Travelling by train is in general a safe and efficient way to move around between cities in Belgium and can also be used as a means of transport within Brussels. Brussels lies at the center of a dense network of national and international rail routes and almost all cities in Belgium can be reached from the three main stations: Bruxelles-Nord, Bruxelles-Centrale and Bruxelles-Midi (South). Large cities are served by fast InterCity (IC) trains, while smaller stations can be reached using the slower InterRegio (IR) trains. The Airport City Express is a shuttle train service from Brussels to Brussels Airport at Zaventem.
Services are frequent and trains leave at regular intervals. Tickets for travel in Belgium are sold at stations or online. There are various special deals available, such as season tickets, group tickets and under-26 youth fares. Tickets are also cheaper at weekends.
The Belgian railways website www.b-rail.com has extensive information in English.
High-speed Eurostar trains leave from Brussels South Station to London St Pancras International Station. The journey takes about 2 hrs. High-speed Thalys trains leave from Brussels South Station to Paris (1 hour 22 minutes), Amsterdam (2 hours) and Cologne (2 hours). Book your international tickets on www.b-europe.com.
