We're flying back to the US in late March from Brussels and were debating between staying at an airport hotel vs one close to the Centraal Station in the city. Our flight is a bit after 10 in the morning and it's a direct flight to the US if that makes a difference. Carryon only and we're experienced international travelers.
Posted by
Edmonds, WA 🌨 ☂
11180 posts
A cursory look reveals it's about a 30 minute trip from Central Brussels to the airport.
Seems to be a personal choice about an extra 30 minutes of sleep and not having to worry about what might go wrong on a AM commute vs. being 'in town' the final night.
Posted by
Denver, CO, USA
1556 posts
You can stay in any of the towns around as they aren’t that far from BRU. A year ago in Jan 2023, we took a train from Antwerp straight to the airport without any issues. Also, is your hotel going to be attached to the terminal or are you going to have to rely on a shuttle to get you from the hotel to the airport? I definitely wouldn’t switch to an airport hotel.
Posted by
Mid-Atlantic area
6547 posts
We stayed in Brussels our last night at a hotel near the main train station. We figured if something happened to the trains there were busses or taxis we could take to get to the airport.
Posted by
Eastern Iowa, USA
7559 posts
For just a 30 minute trip, I would opt to just stay in the city center. The station at the airport is handy to departures, getting from your "airport" hotel to the airport could take as long, or be a hassle as well. Staying in a city offers a much more pleasant last night, a good dinner and some night life, maybe even just a stroll.
Depending on the rest of your itinerary, staying in Antwerp is not out of the question, it is about the same time (30 to 35 minutes) and there are a number of nice hotels on the same square as Antwerp Central station. Too many think they must stay in Brussels before flying out, but I find Antwerp much more pleasant and easier.
Posted by
OP
Kansas City USA/Birmenstorf, Switzerland
453 posts
Thanks everyone! It's not so much a matter of sleep, it's convenience and assurances of not missing a flight. I've had mixed reliability with airport shuttles, so staying downtown and the train appear the way to go. Any recs for a clean, comfortable, mid range hotel reasonably close to the station in Brussels?
Posted by
72 posts
We stayed at the Hotel Grand Cloche. It was clean, close to Grand Place ( about a 5 to 10 min walk) as well as the train station which is about a 10 min walk.The price was reasonable but rooms are a tad small . There also is an Italian restaurant on the premises. It is also close to Maison Dandoy in the Royal Galleries of St Hubert which has the best hot chocolate that I've ever had!