Belgium Travel Guide - Getting There

The main airline is Brussels Airlines (website: www.brusselsairlines.com), which was created following a merger between SN Brussels Airlines and Virgin Express in March 2007.

From London to Brussels is 50 minutes, and from New York is 7 hours.

Brussels Zaventem (BRU) (website: www.brusselsairport.be) is 12km (8 miles) northeast of the city (journey time - 35 minutes). To/from the airport: The Airport City Express train (website: www.b-rail.be) connects all three main railway stations (Brussels North, Central and South) with the airport (journey time - 20 minutes). The airport station is located on level one below the terminal. Other trains also depart frequently for the city and for destinations all over Belgium. Coaches depart from the airport bus station on ground level for major cities in Belgium, France and The Netherlands. Buses run regularly to and from the city and the bus station is located below the arrivals hall. Taxis are only available from outside the arrivals hall; all licensed taxis are recognisable by their yellow and blue licence emblems. A tip is generally included in taxi fares. Some hotels offer courtesy coaches. Facilities: Car parking, car hire, post office, banks, bureaux de change, bars, restaurants, duty-free shops, medical facilities, and conference and business facilities.

Brussels South Charleroi (CRL) (website: www.charleroi-airport.com) is 5km (3 miles) from Charleroi and 46km (29 miles) from Brussels. To/from the airport: Buses depart every 30 minutes to Charleroi (journey time - 10 minutes). There are regular coaches to Brussels (journey time - 1 hour), and a bus link to the local rail station. Facilities: Automatic money changer, car hire, cafe, business lounge and duty-free shop.

None.

P&O Ferries (tel: 08716 645 645, in the UK only; website: www.poferries.com) serves Zeebrugge from Hull with overnight sailings (journey time - 14 hours) and Superfast Ferries (tel: 0870 234 0870, in the UK only; website: www.superfast.com) connects the same port with Rosyth, near Edinburgh, (journey time - 18 hours). Transeuropa Ferries (tel: 01843 595 522, in the UK; website: www.transeuropaferries.com) links Ramsgate with Ostend for passengers travelling with cars (journey time - 4 hours).

Société Nationale des Chemins de Fer Belges (SNCB) (Belgian National Railways) (tel: (02) 528 2828; website: www.b-rail.be), operates frequent day and night trains to destinations all over Europe. Trains à Grande Vitesse (TGV) (tel: 0844 848 4064, Rail Europe, in the UK only; website: www.tgv.com) operates between Belgium and France, departing from Brussels Midi station.

Further high-speed trains are operated by Thalys (tel: (02) 528 2828; website: www.thalys.com), linking Brussels with Paris, Amsterdam and Cologne. Journey time from Paris is 1 hour 20 minutes, Amsterdam is 2 hours 20 minutes, and Cologne 2 hours 25 minutes.

Eurostar (tel: 0870 518 6186, in the UK only; website: www.eurostar.com) connects Brussels with Lille and London St Pancras via the Channel Tunnel (journey time - 1 hour 51 minutes).

InterRail: offers unlimited first- or second-class travel in up to 30 European countries for European residents of over six months with two pass options. The Global Pass allows travel for 22 days, one month, five days in 10 days or 10 days in 22 days across all countries. The One-Country Pass offers travel for three, four, six or eight days in one month in any of the countries except Bosnia-Herzegovina and Montenegro. Travel is not allowed in the passenger's country of residence. Travellers under 26 years receive a reduction. Children's tickets are reduced by about 50%. Supplements are required for some high-speed services, seat reservations and couchettes. Discounts are offered on Eurostar and some ferry routes. Available from Rail Europe (website: www.raileurope.co.uk/inter-rail).

Eurail Pass: offers unlimited first-class train travel in 17 European countries. Tickets are valid for 15 days, 21 days, one month, two months or three months (website: www.eurail.com).

Belgium is connected to the rest of Europe by an excellent network of motorways. All roads are well signposted with green ‘E' symbols indicating international highways. Although frontier formalities between Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg and The Netherlands have now all but vanished, motorists (particularly on smaller roads) should be prepared to stop when asked to do so by a customs official.

Eurotunnel (tel: 0870 535 3535, in the UK only; website: www.eurotunnel.com) runs shuttle trains for vehicles between Folkestone in Kent, with direct road access from the M20, and Calais, with links to the A16/A26 motorway (Exit 13). All road vehicles are carried through the tunnel in shuttle trains running between the two terminals. Driving time from Calais to Brussels is approximately 2 hours.

Coach: Eurolines (tel: 0870 514 3219, in the UK only; website: www.eurolines.com) runs regular coach services from the UK to Belgium. Travellers can book a 15- or 30-day pass.