How much time to transfer to Eurostar at Brussels Midi

1 hour in advance.
https://www.eurostar.com/us-en/travel-info/your-trip/check-in

In our experience last year, the Belgium trains tended to run late, so don't cut it too tightly with a Eurostar connection. The Eurostar trains usually sell out, so if you miss that train, you have a problem. Good luck!

I’d give it 1.5 hrs at least - that way if you have time you can buy some food and wine for your Eurostar trip ! ( yes you can and should )

Honestly I’m an airport dad person , meaning I’d likely give us 2 hrs lol ( I’m just uptight about being rushed )

One hour should be more than enough time. The train companies themselves say to allow 20 minutes to comfortably transfer from a train’s arrival time at Brussels Midi to the Eurostar. It’s recommended that passengers board the Eurostar train at least 20 minutes before its departure time. An extra 20 minutes as a buffer just in case of a delay or to pick up some things at one of the many shops—and it all adds up to one hour.

They are going to London, so the website first shown by Jazz+Travels is the guidance.

That does change things with Passport/Security controls. Looks like it’s still one hour in advance.
Cheers!

Eurostar is a airline that identifies as a railway. In a saner world it would be sufficient to be in Brussels 10 minutes before departure. Unfortunately they require you to be at the terminal 30 minutes before departure at the latest, but even suggest you be there a ridiculous 90 minutes before departure.

Trains in Belgium are actually quite punctual. NMBS is amongst the more punctual railways in Europe. Things do happen though, but Eurostar is not going to enforce the 30 minute rule if your inbound train was late. As long as the train is still there they will let you on it. And if you miss it, they will put you on the next one. So I would maybe aim for 45 minutes.

Note that even like that end-to-end travel from Brugge to London is hardly faster than in the 80ies before the Channel Tunnel was build....

Unfortunately they require you to be at the terminal 30 minutes before departure at the latest, but even suggest you be there a ridiculous 90 minutes before departure.

That is simply not true. The Eurostar website link given above shows that it is actually 45 to 60 minutes.

Nowhere is 90 minutes suggested.

The timing is to allow for security and passport procedures. Those procedures are the same nowadays on the few surviving foot ferries (which they weren't until relatively recent years)- in fact it is 90 minute check in on the ferries nowadays which it never used to be.

The reality of moving into and out of the UK is not the same as changing trains in Switzerland.

The previous UK government demanded as part of Brexit to have status as a third country in relations with the EU/EEA which made the border procedures even more onerous than previously. With Eurostar all procedures are completed prior to to getting on the train - no procedures are at the arrival so passengers just walk off. If a person does not clear check in and security (it goes under the Channel) and border procedures within the time allotted they don't get on. The train will not wait for them.

I would be very reluctant to encourage a short arrival because "that is the way it should be". I 100% agree that that is the way it should be - but reality is different.

It may not be in writing today, but during peak summer periods, multiple posters have reported having read the 90 minute figure, on this newsboard. That is not a static, permanent number on the Eurostar website, and should be checked the week you travel.

The reality of moving into and out of the UK is not the same as
changing trains in Switzerland.

Doesn't have to be like that. I used to transfer in 3 minutes from the IC from Bern to the TGV to Paris.
And even before Switzerland joined Schengen you did not have to arrive at the station earlier.

The reality is that passport control can be done on the train, while in motion. UK does not want that for some reason. The result is that the Channel tunnel has never been able to live up to its potential.

We could have had Geneva and Basel to London decades ago. But we will never have those services...

The end result is that Eurostar is as annoying as flying, but slower...

I think I was there 90 minutes ahead of departure for London in Dec 2023.
I like to be early when the area is new to me.
I seem to remember that the line for Border Control was fairly long but moved along quickly.
Once you are through that, there are plenty of seats, but no cafe or food kiosks except vending machines.
Perhaps there are now.