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Brussels airport train to Antwerp

Short question here. We are arriving in Brussels at 19:25 on Monday, July 27th. We are going to Antwerp. For trains, is the best bet to use https://www.belgiantrain.be/en instead of Omio or other sites? With our arrival time, should we do the train that leaves at 20:41? There's also one at 20:13, but 20:41 seems more logical with travel time. Also, looking at the ticket, it says you can get an "Anytime" ticket, does that mean if we were at the train site we can take any train that leaves for Antwerp? Not sure how we get an actual seat that way.

On the web it says "Regular tickets purchased for travel within Belgium are valid on any train throughout the entire day of travel (from the first to the last train). Seat reservations are not possible for domestic trips, and there is generally no price advantage to booking these in advance." So if we buy an anytime ticket, how do we know if we board a train that there is a seat for us, and where we should sit?

Sorry if this is answered somewhere else this forum, if so, just kindly direct me there.

Posted by
4026 posts

Trains are mass transit. When you board a subway in NY, or a metro in Paris, how do you know that there is a seat for you? How do you know where to sit?

Taking the train from the Airport to Antwerp is trivial. Get on. Find a free seat. Sit down. Or not, if you are unlucky.
Tickets are indeed good for a whole day, and the railway does not know, nor care, which train you use your ticket on.

What you need to understand is that when you buy a ticket from Brussels Airport to Antwerpen you do not buy "a seat in a train". You buy transportation. You can just board any train at the airport that goes to Antwerp at your own discretion.

Posted by
144 posts

Thanks WengenK, that answers it. I didn't realize it was just like a metro, I thought it was like a train where you needed a ticketed seat. That makes it easy, so we really don't need to buy in advance, correct?

Posted by
447 posts

That makes it easy, so we really don't need to buy in advance, correct?

Yes, that's correct.
... and you will be loosing 2€ buying at Omio 😉