can you buy train tickets on the day of travel?

We bought ours the day we traveled…..easy to do. We found the train ticket machines in Belgium to be very easy to buy from…..they will give you the ENGLISH option at the beginning so you will be fine. I will add-maybe it was just me- that I had to reacquaint myself to knowing that your destination might be on the list of stops, not the actual published stop you are heading to….does that make sense? In other words, you might be training to Leiden but it will be listed as a stop, not the end destination…….been a while since i had used so many trains for travel. The Brugge station is nice and then info office there was a lot of help to us….and then there was BRUGGE…..loved it!

Yes, you can buy tickets on the day of arrival.

yes, it is a big commuter rail network, just like in the Netherlands but with slightly older trains.

Just like you wouldn't buy BART tickets weeks before or NYC Transit before, or whatever buses you may have in Hawaii, you don't need Belgian train tickets until just before you travel.

If you are a senior there are even cheaper tickets available.

Very helpful. Thank you all

You can also just use the SNCB app. Do be aware, that for the most part (exceptions for Eurostar, and now some express trains) if you buy a ticket, it is good for that route anytime that day. So buy a ticket, even the day before on the app, when you get to the train station, hop on the first train going that direction. Most routes would likely have you change trains at Brussels Midi to get to Bruges. Looks like there are tarins every half hour or so.

If you buy your ticket early there is no special advantage, but the trains in Belgium are mass transit and never sell out, so your ticket is good for any train going to Bruges from the airport. The train station is on level -1 in the airport, just wheel your luggage there. So yes, you can buy your ticket on the day, or buy it in advance, just whatever you feel like. And if a train is too full, you can just wait for the next train and it will make no difference.

Lavandula

Be aware, you need a valid train ticket to scan and open the gates at the trainstation in Brussels Airport.
There are vending machines you can use.

Thanks so much for this additional information. I appreciate it!

Hi Pjmun, I just wanted to add that I’m heading to Bruges (Brugge) this August with my daughter. Other than some Eurostar trains to/from other countries that we bought months early, we’re planning to just buy our Belgian train tickets for our day trips on the day. I’m not lucky enough to qualify to buy senior discount tickets for myself just yet, but we’re planning to buy a youth summer weekly pass for my daughter (she’s under 26) and also take advantage of some weekend travel discounts that Belgian rail offers. Belgian rail (like many other cities) offers discounts for train travel if you have pre booked certain attractions too (St Bavos in Ghent etc). I think these are called Discovery train tickets. So a few train ticket options to check out…

Hi Mariart,
Thanks for the additional information. My daughter may or may not be joining me so it's good to know about the discounted tickets in case she's able to sneak away for a week.

Yes. We just returned from Belgium. There are free customer service rooms in the train stations, I believe the sign is blue and shows a person and a desk on it. The agents are very helpful, speak English, and use the ticketing kiosks in that area to help you buy your ticket. Only waited a few minutes for an agent. Saved us the frustration and uncertainty of using the kiosk on our own. There are many trains per day to Bruge.
For example, at Brussels Midi, we wanted 3 senior tickets, Brussels to Bruge, and she was able to get them very quickly for us. She then told us exactly what platform to go to and the time. On the way back from Bruge a few days later, we wanted to stop in Ghent to see the Mystic Lamb, and then go to Brussels central after that, same day. We used the customer service people at the Bruge train station for this ticket as well. We ended up getting first class tickets as it was not crowded, had more room for our luggage, and not much more money.

The train stations have pay toilets, few and far between. The toilets on the train are free.
We loved Bruges, it is a fairytale town! And we also loved Brussels! Definitely plan a chocolate tour! There is a free small shuttle bus into town at the Bruge station, read the RS book for exact location; out the front door and to the right, labeled Central.

Thank you for the additional information. I'm getting more excited now that I hear about your great experience there. I'll definitely book a chocolate tour!

I do that in France, ie buying the ticket almost exclusively from a SNCF machine a day or two before the actual departure date, especially if it is a regional train.

Just back from 3 weeks in Belgium and absolutely loved the train service there. Definitely download the SNCB App for ease of looking at schedules, knowing the appropriate platform, and ease of ticket purchase. Tickets bought through the App will appear there and you can tap on the QR code to expand and show to the conductor (I confess I also took screenshots - just in case). The absolute best part is you buy the ticket for the day so if you miss a particular train, you can just hop on the next one and they run very frequently.

Also - this was a great tip we picked up in case you haven't seen it: All passengers ( even non-seniors) can buy a “Weekend Return” ticket which lets you travel roundtrip anytime on any Belgian train between 19:01 (7:01pm) on Friday evening and the last train on Sunday night for about the same price as a one-way ticket. You can also buy a roundtrip ticket from Antwerp to Bruges and stopover in any intermediate city ( i.e. Ghent) on the same route at no extra charge.

Hi Smith602 or Paul,
I went to download the SNCB app but wasn't sure if it would e better to download the SNCB/NMBS app or the SNCB International. Could you please let me know which you used. Thank you.

@pjmun the SNCB International App is for buying tickets between Belgium and other countries (ie Paris to Brussels or Antwerp to Amsterdam). You just want the SNCB App. On my phone it is blue with a white B in the center which is the railway logo.

Found it and downloaded it Smith. Thank you