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Heading to Brussels? Good decision, you're going to find a fabulous city, full of history, monuments and great food. But before you book your flight, bear in mind that the city has two airports.
One is Brussels Zaventem Airport and the other is Charleroi Airport. Although both belong to the capital of Belgium, they have notable differences that you should be aware of before you start making arrangements for your trip to Brussels.
And if you have already bought your tickets, don't worry, here we will explain how to get to the centre of Brussels from both Brussels Zaventem International Airport and Charleroi Airport.
Before we look at their differences, we would like to point out that both have fantastic connections from their facilities to the centre of Brussels. Public and private transport works perfectly and you won't have any problems getting to your desired destination.
The first option, Brussels Zaventem International Airport, is located just 15 kilometres from Brussels and is the most important airport. Of course, if you have a choice, choose this option; for its proximity and facilities.
Zaventem Airport, also known as Brussels Airport (BRU), has been voted on several occasions as the best airport in the whole European continent, do you want to find out why? Then use it on your arrival in Brussels.
Charleroi Airport, located 55 kilometres south of Brussels, is a base for many low-cost airlines, and travelling from there to the centre of Brussels will take you about an hour.
Brussels Airport (BRU), called Zaventem Airport after the town in which it is located, is Belgium's main airport with over 21 million passengers a year. It is also the home base of Brussels Airlines.
This modern airport offers several ways to reach Brussels city centre.
The airport has a train stop on level -1. There is a train that runs every ten minutes, 24 hours a day, in the direction of the city centre. What you have to be careful with is the stop, as it is not always the same.
Trains will take you to Bruxelles Central, which despite its name is not the most important station, Bruxelles Nord or Bruxelles Midi, which is the most important.
Get off at Bruxelles Midi and, in just two minutes' walk, you'll be at Gare du Midi station, which will take you, in a couple of stops and using line 4, to Anneessens Premetro station. Exit the station and turn right, crossing the well-known Place Fontaines onto Boulevard Anspach. There you will find your destination; the Grand Place Hostel Latroupe.
By the way, trains to other major Belgian cities such as Ghent, Antwerp and Bruges also pass through this station. So don't get on the first train that arrives, but if they are heading towards the city centre, they will stop at almost every major station.
The cost of the journey is just over €9 on weekdays and can cost just over €15 on weekends and public holidays. In less than 20 minutes you'll be walking through the centre of Brussels.
You can buy your ticket online on the Belgium Trains website or from one of the many ticket machines you'll find from the baggage claim area to the train platform.
The bus is another of the best and most frequently used options. The bus station is located on level 0 and the directions to the bus station are clear and easy.
There are two companies operating the route we want to take; STIB and De Linj. Let's start with the first one. STIB, whose ticket is called Go2City, has two lines, number 12 and 21, which will take you to the city centre. Whether you take one or the other depends on the day and time you land.
Line 12 runs Monday to Friday until 20:00 and is express as it has few stops and you can reach its final stretch, the European Quarter, in about 25 minutes, with its last three stops being Schuman, Place Luxembourg and Trone.
The latter is precisely the one that is closest to your destination. To get to the Grand Place Hostel Latroupe from Trone, just take bus number 95 which will drop you off at the impressive Grand Place, your first photo awaits you. From there, in less than five minutes on foot you'll be on boulevard Anspach 159.
If you prefer to walk around the city centre before leaving your luggage at the hostel, the first two stops are very well connected to metro lines 1 and 5 so you can get around the centre without any difficulty. Trone is served by lines 2 and 6 in close proximity.
Line 21 runs at night as well as on Saturdays and Sundays. It also has several stops in the European Quarter, coinciding with line 12 at the most important stops. On both lines, the fare is around €7.
Let's talk about the second option, the De Lijn buses. They're cheaper, even a little less than half the price of the previous option, but they have more stops, so they're slower and their lines 272 and 471 will take you to the northern station of Gare du Nord. From here, just take the line 4 train to Anneessens Premetro station. Turn right out of the station onto Boulevard Maurice Lemonnier and cross over Place Fontaines onto Boulevard Anspach. In a few steps you will be at your home in Brussels; the Grand Place Hostel Latroupe.
It's a little further from the historic centre, but you can also use lines 359 and 659 which will drop you off at the Roodebeek metro stop. About half an hour from the hostel. If for some reason you end up choosing this option, it is also easy and convenient to get to. Once at Roodebeek station, take metro line 1 to the De Brouckere stop. The journey takes about 15 minutes. Once outside the station, on Rue de L'Evêque, walk in the opposite direction to the traffic and after a few steps you will see Boulevard Anspach on your left hand side. Walk for about eight minutes until you reach number 159, your cosy home in Brussels, the Grand Place Hostel Latroupe.
As a major international airport, the transport options are numerous and private transport is a must. It may not be the cheapest option, but it is the most comfortable if you don't want to worry about anything.
The price range is from 45€ to 60€, and the time will depend a lot on the traffic due to the time of day. It is not the most recommended option as it represents a large outlay compared to any of the above options.
Charleroi Airport has no fewer options than its big brother to get you to the heart of Brussels as comfortably as possible, despite being some 60 kilometres away.
Even if you choose to use the train, you will first have to take a bus. Take the Airport Express bus, which will take you to Charleroi train station. The journey takes about 20 minutes. Once there, a train leaves every 30 minutes in the direction of Antwerp. Believe it or not, that's your train.
In just under an hour, this train passes through the three main stations of Brussels, Bruxelles Central, Bruxelles Nord and Bruxelles Midi. The price of the train is about 14€.
From Bruxelles Midi station head for the nearby Gare du Midi station. Take line 4 and just two stops later you will be at Anneessens Premetro station. Exit the station and turn right, cross Place Fontaines and head towards Boulevard Anspach. At number 159 your home awaits you; the Grand Place Hostel Latroupe.
If you thought; “if I have to take a bus to get to the train, then I'll continue by bus”, it's not a bad idea. FlibCo provides a bus that leaves every 30 minutes and operates from 8am to 1am.
Its destination is the South Station, and for about €19 it will get you there in just under an hour. The name of the station sounds familiar, doesn't it? It's the Midi station, and the directions from Bruxelles Midi station to the Grand Place Hostel Latroupe are two paragraphs above. You can't get lost.
There's nothing quite like the glamour of a chauffeur with your name on a piece of paper welcoming you to Brussels. Feel like you're in a movie by being chauffeured to Grand Place Hostel Latroupe, in the centre of Brussels, at a pre-arranged, pre-arranged price. It's not the cheapest, but it's certainly not the most expensive, and it's certainly not the most comfortable.
As with Brussels Airport, this is the most expensive option. However, depending on how eager you are to get to your room and how many people are in the taxi, it can be a more or less sensible option.
The journey will cost no less than €90 and depending on traffic you can get there in just over half an hour.
