Transfer from Brussels airport to main train station

Step 1. Find a later train. Assuming you are coming from the US you could be 30 minutes to an hour getting out of the airport. (and that does not count the bathroom stop). If you have to check luggage over an hour is not unheard of. Step 2. After you find a later train, there is a train from the airport several times an hour. Best way to go.

I would guess it is a connecting flight from somewhere else in Europe. It is very unusual to have a inbound US flight arriving at 5:30 pm. So if the plane is on-time, only carry on, it will be tight. Personally I would not buy the train ticket till I was in the train station.

It is a flight from Perugia. Both replies have suggested 6:56 train to Calais is optimistic. Next one is an hour later at 7:52 p.m., so that's probably doable?

Alice, Where are you getting your train times? I don't see either a (let's use the European 24 hour clock so we are not confused) 1856 or 1952 connection to Calais from Brussel-Zuid (also known as Bruxelles-Midi). There are limited connections to Calais from Brussels, nearly all requiring a connection in Lille. The Bahn has the best overall list of trains and on your day of Friday 30 March I only see: Bruxelles-Midi Fr, 30.03.12 dep 18:11 EST, TGV Calais-Fréthun Fr, 30.03.12 arr 20:22 That one is far too early, requires 30 minute Eurostar checkin time and a change in Lille. Bruxelles-Midi Fr, 30.03.12 dep 19:07 EST Calais-Fréthun Fr, 30.03.12 arr 20:57 That one is direct but also requires Eurostar 30 minute check in. Bruxelles-Midi Fr, 30.03.12 dep 19:18 TGV, EST Calais-Fréthun Fr, 30.03.12 arr 20:57 That one is TGV, requires change in Lille. If you don't change to the Eurostar in Lille there is a regional connection that gets to Calais at 2156. and that is the last connection from Brussels that I find that day. The next one is: Bruxelles-Midi Sa, 31.03.12 dep 00:29 which takes 8:27 with 2 changes in Ghent and Lille (IC, and RE) Calais Ville Sa, 31.03.12 arr 08:56
Note that the first bit arrives in Ghent at 1 am and the train to Lille doesn't go until 5:40. There are 3 or 4 trains an hour from the airport to Brussel-Zuid. They take from 20 to 26 minutes.

Trains from Zaventem ariport to Bruxelles run twice an hour and cost E 5.60

Alice, We've all assumed that you were flying into Brussels National (BRU). Is that the airport you are coming into or are you coming into Brussels Charleroi (CRL)? If you are flying ryanair from Perugia, it is Charleroi. That airport is 60km from Brussels. If you clarify which airport, people can advise appropriately.

It is Chareloi. thanks for asking. I didn't know there were two airports. Arrives at 17:25. Thanks to you all for your help and interest. I've been to Europe a number of times, but I was always staying with family in France, England and Italy and didn't have to get myself around once I got there. This time, I'm starting at my sister's place in Hardinghen, France (near Calais), then flying to Pisa for a couple of days at Cinque Terra, then by train to Perugia to stay with my brother in San Terenziano, then fly to Brussels for return to France for a few more days at end of trip. The logistics have been challenging, but I'm almost there. Brussels to Calais is the last to be booked.

Oh dear, that changes everything. I think it goes from difficult to impossible, that day. The good news: There is a bus from the airport to Charleroi Sud station. The bad news:
The last train connection from Charleroi Sud on the Friday is at 18:08 (arrive Brussels 1854, 45 minutes connection (must check in at Eurostar minimum 30 minutes), 1952 departure on Eurostar, arrive Calais Frethun 2057). If you are off the plane at 1725, not late, you are first off, and you can get outside the airport in 15 minutes (dunno if you can) and there is a shuttle waiting to depart (dunno if it would be) and it takes you 20 minutes for the ride, you might have 8 minutes to get your ticket and find the train. If not... And the Eurostar is very picky about check-in time and most tickets on it are non changeable. ... but ... There is a shred of good news. There is a shuttle bus from Charleroi airport which takes an hour and goes to Midi station. There are ones at 1745 and 1815. If you got one of those you could make the 1922 cutoff for the Eurostar, comfortably on the first and very tight on the second as long as it took the booked 60 minutes. There is also supposed to be a new shuttle running to Lille starting 3 days before your flight but who knows the schedule or reliability?