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Brussels hotel near airport?

Our return flight leaves Brussels at 10:30 on a Wednesday. I thought it would be a great idea to book a hotel near the airport .... until I saw the prices of the rooms! Not in our budget! Any suggestions for a less expensive option - B & B near the airport or hotel in city near the train station? What makes the most sense? Thanks in advance!

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It is true that traffic around Brussels can be positively "American" on a weekday morning. But because there is rail service to the Airport, I see no reason why you cannot stay in Brussels - if you can handle your own luggage on the train. (There are modern elevators at BRU to the train station.) If you are in a car, you might consider Leuven for your last night. It's a lovely city, with an important university, a pretty Begijnhof, and food prices kept low by student customers! It's about 20 minutes from BRU, without entering Brussels. I also love Mechelen, which is (by car) even closer to BRU, but not as much to see as Leuven. I was in Mechelen last Thursday, and several of the best museums are closed for construction. However, on September 24, a very important exhibit on Rik Wouters, a Belgian "fauve" from Mechlen opens there. I have taken the direct bus from Antwerp ("De Decker - Van Riet", from De Keyserlei street stop, also stops at Crown Plaza by the inner ring, Antwerp) to BRU a few times, but it's only once an hour, takes an hour, and is subject to highway delays. I think it would be safe to take the 6AM bus for a 10:30 plane, but you are right that there is some risk. When I was at BRU last Saturday morning the check-in lines were very long.