Welcome to Brussels
Land in sight! Hungry for a waffle yet? Or do you already feel the need for a cold one? Well, that will have to wait a little longer, I’m afraid, because you are not in Brussels just yet. Most likely, you land at Brussels Airport, which is located just ou
By train
The easiest connection to the city is by train. There is a station underneath the arrivals hall with connections to the city centre every ten minutes. The trains are operated by NMBS/SNCB, so make sure you buy a ticket at one of their machines or desks. A ticket to any of Brussels’ stations will cost you €3.40. On top of that, each train traveller from and to the airport has to pay the so-called Diablo tax, a surplus of €5.50. Within around 20 minutes, you arrive at Brussels Central Station.
By bus
At the ground-floor exit of the airport, you’ll find the bus station. Here, you’ll find buses run by De Lijn (the Flemish bus company) and MIVB-STIB (the Brussels equivalent). The most straight-forward trip to the city centre is with the MIVB-STIB airport line 12, which drops you off in the European quarter or at the Royal Palace. An airport ticket will cost you €4.50 (or €6 if you buy it on the bus itself). If you decide to take De Lijn, you can ride along all the way to the Brussels North Station (lines 272 and 471). To go straight to the Atomium, take line 820. A single De Lijn ticket costs you €3 if you buy it in advance.
By taxi
In front of the airport, you can also choose to grab a taxi. You’ll recognise licensed taxis by their yellow-blue label.
They work with a taximeter, but on average, your trip to the city centre will cost you around €45. The taxi app Uber isn’t licensed, but very popular in Brussels. Most Uber drivers, however, won’t be able to enter the designated taxi zone and might pick you up at the Kiss&Ride area. Often, their prices are quite a bit lower than those of licensed taxis.