Brussels airport to city centre: trains, buses, taxis and costs

The train is the default. It runs from the airport terminal level straight to Brussels-Central, Brussels-North and Brussels-Midi, so most hotels in the centre are within a 10–15 minute walk of a station. Buy at the machine or tap a contactless card where accepted.

Choose a taxi when you land after the last train, when you have more than one large bag, or when your hotel is outside the walkable centre. Choose the airport bus if your hotel sits near Place Luxembourg or the EU quarter. If you fly into Charleroi instead, plan a separate coach leg to Brussels-South.

The station sits under the terminal, so you walk from arrivals to the platform without going outside. Trains run through the day at roughly quarter-hour intervals, with a gap overnight; check the last departure before you book a late flight. Tickets are sold at machines and counters in the station hall, and the same ticket covers the metro, tram and bus connection in the city if you buy the right product. Validate or tap as instructed.

The airport bus, line 12, is a city bus with limited stops and luggage space. It is cheaper than the train and drops you near Place Luxembourg and the EU institutions, which suits that neighbourhood well but leaves you a walk or metro ride from the Grand-Place. A slower all-stops version also serves the route.

Taxis wait outside arrivals and charge a fixed or metered fare depending on the operator; agree the price or confirm the meter before you get in. Ride-hailing apps work at the airport but pick-up points can be a short walk from the terminal. For groups of three or four with bags, a taxi can cost about the same as four train tickets.

If you land at Brussels South Charleroi Airport, you are about 60 km south of Brussels. A coach links the airport to Brussels-South station in roughly an hour; a taxi for that distance is expensive. Charleroi has its own train station but it is not at the terminal, so the coach is the simpler link.

Driving is only worth it if you are heading straight to the Ardennes or rural Wallonia. Brussels has low-emission zones and the ring road jams at peak times, and parking in the centre is costly.

Prices below are 2026 estimates for one adult, one way. Train and bus fares are fixed; taxi fares vary with traffic and operator.

A single train ticket is the cheapest comfortable option for one person. Two people on the train usually still beat a taxi; four people with bags often do not. The airport bus undercuts the train but takes longer and stops further from the Grand-Place.

Buy your train ticket before boarding; there is no barrier at the airport but checks happen on the train and on the platform.

Keep your ticket until you leave the station at the other end, and tap out if the system requires it.

Metro stations at Midi and Nord attract pickpockets; keep bags in front of you on the escalators.

If your hotel is near the Grand-Place, get off at Brussels-Central rather than Midi and walk.

For a very early flight, check whether the first train reaches the airport in time; if not, book a taxi the night before.

Strike days can stop SNCB services; check the operator's site the day before you travel.