Living in Belgium - Transport

Belgium boasts a very dense traffic network, both in terms of public transport (train, bus, tram, metro) and for private travel a dense network of roads.

Airports and air traffic

The following airports handle international traffic: the national airport of Brussels-Zaventem, Charleroi-Brussels-South, Liège, Ostend, Antwerp-Deurne. There is generally a mix of scheduled flights, charters and low-cost carriers.

The rail sector also has good high-speed (TGV) links. Paris-Charles de Gaulle and Amsterdam-Schiphol airports are readily accessible (in about an hour and a half from Brussels-Midi by through train).

Public transport has a well-developed infrastructure, with trains, buses, trams and taxis, due to both the regularity of travel times and the density of the network. Almost all routes have at least an hourly service between 6 a.m. and midnight on weekdays. Commuter travel is often (mostly) paid for by the employer.

By train

These are still organised by Belgian National Railways (SNCB/NMBS). Only goods transport has several operators. Single tickets are always sold for passenger travel. If you buy a return ticket, you pay the price of two one-way tickets. A host of concession fares are available for young people and senior citizens, as well as favourably priced 10-journey tickets, weekend fares, etc. Persons travelling for job interviews can qualify for concession fares arranged through the employment offices of the VDAB (Flemish Public Employment Service) and the BGDA/ORBEM (Brussels Regional Employment Office). There are first and second-class carriages. Stations also have automatic ticket machines. In smaller unmanned stations you must obtain a ticket from the conductor before travelling. Departure times are listed in chronological order on the boards. There are special announcement boards for weekend trains, and the larger stations have arrivals boards. The larger stations also try and provide good parking facilities for cars and bicycles, sometimes for a fee.

Several cities such as Antwerp, Brussels, Gent and Charleroi have trams. It is cheaper to buy a carnet of tickets from, for example, newsagents. On trams and buses you can also buy a one‑way ticket from the driver.

On the metro in Brussels and Antwerp you can buy tickets at the larger metro stations.
Departure times are given for each route, named according to the final destination or route number.

Bus

Almost all routes are operated by De Lijn in Flanders, STIB/MIVB in Brussels and the TEC in Wallonia. Tickets are purchased from the driver. However, it is cheaper to buy tickets in advance at larger stations and, for example, newsagents.

Taxi

You can discuss the approximate cost of a journey in advance, but the actual price is determined by the taximeter. You can phone for a taxi or take one at a taxi rank. It is not normal to flag down a taxi in the street.

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Text last edited on: 08/2006

Source: European Union
© European Communities, 1995-2007
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