Cheaper and faster to fly by plane. The schedule of the capital’s airports has direct flights to Brussels, from St. Petersburg, Kazan, Volgograd and other cities – only connecting. However, this is not the only option – you can get by air via Amsterdam or Dusseldorf, and for those who are afraid of flying, there are land routes.
Note: according to allcitypopulation, the population of Belgium is 11.59 million (2021).
Buses run from Moscow, St. Petersburg, Pskov and Veliky Novgorod to Brussels. This is not the fastest route, but you can at least catch a glimpse of several Polish and German cities. Another option is by train via Paris. It is suitable for those who want to visit the French capital at the same time. The rest of the way to Brussels is easy to overcome by train or bus. Read more about the ways and routes of travel on the page ” How to get to Brussels “.
Transportation
Brussels has a unified transport system consisting of buses, trams and the subway. Tickets are common for all modes of transport. It is most profitable for tourists to buy JUMP travel cards. One trip costs 2.10 EUR. Within an hour, you can transfer to another route for free. There is also a ticket for a day with an unlimited number of trips – 7.50 EUR. All transport runs from 6:00 to midnight. On the night from Friday to Saturday and from Saturday to Sunday, night routes run with an interval of 30 minutes until 3:00. Prices on the page are for July 2022.
Taxis can be ordered by phone, stopped on the street or in a special parking lot. There are many companies on the market, but the tariffs are carefully controlled by the administration and are the same for everyone. The distances are small, the trip will cost from 15 EUR. Taxi drivers charge 2-3.50 EUR for landing and from 1.50 EUR for 1 km of run.
To explore the city center, it is convenient to use the double-decker Hop on Hop off tourist buses. There is an audio guide in Russian. Tickets are sold for 24 and 48 hours.
Bicycle transport is popular among local residents and tourists – paths are equipped throughout the city and automated rental points are open. For a day or more, it is better to rent a bike from a rental company. In the Villo city network, you can buy a subscription for a day or a week; when applying for a bank card, a 150 EUR deposit is blocked. The first half hour is free, then 1.50 EUR per hour. In a rental company, a day will cost from 35 EUR.
Rent a Car
It is cheaper and more convenient to travel around the city by public transport, along the route Brussels – Ghent – Bruges – Antwerp – too. Renting is worth considering only for those who want to visit remote cities or other countries.
In the central part, traffic is very slow, and there are serious traffic jams at the exits of the city. There are not enough parking spaces, leaving the car for free during the day in the historical center will not work, only at night, from 20:00 to 9:00. The territory is divided into red, orange and green zones, the cost of parking is from 25 EUR for half a day, payment through parking meters. In the red and orange zones, you can not leave the car for more than 2 hours. For a long time it is cheaper to park in covered parking lots – 30-40 EUR per day.
Fines for violations are high, a conversation on a mobile phone will cost 100 EUR.
There are rental offices in almost every area of Brussels, including at the airport and near the Central Railway Station. Hertz, Europcar, Avis, Budget and other international companies operate. It is cheaper to take a car on the outskirts, prices start from 150 EUR per day for an economy class car.
Communication and Wi-Fi
Calling Russia is cheaper with a local SIM card. Prepaid tariff plans and recharge cards from Proximus, Telenet, Mobistar and Base are sold at all kiosks and stores. For Russian tourists, the most economical option is Base. The SIM card itself will cost 10-20 EUR, in order to pay for a minute of conversation, you will have to connect the World 10 (40 minutes) or World 30 (150 minutes) options.
Brussels has an urban network Urbizone, and in many public places you can connect to Wi-Fi for free. Access points are equipped with the Grand Place, Flage Square and the Stock Exchange, the Flea Market, the Royal Palace and other attractions throughout the entire metropolitan region, there are coverage areas even on the outskirts. Wi-Fi is available at railway stations, airports and subways. Using the network is free and unlimited, but you need to register the first time you connect. In addition, most cafes, restaurants and hotels in the city provide their guests with Internet access.
Brussels card
With a guest card, you can see more and save, and as a bonus, you can get discounts at restaurants and shops. The Brussels Card subscription includes free admission to 39 museums in the city, including the Royal Museum, Coudenberg Palace, the Planetarium and others. To view temporary exhibitions at the Royal Museums of Fine Arts and the Museum of the 50th Anniversary, you will have to pay the standard price of admission.
For the opportunity to use public transport unlimitedly, you also need to pay extra – 8 EUR. It will be beneficial for those who plan to use more than 3 trips per day. You can’t ride on the Brussels Card itself, you need to find a ticket vending machine, select the Event Pass item on the screen and enter the subscription number. The machine will issue a ticket valid until the end of the card’s validity period. Applies to trams, metro and buses, including the route from the airport.
To save money on trips on the Hop on Hop off sightseeing buses, it is worth choosing a guest card with this service. It is 20 EUR more expensive than the standard one.
You can buy a Brussels Card at the office. website (in English). The cost depends on the validity period – 29 EUR per day.
