Landing at Brussels Airport is one of the easier arrivals in a European capital. The airport has its own railway station underneath the terminal, a direct airport bus reaches Brussels in around 30 minutes, and licensed taxis wait immediately outside arrivals.
For most visitors heading to Brussels’ historic centre, the train is the best overall option. Trains run directly to Brussels-Central, the journey takes around 18 minutes, and you avoid city traffic. Bus 12 costs less and works particularly well for the European Quarter. A taxi makes more sense with several passengers, heavy luggage, young children, or a late arrival.
One detail matters before you start planning: Brussels Airport (BRU) and Brussels South Charleroi Airport (CRL) are completely different airports. The information below covers Brussels Airport at Zaventem, the main international airport northeast of the capital.
Brussels Airport to City Centre at a Glance
The right transfer depends partly on where in Brussels you are staying. “City centre” can mean the Grand-Place, Sainte-Catherine, the European Quarter, Brussels-Midi or another neighbourhood several kilometres away.
| Option | Typical journey | Best for | Main consideration |
| Train | Around 18 min to Brussels-Central | Most tourists | Fast and direct |
| Bus 12 | Around 30 min to European Quarter | Budget travellers, EU Quarter | Does not finish beside Grand-Place |
| Taxi | Traffic dependent | Groups, luggage, late arrivals | Costs considerably more |
| Private transfer | Traffic dependent | Pre-arranged, door-to-door travel | Usually the most expensive choice |
According to Brussels Airport train information, six direct trains per hour connect the airport with the main Brussels stations, with services operating from early morning until around midnight.
Train from Brussels Airport to Brussels City Centre
For a first visit, the train is usually the simplest answer.
Brussels Airport-Zaventem railway station sits directly below the terminal on Level -1. After collecting your luggage, follow the train symbols and take the lift or escalator downstairs. There is no shuttle between the terminal and railway station.
Direct trains connect the airport with three useful stations:
- Brussels-North: around 11 minutes
- Brussels-Central: around 18 minutes
- Brussels-South/Midi: around 23 minutes
Brussels-Central is the station most tourists should look for when staying around Grand-Place, the Royal Galleries, Mont des Arts or the historic centre. Brussels-Midi is more useful when connecting to Eurostar or other international trains.
Brussels-Central is usually the best stop for sightseeing
Central Station lives up to its name reasonably well. Walk out, and you are close to Mont des Arts, the Royal Galleries and Grand-Place, with much of historic Brussels reachable on foot.
Guests staying with us have an especially straightforward arrival. La Bourse Hotel is in the historic centre opposite the Brussels Stock Exchange, while our hotel directions place Brussels-Central approximately 600 metres, or a seven-minute walk, from the hotel.
Dragging a suitcase across central Brussels deserves one small warning. The distance may be short, yet cobbles and uneven pavements can make 600 metres feel slightly more ambitious than it looked on Google Maps. Pack accordingly.
Buying a Brussels Airport train ticket
Tickets are available through SNCB/NMBS, Belgium’s national railway operator, as well as from machines and ticket facilities at the station.
Airport rail journeys include a special Brussels Airport Supplement, formerly known as the Diabolo fee. For a normal Standard Ticket with Brussels Airport-Zaventem as the origin or destination, the supplement is already incorporated into the ticket price.
Travellers using certain passes or special ticket types may need to buy the supplement separately. In 2026, SNCB lists the standalone supplement at €6.90 per journey in its Brussels Airport ticket guidance.
Avoid buying your ordinary train ticket only after boarding. SNCB charges an additional onboard ticket supplement when passengers could have purchased a valid ticket beforehand.
Bus 12 from Brussels Airport
STIB-MIVB Bus 12 is the main Brussels public transport connection from the airport.
The route links Brussels Airport with the city via the European Quarter. Brussels Airport gives a journey time of roughly 30 minutes to the European Quarter, making the bus particularly useful for hotels or meetings around Schuman, Luxembourg and the EU institutions.
For tourists staying around Grand-Place, Bourse or Sainte-Catherine, the bus is less direct than the train. You will normally need to continue by metro, bus, tram or on foot after reaching central Brussels.
How much does the airport bus cost?
STIB introduced updated Airport Line pricing in 2026.
When travelling from Brussels Airport into Brussels, the Airport2City fare is €7.90 with contactless payment or a MOBIB card. A paper Airport2City ticket costs €8.40. You can simply tap a compatible bank card, phone or smartwatch when boarding, according to the official Airport Line information.
An unusual detail is worth remembering for the return trip. When taking Bus 12 from Brussels towards the airport, STIB states that ordinary STIB tickets and season tickets can be used. The special Airport2City fare applies to journeys departing from the airport.
Finding the bus after landing
Airport construction has changed the bus arrangements.
Since May 2026, Brussels Airport has operated a temporary bus station on Level 0 as work progresses on its Hub 3.0 project. Airport signage leads passengers through a covered walkway to the temporary station.
The arrangement is expected to remain in place until the new transport hub opens, currently scheduled for 2029–2030, according to the airport’s public transport guidance.
Follow the airport signs instead of relying on an older online map or travel blog showing the previous bus platforms.
Taxi from Brussels Airport to the Centre
A taxi wins on simplicity. Collect your luggage, leave the arrivals hall and get directly into a car heading to your accommodation.
Official airport taxis wait immediately outside arrivals. Brussels Airport advises passengers to use the designated taxi rank and identifies licensed taxis by a licence plate containing a “T” and the official blue-and-yellow logo. Advance booking is also available through the airport’s transfer information.
Travel time depends heavily on traffic. A smooth journey into central Brussels can be relatively quick. Weekday rush hour, roadworks or congestion around the inner ring can add considerably more time.
There is no useful universal taxi price for every airport-to-centre journey because the destination, traffic conditions and vehicle requirements affect the final amount. Check the applicable fare before travelling when budget certainty matters.
When paying extra for a taxi makes sense
Solo travellers with one cabin bag rarely need a taxi when trains are operating normally. The calculation changes with three or four passengers.
Splitting the fare across a group can make door-to-door transport more attractive, particularly when everyone has luggage. Families with small children may also prefer avoiding platforms, station exits and the final walk to a hotel.
A taxi becomes particularly useful after a long flight when convenience has quietly become more valuable than saving a few euros.
Train or Bus: Which Is Better?
The train wins for the historic centre.
A journey to Brussels-Central leaves you within walking distance of many places first-time visitors want to see. Grand-Place, the Royal Saint-Hubert Galleries, Mont des Arts and the surrounding medieval street network are all concentrated nearby.
Our guide to things to do in Brussels shows how easily many major central sights can be grouped into a walking itinerary once you arrive.
Bus 12 becomes more appealing when your destination is the European Quarter. Paying €7.90 contactless also makes it a useful low-cost option when journey time matters less.
Your choice can therefore be surprisingly simple:
Historic centre → train.
European Quarter → Bus 12.
Heavy luggage or several passengers → taxi.
What About Late-Night Arrivals?
Arrival time deserves attention if your flight lands late.
Airport trains generally operate from early morning until around midnight. Exact departure times vary, so check the SNCB timetable for your travel date before assuming a connection will still be available.
Bus timetables also change according to the day and service period.
A flight scheduled to land shortly before the final public transport connections carries another risk: landing time is not station-platform time. Passport control, baggage delivery and walking through the terminal can easily consume the margin you expected to have.
For a very late arrival, check your connection in advance and keep a taxi as the straightforward fallback.
Travelling with Children and Luggage
Brussels Airport’s train station being underneath the terminal removes one of the most annoying parts of airport rail travel: getting everyone onto an airport shuttle first.
Lifts connect the airport levels, making the railway practical with suitcases and pushchairs.
Belgian rail also has a useful family rule. Up to four children under 12 can travel free when accompanied by an adult under SNCB’s Free4Kids conditions, and they do not pay a separate Brussels Airport Supplement.
Large families still need to consider the final part of the journey. Getting from Brussels-Central to a hotel can involve cobbles, stairs and busy pavements. A taxi may earn its higher price when several large suitcases are involved.
FAQs
Which Brussels Airport Transfer Should You Choose?
A visitor staying in central Brussels rarely needs to overthink the decision.
Choose the train when you want the quickest, most predictable public transport journey to the historic centre. Frequent direct services, an airport station under the terminal and an arrival at Brussels-Central make it the strongest option for most tourists.
Choose Bus 12 when your destination is around the European Quarter or when keeping the fare low is your priority.
Choose a taxi when door-to-door convenience matters most, especially for groups, travellers with substantial luggage, families or passengers arriving after normal public transport hours.
If you are staying at La Bourse Hotel, we would normally suggest the train to Brussels-Central. From there, the final walk takes you through the centre and towards the Stock Exchange, with Grand-Place only a few minutes away.
It is a pleasantly efficient introduction to Brussels: airport, train, city centre, suitcase dropped off – and then the considerably harder decision of whether your first stop should involve waffles, frites or Belgian beer.
