Brussels Airport has excellent train and bus connections not only to Brussels, but to the whole of Belgium and the neighbouring Netherlands.
What is the best transport to the city centre?
It's quick and convenient to get to the centre by train, with buses offering significantly cheaper connections with more direct lines.
| Price | Frequency | Travel time | Destination | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trains | 10,30 eur | 5-20 minutes | 10-20 minutes | Noord Station and on through the centre |
| Bus 12 | 7 eur from the airport 2,50 eur to the airport |
10-15 minutes | 40 minutes | Troon, Luxembourg (European Quarter) |
| Bus 471 | 2,50 eur | 15 minutes | 35 minutes | Noord Station |
| Bus 272 | 2,50 eur | 20-40 minutes | 50 minutes | Noord Station |
| Bus R59 | 2,50 eur | 15 minutes | 30 minutes | Roodebeek |
Train to Brussels city centre
The train offers the fastest way to the centre. The station is located in the underground terminal and trains will take you to the centre in 10-20 minutes depending on the number of stops.
You can take any train that stops at the airport, including long-distance services. All trains run to/from Brussels-Nord station, with some continuing on to Centraal and Midi/Zuid.
Timetables and online ticketing can be found on the Belgian Railways website. Search for the station as 'Brussels Airport': belgiantrain.be
To pay 10,30 eur (ticket price + "Diabolo" surcharge for the journey to/from the airport), you can buy from a ticket machine (coin or card payment),at the ticket office or on the mobile app (available on Google Play / App Store).
- Travel time to Brussel-Nord: 12 to 20 minutes
- Fares: 10,30 eur
- Frequency: 5 to 20 minutes
- First connection from Bruxelles-Nord - 4:47 (5:04 on weekends)
- Last connection from the airport - 0:02
In case of online purchase, when travelling to/from the airport, you will see an extra €6.30 for the journey to the airport in addition to the ticket for 10,30 eur. This option is only for passengers who have a pre-paid ticket for Brussels or Belgium and only need to purchase this airport surcharge.
By purchasing a standard ticket with an origin or destination at the airport, the airport surcharge is automatically included in the price and does not need to be purchased separately.
By bus to Brussels city centre
All buses stop outside the arrivals hall and are clearly signposted.
Line 12
There is a direct bus line 12 (timetable: stib-mivb.be) from the airport to the European Quarter. The bus runs every 12 minutes, the journey takes 30 minutes. The tickets are a bit illogically differentiated separately for the journey to and from the airport.
From the airport to the city centre you pay 7 eur. The ticket is non-transferable and valid for 1 ride only (Go2City fare).
For the journey from the city centre to the airport, use the normal 60-minute transfer ticket for 2,10 eur. You can also use a 24-hour ticket for 7,50 eur for the journey to the airport, but not for the journey from the airport.
The easiest way to pay for your tickets is with your own contactless card inside the bus. Simply hold it up to the grey validator after boarding and the amount will be automatically deducted. If you buy your ticket from a machine, it will be 0,50 eur more expensive.
When travelling to the airport, be aware that some of the Line 12 services already end at the Meiser stop.
- Journey time to Troon stop: 40 minutes
- Frequency: 10-15 minutes (20 minutes at weekends)
- First connection from Troon - 4:31
- Last connection from the airport - 0:30
Bus number 12 is an express bus and only stops at the stops shown below.
For more information about public transport in Brussels, visit www.stib-mivb.be.
Lines 471 and 272
In addition to the train, Brussel Noord / Bruxelles Nord station can also be reached by express bus 471 and local line 272.
- 272 - timetable and map at delijn.be/272
- 471 - timetable and map at delijn.be/471
Tickets can be bought for 2,50 eur with a contactless card inside the bus or, at a De Lijn ticket machine or on the De Lijn mobile app. You can also buy a 24hoiden ticket for 7,50 eur for all De Lijn connections.
Lines 272 and 471 are operated by a different system than the Brussels metro, trams and buses of the transport company STIB-MIVB. The tickets are incompatible with each other (for example, the STIB-MIVB all-day ticket for 7,50 eur is not valid on lines 272 and 471).
- Travel time to Brussel-Nord: 35 minutes on line 471, 50 minutes on line 272
- Frequency: 15 minutes on line 471, 20-40 minutes (40 minutes at weekends) on line 272
- First connection from Bruxelles-Nord - 5:03 (272), 5:22 (471)
- Last connection from the airport - 22:07 (471), 22:52 (272)
Line R59
The R59 bus service (timetable and map at delijn.be/r59) is the best way to get to the north of Brussels. You can also change to metro line 1 at Roodebeek terminus.
The R59 is operated by De Lijn and tickets cost 2,50 eur, or 7,50 eur for 24 hours. As with lines 272 or 471, tickets for this bus are valid only for De Lijn and not for Brussels metro, trams or STIB-MIVB buses.
The bus runs once every 15 minutes from 5:53 to 23:00.
Night line 620
At night, you can get to the airport on the De Lijn bus number 620 (timetable and map on delijn.be/620), which runs every hour across Brussels, ticket costs 2,50 eur and can be bought on the mobile app or with a card on the bus.
Line 620 runs from about 0:50 to 5:00 every 30 minutes.
By train in Belgium and the Netherlands
Long-distance trains stop at the airport station, mainly going north to Antwerp, the Netherlands, but also to Liege or other cities in Belgium with a change in Brussels.
Timetables and online tickets can be found at belgiantrain.be or on the official Belgian Railways mobile app.
- Antwerp - non-stop about 3-4 times per hour, journey time 30 minutes, price 13,30 eur
- Bruges - without change approx. 1x per hour, journey time 1.5 hours, price 23,80 eur
- Ghent - without change approx. 1-2 times per hour, journey time 60 minutes, price 17,80 eur
- Rotterdam - without transfer approx. 1x per hour, journey time 1.3 hours, price from 43,20 eur
- Amsterdam - without transfer approx. 2 times per hour, journey time 2.5 hours, price from 58 eur
Buses to the Netherlands
Long-distance buses are welcome price competition for trains, especially in the direction of Rotterdam and Amsterdam.
Although the frequency of services directly from Brussels Airport to both cities is only about 6-7 times per day, the ticket price is significantly lower and starts at 12 eur.
All services are operated by Flixbus.
Taxi to Brussels
Taxis are particularly useful at night when public transport is not busy.
In Brussels, taxis run strictly by meter and the price is calculated by combining the distance travelled and the time spent on the journey. To get to central Brussels, pay between 45 eur and 50 eur.
You can also use the services of Uber or Bolt.
Car rental
Would you like to go on a road-trip to Belgian cities, the sea or the Ardennes? Brussels Airport is home to many international rental companies.
Rental prices in Brussels are relatively low by European standards and weekly rentals start from 160 eur.