Are you planning a rail journey? Read our guide!
Choose your dream destination in Belgium
Most of the large towns and cities such as Bruges, Ghent, Antwerp, Brussels, Liège, Namur or Mons, are served by several trains per hour.
Are you finding it difficult to choose between a number of cities for your city trip? Explore our choice pick of the most beautiful towns and cities to visit in Belgium.
Departing from Brussels, travel to:
- Bruges in 55 minutes (up to 3 trains / hour)
- Antwerp-Central in 45 minutes (up to 4 trains / hour)
- Ghent in 30 minutes (up to 3 trains / hour)
- Liège in 60 minutes (up to 2 trains / hour)
- The Belgian Coast: Ostend in 1h10min (up to 2 trains / hour)
- Mons in 45 minutes (up to 2 trains / hour)
- Namur in 1h10 (up to 2 trains / hour)
- Maasmechelin Village in 2h (1 connection per hour)
- Waterloo and the Butte du Lion (the Lion's Mound) in 35 minutes (train + bus) (2 connections per hour)
- Brussels-Airport Zaventem in 20 minutes (up to 8 trains / hour)
- Brussels South Charleroi Airport in 1h30 (train + bus) (up to 2 trains / hour)
Find the timetable to suit
Use the journey planner on this page under "my timetable" to access the route sheet for your destination
- Pay attention to the name of the stations: Brussels, Ghent, Antwerp or Liège are big cities with several different stations.
For example:- Bruxelles-Midi is the capital's biggest station, and Bruxelles-Central is the station closest to the cities historic centre.
- The airport station located closest to Brussels is Brussels-Airport - Zaventem, whereas the Brussels South Charleroi Airport is a 1h30 journey away from the capital.
- If you journey involves one or more connections, use the "personalise my journey" option to select the desired connection time.
- If you are travelling to or from the station by car, then consult the parking facilities for the station in question. If you are using public transport, find out the ticket price and journey time in real time.
- The platform number marked may be changed at the last minute, so check the display panels or the travel information on the SNCB app in real time.
Buy your transport ticket
Depending on how often you travel, their age and the number of passengers or the distance being travelled, you can travel more economically by purchasing certain reduced-price tickets.
Departure
The big day is here! You know the timetable and the route for your trip, you have bought your ticket and printed it out or you're keeping it on your smartphone. Here are a few tips for making your rail journey a bit easier:
- Parking
If you are using a secure B-Parking car park, make sure you keep the admission card to enter the building when you return. - Find the departure platform number
On display screens, look for the final destination station of the train that you need to catch. You can also use the SNCB app to find this information. Wi-Fi is available free of charge in the biggest stations in the country. - Are you travelling with children?
Ask for the free Kids Pack from ticket offices. It's a small folder containing various games, puzzles and information aimed at young children. The Kids Pack is only available in French and Dutch. - Board the train
Based on how you are travelling (1st or 2nd class), find the corresponding boarding doors, the numbers 1 or 2 are marked on the train carriages. When the train arrives at the platform, allow passengers to get off the train before attempting to board. Stow your luggage in the areas provided for this purpose. Show your ticket to the train conductor when asked to inspect it.
