How to travel to Belgium

Bordered by Germany, France, the Netherlands and Luxembourg, Belgium is well connected with its neighbouring countries and wider Europe. It's a small and compact country and getting around once you're there is easy thanks to a great public transport system. The rest of Europe is on your doorstep, with affordable flights and great interrail and bus travel options if you have more time to spare or are looking for a greener way to travel.

Flying to Belgium

Flying is the easiest and most time-efficient way to travel to Belgium. The most popular option is to fly to the capital city, Brussels which has good rail and bus links with the rest of the country. Brussels Airport (Zaventem) is the country’s main international airport with flights to over 220 European and international destinations. Another option is to fly into Brussels South Airport in Charleroi – roughly 50 kilometres outside of Brussels – which connects Belgium with 190 destinations.

Here are the average flight times to Brussels from several major cities in Europe:

  • London to Brussels - 1 hour 10 mins 
  • Paris to Brussels - 1 hour
  • Barcelona to Brussels - 2 hours 10 mins 
  • Dublin to Brussels - 1 hour 40 mins 
  • Copenhagen - 1 hour 30 mins 
  • Munich - 1 hour 20 mins 
  • Rome - 2 hours 10 mins

Travelling to Belgium on the Eurostar

Taking the Eurostar is a great way to see two fabulous cities in one trip: lively London and beautiful Belgium. Setting off from London St Pancras International Station, it takes just two hours to get from London to Brussels via the channel tunnel. Three ticket options are available to suit your budget: Standard, Standard Premier and Business Premier – Standard ticket fares can be as cheap as GBP 29 if you book in advance or snag a last-minute deal.

Purchasing an 'Any Belgian Station' ticket also includes a local train fare to Bruges, Antwerp and Ghent in case you want to kick off your trip from these cities. Simply hop off when you arrive at Brussels-Midi/Zuid and transfer to a local train on another platform (there will be signs showing you where to go, or you can ask a staff member for directions). All Eurostar tickets are now flexible, meaning you can change your booking details up to seven days before departure with no exchange fee – simply pay the difference in fare.

You can also drive your car on the Eurostar Le Shuttle from the Folkstone Terminal in the UK, which is a much faster way to get to Belgium than on the ferry.

Taking the ferry to Belgium

If you’re travelling from the UK, you can take a ferry from Dover to Calais or Dunkerque with P&O Ferries or DFDS Seaways. You can travel as a foot passenger or in a car. Once you arrive at one of these ports, it’s fairly easy to drive to Wallonia in southern Belgium via the E40 motorway through northern France.

If you're travelling as a foot passenger you can also take a train to Brussels from Calais and Dunkerque with SNCF Connect on the high-speed train (also known as the TGV). It costs around EUR 40 for a single ticket and the journey takes two hours. Travelling on the TGV is comfortable and efficient and you'll also get to enjoy the pretty French countryside along the way.

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