My family of 3 would like to take a day trip from Brussels to Bruges on Sat, July 20th.
Given that the next day (Jul 21st) is a national holiday for Belgium, should we purchase our round-trip train tickets now? Or would we have no problem doing so the day of at the train stations?
Thank you.
Trains in Belgium are mass transit. You should think of them like the subway in New York. You can’t buy a ticket for a specific subway train nor can you book a seat on a subway train in New York and subway tickets never sell out. Likewise you can’t book a ticket for a specific train from Brussels to Bruges, nor can you book a seat. Trains have free seating.
You simply buy a ticket from Brussels to Bruges and back and you’re allowed to take any train from Brussels to Bruges and from Bruges to Brussels on the day mentioned on your ticket.
See the website of the Belgian national railway company for fares, schedules and other details; https://www.belgiantrain.be/en
Since you plan to travel on a weekend day, the weekend ticket is probably the best deal, but this depends on the ages of everyone in your party.
Just took that line and it wasn’t packed and was straightforward. Had used a ticket purchased ahead on the app, and validated it before going. Loved that I could miss a train and grab another…all day. Just stick to the purchased trip trajectory!
Thank you both.
One final question.
We will be taking an overnight flight from the USA to Paris then train to Brussels Midi (Air France combination).
The 3 of us will be arriving at Midi around noon. I have read this station isn’t the safest. Our hotel is a few blocks away.
Would you recommend we schedule a taxi pickup through our hotel? Or something else?
We’d prefer not to walk with our luggage and will be tired after the overnight flight.
Thanks for your insight.
I admit that I haven't been to Brussels in ten years, but Midi is a modern station with many business travelers. A run-down European neighborhood (at NOON) around a rail station is NOT like a rundown neighborhood in an American city, and what little street crime there is in Belgium is not like street crime in the US. I would walk.
However, if you are staying in Brussels for a few days, and using the train daily to visit other cities, you need to evaluate whether you should keep this hotel reservation, just as a matter of personal comfort.
Notes: I grew up in Manhattan, NYC. In 1989, my fanny pack was pickpocketed near Termini Station in Rome. I switched to Rick's inside belt pouch and have never experienced any crime in 50 subsequent trips to Europe.
Can you be more precise where your hotel is located? It can be worth taking one of the very frequent trains from Brussels-Midi to much safer Brussels-Central and take a taxi if you prefer that from there. That extra train ride takes around 5 min. and no extra ticket needed.
It’s very easy taking a train to Bruges from Brussels-Central or Brussel-Centraal / Bruxelles-Central in the local – bilingual – language. There are several trains each hour, btw call on the way at Midi too.
Thanks Wil. We are staying at Pillows City Hotel Brussels Centre. https://www.pillowshotels.com/brussels-centre/
Wil, thanks for that smart question.
https://maps.app.goo.gl/aHrg5SApHgkobXwZ7
It appears that the closest railroad station to this hotel is Centraal. It's almost too far to walk from Midi, safety aside. As you noted, an international train that goes only to Bruxelles Midi includes a transfer to either of the other two stations, Centraal or Nord, which does usually require going downstairs to another train platform. There is an elevator at one end of the Eurostar platform, but I don't remember any escalators.
So you have to go anyway to Brussels-Central and if you travel light it’s an easy walk of about 5 to 10 min. from there to your hotel. There are taxi’s waiting at the entrance in case you want to make use of it.
That hotel is only a block away from the Central Station. So yes, take a train there, and then just walk. The railway through the Brussels downtown is one of the busiest in the world, with trains every few minutes. All trains except for high speed trains stop in Central, so that is also where you can board a train to go basically anywhere in Belgium for day trips.
Here is a tip: At Brussel Centraal follow the signs for the Metro. The metro station is actually just next to where your hotel is, and there is an underground corridor connecting both.
