Brussels best tickets to buy

Hello Harold,

I am also a senior and having spent many days in Brussels, I have never found the need to take a bus or the metro. Unlike many European cities, the sights you will likely want to see are located in a relatively compact area. There is the "downhill" area around the Grand Place which contains (obviously) the Grand Place, Galeries St. Hubert, and all of the interesting blocks in that area. Then there is the "uphill" area above the Central Station, which contains - all along one street - the Place du Sablon and Place du Petit Sablon, both art museums, the musical instruments museum, and the palace just around the corner. I don't know where your hotel is, but hopefully you are near the Central Station since you will be taking several train trips. If so, both the "downhill" and "uphill" areas are quite nearby. The only time I was tempted by the bus was when I was walking directly from the Grand Place to the uphill area one very hot day...that was a bit of a slog.

With all of that said, unless you are interested in several sights outside of central Brussels, I would just buy a few single ride tickets to have in my pocket in case you want to catch an occasional bus. This would, of course, be a different scenario if your hotel is not near the center or if you have mobility issues that make walking a few blocks difficult. I just slowly meander and make frequent rest stops, preferably somewhere with beer! Have fun!

Hi

This may come across twice ( at least physically there is hope. :)

Thank you for your quick and helpful reply.
We are actually staying in Molenbeek-Saint-Jean , closest metro stop is Ribaucourt and luckily we are both in pretty good shape.
Thanks
Harold

I copied this from the relevant website:

"Not a frequent STIB-MIVB traveller? Then contactless payment is the most convenient solution. Just hold your contactless bank card, smartphone or smartwatch directly against the grey bus, tram or metro validator, and "beep": your journey can begin.
FARES
1 journey: € 2.10
Maximum daily price: € 7.50
From Brussels Airport: € 7.00
Target group: anyone with a contactless bank card. Contactless payment also works with smartphones and smartwatches configured for Google Pay, Apple Pay, Fitbit Pay or Garmin Pay.
Valid on: the whole STIB-MIVB (bus, tram and metro for Brussels) network"

From Ribaucourt, you can take metro lines 2 or 6 to Rogier, then switch to trams 3 or 4, to easily reach the Grand'Place (nearest stop is Bourse, then e few minutes walk). At the Rogier station, it is easy to get network maps in the so-called BOOTIK.

Again thanks again it’s a big help in feeling a little less confused