlines (+1 800 864 8331 / http://www.united.com)
Virgin Express (+32 70 35 3637 / http://www.virgin-express.com)
Ground Transportation:
Rental car desks are located in the arrivals hall and include: Avis (+32 2 730 6211 / http://www.avis.be), Budget (+32 2 753 2170 / http://www.budget.com), Hertz (+32 2 720 6044 / http://www.hertz.be), Europcar (+32 2 348 9212 / http://www.europcar.be), and Sixt (+32 2 753 2560 / http://www.sixt.be).
Taxis to the city can be found outside the arrivals hall. Avoid the hustlers in the baggage area peddling too-good-to-be-true taxi rides. The drivers are not licensed and are generally more expensive despite the bargains they may divulge. Stick with cabs bearing a yellow and blue license emblem.
Buses depart from the station beneath the arrivals hall. The STIB/MIVB (+32 2 515 2000) Airport Express bus (12) runs between the airport and Brussels with stops at NATO and the Schuman metro station. De Lijn buses (+32 2 526 2828) leave every 45 minutes for the city center and points beyond. Hourly coach service to Antwerp on an SN Brussels Airlines Expressbus is available.
The Airport City Express train (+32 2 528 2828 / http://www.b-rail.be) journeys from the terminal's basement station (-1) to the major train stations in town: Gare Centrale, Gare du Midi and Gare du Nord. Service runs from 6am until midnight, and one-way fare starts at EUR2.50. Regional train service is also available to Ghent and De Panne in the northwest and Quevy and Quievrain in the southwest.
By Bus:
Eurolines (+32 2 203 0707 / http://www.eurolines.be) are stationed out of CCN Gare du Nord and offer frequent routes to and from most European cities. Numerous local bus companies including De Lijn (+32 2 526 2828) fan out to domestic cities from the Place Rouppe.
By Car:
The E19 from north/south, the E40 from east/west and the 411 from the southeast, along with a hodgepodge of toll free national highways converge on the aptly named Outer Ring road surrounding Brussels.
By Train:
Brussels is one of the major high-speed train hubs for northern Europe. With five stations situated within the city limits, options abound when it comes to getting in and out of town by rail. Belgian Railways (SCNB/NMBS) (+32 2 528 2828 / http://www.b-rail.be) runs the show once you are on the Belgium tracks, and the company has a wide-ranging system of domestic coverage and numerous partnerships for international travel. Eurostar (+32 2 400 6731 / http://www.eurostar.com) has regular daily service between Brussels Midi/Zuid Station and London's St. Pancras International via the Chunnel. Thalys high speed trains connect Brussels Midi station with Amsterdam, Netherlands and Cologne, Germany, as well as a wealth of destinations in France. France is also linked to Brussels with TGV trains, which (via transfer) will carry you to just about any town in the country. InterCity, InterRegional, and EuroCity trains link Brussels to Europe's most important cities, with daily and, in cases like the ICB Benelux train to Amsterdam, hourly service. Night trains offer long-haul alternatives on most of these routes. The local train network is extensive as well. An upgrade of the entire system was completed in 2005, making train travel within Belgium even more efficient.
Getting Around:
Considering the compact nature of the city center and the quality of its mass transit system, it is not necessary to compete with locals for control of the streets in a car. Besides, odd traffic rules like the hey-buddy-I'm-on-the-right-so-get-out-of-my-way law, the aggressive and speedy nature of drivers in general, and the maze of one-way streets make gawking at road signs while fumbling with a map almost impossible. On the positive side, the city center is not as traffic laden as the outskirts, but it is still best to park the car at your hotel or one of the numerous downtown parking lots and rely on your feet, public transport or a cab. Taxis are not hailed in the city, but pickup stations are positioned on most major streets and if you wait there a cab will stop. Also look for cabs outside of train stations. If all else fails, you can call a taxi service and have a cab dispatched from one of the following companies: Autolux (+32 2 411 1221), Taxis Verts (+32 2 349 4646), Taxis Orange (+32 2 349 4949) and Taxis Bleus (+32 2 264 9801).
Public Transit:
Buses, trams, and the metro are all managed by one company, so any sort of pass is good for multiple services. The system operates from 6am-11pm daily. Network maps are available in all of the stations and in tourist info halls. The metro has three lines fanning out from the nucleus of the city well into the suburbs. Line 1A and 1B both run east/west through the city center before separating, with each end carrying on further abroad. Line 2 runs a half circle complement around the other lines, creating a network that not only brings locals into the city from the distant suburbs, but also takes tourists to the most important attractions in town. The various stations (which are literal art galleys, with local work on display at each to divert pacing and thumb twiddling) are marked with a white "M" in a blue square. The convoluted network of lines forming the high wired ceiling of the tram system may be an eyesore, but the bright yellow and blue trams (premetro, a.k.a. street cars) crawling along the city streets like alien caterpillars are the best means to get from point to point. The cars are everywhere, with most routes connecting the three major train stations while stopping at a host of metro stops and bus lines. Buses can carry you anywhere that the metro and trams do not go, although they tend to be the most uncomfortable and crowded of your transit options.
By Air:
Brussels International Airport (+32 2 753 7753 / http://www.brusselsairport.be) is situated 8 miles east of the city. There are plenty of restaurants, bars, shops, and a stunning array of art displays spread throughout the single terminal, offering delay diversions. Info booths, ATMs, and currency exchange stations are also widely available. Airlines include:
Aer Lingus (+1 800 474 7424 / http://www.aerlingus.com)
Air Canada (+1 888 247 2262 / http://www.aircanada.ca)
Air France (+1 800 441 0770 / http://www.airfrance.com)
Air Malta (+1 877 702 2600 / http://www.airmalta.com)
Air New Zealand(+1 800 262 1234 / http://www.airnewzealand.com)
Air Transat (+1 877 872 6728 / http://www.airtransat.com)
Air Wales (+870 777 3131 / http://www.airwales.com)
Alitalia (+1 800 223 5730 / http://www.alitalia.com)
American Airlines (+1 800 433 7300 / http://www.aa.com)
BMI Baby (+1 800 788 0555 / http://www.bmibaby.com)
British Airways (+1 800 217 9297 / http://www.ba.com)
Condor ( +1 800 364 1667 / http://www.condor.com)
Corendon Airlines (+32 2 722 9494 / http://www.corendon.com)
KLM (+1 800 447 4747 / http://www.klm.com)
Lufthansa (+1 800 645 3880 / http://www.lufthansas.com)
TAP Portugal (+351 707 205 700/ http://www.flytap.com)
US Airways (+1 800 428 4322 / http://www.usairways.com)
United Airlines (+1 800 864 8331 / http://www.united.com)
Virgin Express (+32 70 35 3637 / http://www.virgin-express.com)
Ground Transportation:
Rental car desks are located in the arrivals hall and include: Avis (+32 2 730 6211 / http://www.avis.be), Budget (+32 2 753 2170 / http://www.budget.com), Hertz (+32 2 720 6044 / http://www.hertz.be), Europcar (+32 2 348 9212 / http://www.europcar.be), and Sixt (+32 2 753 2560 / http://www.sixt.be).
Taxis to the city can be found outside the arrivals hall. Avoid the hustlers in the baggage area peddling too-good-to-be-true taxi rides. The drivers are not licensed and are generally more expensive despite the bargains they may divulge. Stick with cabs bearing a yellow and blue license emblem.
Buses depart from the station beneath the arrivals hall. The STIB/MIVB (+32 2 515 2000) Airport Express bus (12) runs between the airport and Brussels with stops at NATO and the Schuman metro station. De Lijn buses (+32 2 526 2828) leave every 45 minutes for the city center and points beyond. Hourly coach service to Antwerp on an SN Brussels Airlines Expressbus is available.
The Airport City Express train (+32 2 528 2828 / http://www.b-rail.be) journeys from the terminal's basement station (-1) to the major train stations in town: Gare Centrale, Gare du Midi and Gare du Nord. Service runs from 6am until midnight, and one-way fare starts at EUR2.50. Regional train service is also available to Ghent and De Panne in the northwest and Quevy and Quievrain in the southwest.
By Bus:
Eurolines (+32 2 203 0707 / http://www.eurolines.be) are stationed out of CCN Gare du Nord and offer frequent routes to and from most European cities. Numerous local bus companies including De Lijn (+32 2 526 2828) fan out to domestic cities from the Place Rouppe.
By Car:
The E19 from north/south, the E40 from east/west and the 411 from the southeast, along with a hodgepodge of toll free national highways converge on the aptly named Outer Ring road surrounding Brussels.
By Train:
Brussels is one of the major high-speed train hubs for northern Europe. With five stations situated within the city limits, options abound when it comes to getting in and out of town by rail. Belgian Railways (SCNB/NMBS) (+32 2 528 2828 / http://www.b-rail.be) runs the show once you are on the Belgium tracks, and the company has a wide-ranging system of domestic coverage and numerous partnerships for international travel. Eurostar (+32 2 400 6731 / http://www.eurostar.com) has regular daily service between Brussels Midi/Zuid Station and London's St. Pancras International via the Chunnel. Thalys high speed trains connect Brussels Midi station with Amsterdam, Netherlands and Cologne, Germany, as well as a wealth of destinations in France. France is also linked to Brussels with TGV trains, which (via transfer) will carry you to just about any town in the country. InterCity, InterRegional, and EuroCity trains link Brussels to Europe's most important cities, with daily and, in cases like the ICB Benelux train to Amsterdam, hourly service. Night trains offer long-haul alternatives on most of these routes. The local train network is extensive as well. An upgrade of the entire system was completed in 2005, making train travel within Belgium even more efficient.
Getting Around:
Considering the compact nature of the city center and the quality of its mass transit system, it is not necessary to compete with locals for control of the streets in a car. Besides, odd traffic rules like the hey-buddy-I'm-on-the-right-so-get-out-of-my-way law, the aggressive and speedy nature of drivers in general, and the maze of one-way streets make gawking at road signs while fumbling with a map almost impossible. On the positive side, the city center is not as traffic laden as the outskirts, but it is still best to park the car at your hotel or one of the numerous downtown parking lots and rely on your feet, public transport or a cab. Taxis are not hailed in the city, but pickup stations are positioned on most major streets and if you wait there a cab will stop. Also look for cabs outside of train stations. If all else fails, you can call a taxi service and have a cab dispatched from one of the following companies: Autolux (+32 2 411 1221), Taxis Verts (+32 2 349 4646), Taxis Orange (+32 2 349 4949) and Taxis Bleus (+32 2 264 9801).
Public Transit:
Buses, trams, and the metro are all managed by one company, so any sort of pass is good for multiple services. The system operates from 6am-11pm daily. Network maps are available in all of the stations and in tourist info halls. The metro has three lines fanning out from the nucleus of the city well into the suburbs. Line 1A and 1B both run east/west through the city center before separating, with each end carrying on further abroad. Line 2 runs a half circle complement around the other lines, creating a network that not only brings locals into the city from the distant suburbs, but also takes tourists to the most important attractions in town. The various stations (which are literal art galleys, with local work on display at each to divert pacing and thumb twiddling) are marked with a white "M" in a blue square. The convoluted network of lines forming the high wired ceiling of the tram system may be an eyesore, but the bright yellow and blue trams (premetro, a.k.a. street cars) crawling along the city streets like alien caterpillars are the best means to get from point to point. The cars are everywhere, with most routes connecting the three major train stations while stopping at a host of metro stops and bus lines. Buses can carry you anywhere that the metro and trams do not go, although they tend to be the most uncomfortable and crowded of your transit options.
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