Train Stations from Brussels to Other Countries

Yes when it says Zone you can board at any station in Brussels

You can begin at any Brussels station but Nord is quite unsafe (drugs, homelessness, close to red light district). You would be much better off going to Central (and IMO staying there as well). Midi is almost as bad but there is a police presence there now and they are trying to invest time and money into 'cleaning it up'; not so for Nord.

Lavandula

Thanks for the info. Unfortunately, we can't cancel the hotel but it's just for one night before we leave for Luxembourg.

I have looked up IC2107 and it stops at Brussels Nord at 7.42, which is morning rush hour. I would not be too concerned about any of the negatives listed by lavandula at that time of the morning. Without knowing where your hotel is, I cannot tell you if you will see the red light streets or not. Do you intend to walk to the station or take a taxi?

The hotel is the Best Western City Center, close to the botanical gardens? Their web site says they are .3 km from Nord so we were thinking to just walk it. We don't have big luggage.

According to Google Maps, it is 650 meters, so 0.65 km. I cannot remember if there is a lot of construction work on the suggested road (the area around the station is being rebuilt), but it would be about 10 minutes, so I think you can do it. If you have the time the day before, you could do a test walk!

Just for completeness, if you had booked, say, a Eurostar that ONLY departs from Bruxelles Midi/Zuid, your ticket would permit a single, short, journey on the frequent local trains from the other two downtown Brussels stations to Midi/Zuid. But you have to plan that yourself, no reservation for the local train needed.

Thanks for all the information and advice, everyone. We fly in to Brussels the day before, so we may just take the train from the airport to Nord, and then we will know how long the walk to the hotel is before we go to Luxembourg the next morning.

Excellent idea!

If you take the shortest route from the station to your hotel you will leave out the back, and if my recollections are correct that indeed does put you in the red light district.

Have a look at google maps. They have the whole area in 3D even.
Don't take the back exit. Go for the main hall, then go left to come out where the Art-Deco clock tower is, then pass under the tracks and turn right and you will be at your hotel in no time.

Good to know!