Benelux by train

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Travelling around Belgium by train

Greetings! Here are some tips on travelling by train in/to/from/through Belgium. See also the home page for tips on train travel in Benelux in general; not all tips on Belgium in that page are repeated here.

Belgium is België in Dutch, Belgique in French, Belgien in German, and Belsch in Luxembourgish. The official language is Dutch in the north, French in the south, bilingually French and Dutch in Brussels, and there is also a small German area in the far east. For the convenience of those who are not familiar with the linguistic situation in Belgium, the boundaries of the language areas, and the place names in their Dutch/French/German etc. versions are shown in the maps.

This is the webpage of the federal government of Belgium, and the tourism websites of Flanders, Wallonia, and Brussels. (There is no tourism organisation for the whole country.) Also outstanding is the tourism website for East Belgium (Eupen-Malmedy).

Passenger rail service operators

A number of companies run passenger rail services in Belgium. The following are the operators of non-high-speed and semi-high-speed trains:

• NMBS/SNCB (Dutch: Nationale Maatschappij der Belgische Spoorwegen, French: Société nationale des chemins de fer belges 'National Company of the Belgian Railways'; domestic website, android, iOS; international website, android, iOS): the Belgian national railway company; runs all but a few trains in Belgium. NMBS/SNCB's own network extends into all neighbouring countries.
  • The Brussels – Amsterdam InterCity is run together with NS (Dutch Rail; domestic website, android, iOS; international website, android, iOS). Commonly called the 'Benelux train', this service is classed as Intercity direct (ICd) in the Netherlands. Non-high-speed trains running on high-speed lines.
  • The Libramont – Bastogne-Nord bus service.
• CFL (domestic website; android, iOS; international booking website, android, iOS): the Luxembourgish national railway company. Near the border, CFL runs trains every half or one hour everyday to Athus in Belgium. (Luxembourgish domestic ticketing is extended to Athus, i.e. free in second class.)
  • Intercity Brussels/Namur/Arlon – Luxembourg is run by NMBS/SNCB. Local trains between Arlon/Kleinbettingen and Luxembourg are run by NMBS/SNCB or CFL
  • Intercity Liège-Guillemins – Luxembourg (weekdays) or Liers – Luxembourg (weekend) is run jointly by CFL and NMBS/SNCB.

The following are the high-speed rail service operators:
(Unless otherwise indicated, at Brussels-Midi/Zuid ('Brussels-South') these depart from platforms 3/4/5/6, where there is sometimes security control, but no border control.)

• ICE International: Brussels-Midi/Zuid (– Brussels-North) – Liège-Guillemins – Aachen Hbf– Cologne Hbf – Frankfurt Airport – Frankfurt Hbf. ICE International is a consortium between DB (German Rail) and NS (Dutch Rail). International and domesitc travel within Germany follow German long-distance ticketing rules (e.g. dynamic pricing). If travelling domestically within Belgium (Brussels – Liège), there is an ICE surcharge on top of Belgian domestic ticketing (see below).
• TGV of SNCF (French Rail): Brussels-Midi/Zuid to Lille Europe and many other destinations in France like Paris CDG Airport, but not the terminal stations in central Paris. Follows French long-distance ticketing rules (e.g. dynamic pricing).
• Thalys: Paris Nord – Brussels-Midi/Zuid – Antwerp-C – Rotterdam C – Schiphol Airport – Amsterdam C; Paris Nord – Brussels-Midi/Zuid – Liège-Guillemins – Aachen Hbf – Cologne Hbf – Düsseldorf Hbf (– Düsseldorf Airport) – Duisburg Hbf – Essen Hbf (– Dortmund Hbf). Seasonal trains to Bourg Saint-Maurice (winter). The first and second shareholders are SNCF and NMBS/SNCB respectively. It has its own ticketing.
• IZY: low-cost service between Brussels-Midi/Zuid and Paris Nord by Thalys. Runs half on high-speed rail line, and half on conventional rail line. It has its own fare structure, and tickets can only be booked through the IZY website or the SNCF website.
• Eurostar: London St. Pancras (– Ebbsfleet I) (– Ashford I) (– Calais Fréthun) – Lille Europe – Brussels-Midi/Zuid; London St. Pancras (– Lille Europe) – Brussels-Midi/Zuid – Rotterdam C – Amsterdam C. Majority owned by SNCF. It has its own ticketing. Eurostar services to the Netherlands depart from platforms 3/4/5/6. Eurostar services to France and England depart from platforms 1/2: passengers to England depart from the main Eurostar check-in area with full border and security checks, (currently, Eurostar tickets from Belgium to France are not bookable). while passengers to France (Lille/Calais) go through a separate check-in terminal without border checks. (The carriage for France is segregated from the carriages for England.) Eurostar tickets from Brussels to France can only be booked through the Belgian Eurostar website, at least 2 days before departure. Eurostar tickets to/from the the three stations in England cost the same; a Eurostar ticket booked from one of the three stations allows you to board at the other two stations. Similarly, Eurostar passengers from Continental Europe can disembark at any of the three stations in England. (But not all trains stop at Ebbsfleet or Ashford.)

The following operates sleeper trains:

• Nightjet: Brussels – Vienna sleeper trains run by ÖBB (Austrian Rail; webpage, android, iOS).

OUIGO is SNCF's low-cost domestic high-speed service in France. The closest termini for OUIGO from Belgium are Tourcoing (less than 2.5 km from the border) and Lille Flandres (both on the Kortrijk – Mouscron – Lille Flandres InterCity line). Two OUIGO stations that are easily accessible from southeastern Belgium are Metz Ville and Lorraine TGV south of Luxembourg.

Types of train services

Video taken in 2018:

中文, 日本語

The regular non-high-speed services run every half or one or two hours. Based on their stopping patterns, there are the following types of regular non-high-speed train services:

• S train (Dutch: S-trein / voorstadstrein; French: Train S / train suburbain; German: S-Zug / S-Bahn): primarily all-stops service around the five big cities of Brussels, Antwerp, Liège, Gent, Charleroi. Each S train line has a line number: Brussels has S1 to S10, S20, S81; Antwerp has S32 to S34 (S32 is the line to Roosendaal in the Netherlands); Liège has S41 to S44 (S43 is the line to Maastricht in the Netherlands); Gent has S51 to S53; Charleroi has S61 to S64.
• L train (Dutch: L-trein / stoptrein; French Train L / omnibus; German: L-Zug / Nahverkehrszug): primarily all-stops service elsewhere in the country, including the line to Aachen Hbf in Germany. L train and S train in Belgium are similar to the Sprinter/Stoptrein in the Netherlands, and the RB in Luxembourg and Germany.
• P trains (Dutch: P-trein / piekuurtrein; French: Train P / train d'heure de pointe; German P-Zug / Zug des Spitzenverkehrs). Some are all-stops, some are like InterCity's, and many are somewhat mixed. Most P trains run on weekdays during peak hours, usually in the dominant commute direction, primarily during non-holiday periods. There are some stations and lines that are only served by P-trains, i.e. they get very few trains per day, and only during weekdays. There are also the Sunday P trains, which are aimed at sending students back to their tertiary institution on Sunday evenings during term time. P trains that run before the afternoon peak have train numbers beginning with 7, and P trains that run during or after the afternoon peak have train numbers beginning with 8.
• ICT trains (Dutch: ICT-trein / toeristentrein; French Trein ICT / train touristique). These are additional trains to and from popular holiday destinations. NMBS/SNCB can add extra ICT services to the coast or other tourist attractions in short notice. The ICT services are primarily run during the holiday periods. ICT trains have train numbers beginning with 66, 67, 68, or 69.
• InterCity (IC): stops at major stations. On certain sections it can become an all-stop service, especially towards the end of the line. Belgian IC trains make extra stops at some sections during the weekend.

There used to be an intermediate category called the InterRegio (IR), but this category no longer exists in Belgium. They are now classified as IC. (IR is similar to RE in Luxembourg and Germany, and Sneltrein in the Netherlands.)

High-speed services:

• ICE (Intercity-Express): high-speed service between Brussels and Frankfurt
• TGV: high-speed services between Brussels and various destinations in France
• Thalys: high-speed service to Paris, Cologne/Dortmund, and Amsterdam
• IZY: low-cost high-speed service between Brussels and Paris
• Eurostar: high-speed service to Lille/London, and Amsterdam

Sleeper trains:

• Nightjet: sleeper trains to Vienna via Germany.

The following are network maps of the regular passenger rail services in Belgium. In Belgium there are major differences between the weekdays and weekend/holiday networks. For the convenience of those who are not familiar with the language areas in Belgium, boundaries between them are shown in the maps. Official station names are given together with alternative names in various languages. The governments of the different language areas in Belgium rarely make concessions to people who are not familiar with the place names in their language. Belgian trains often cross these language boundaries multiple times in one journey, and change the language used in the announcements accordingly. (They change language even when just passing through a language area without stopping.) Place names in different languages can sound and look rather different. For instance, train announcements and road signs to Lüttich, Luik, and Liège all refer to the same city (in German/Dutch/French). Similarly, Bergen and Mons are names of the same city (Dutch/French), and so are Anvers and Antwerpen (French/Dutch, Antwerp in English).

InterCity and high-speed rail network in Benelux:

Regular local train network in Belgium (and Luxembourg):

     

Supplementary train network in Belgium:

You may be interested in the printed timetables of the Belgian passenger railway system (Dutch, French). (They are not necessarily up to date; always check the NMBS/SNCB website or app for the latest information.)

Ticketing matters

Mirroring the complexity of the Belgian railway network, there is a myriad of ticketing options in Belgium. Here I will only introduce the most-commonly encountered ticketing issues.

Channels of purchase

International tickets

NMBS/SNCB International's website and app (android, iOS) are easy to use. Other than inputting the 'from' and 'to' stations, you can also input a 'via' station for international journeys. If it can compute your desired journey, it gives you a list of possible itineraries. You choose one of them, it shows you the details of the journey, and ticket conditions. You press 'book' for the journey that you want to book. You then input your personal details. The payment methods are Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, American Express, PayPal, Bancontact (Belgian card), and iDEAL (Dutch online transfer). If payment is successful, a ticket is issued. For most destinations, an e-ticket is delivered. See ticket delivery methods.

Some ticket offices/counters can handle international tickets. In 20+ major stations, they offer the full range of international tickets offered by NMBS/SNCB International. In another 20+ smaller stations, they can handle tickets to international destinations directly reachable from them (see here for a list of such stations). Other than purchasing tickets at a ticket counter, tickets can also be purchased via telephone. For tickets purchased at a ticket counter or via telephone, in many cases they charge a service fee of €5/€9/€14 (see here). Tickets purchased via telephone, or tickets purchased online that cannot be delivered as an e-ticket, can be picked up for free at 48 Belgian stations and 6 Dutch stations. (For tickets that can be issued as an e-ticket, but you choose to pick it up at a station, there is a handling fee of €6.)

Since this year (1 Feb?), Belgian ticket machines can handle tickets for all short-distance cross-border services run entirely by NMBS/SNCB: Maastricht and Roosendaal in the Netherlands, and Aachen Hbf in Germany, Lille, Aulnoye Aymeries, and Maubeuge in France, and Luxembourg. The Belgian ticket machines do not sell tickets for high-speed rail services, or the IC service to Breda or further north in the Netherlands.

Tickets purchased from NMBS/SNCB train conductors, and fines

Domestic and some cross-border tickets can be purchased on board NMBS/SNCB trains. However, buying a ticket on board incurs a fee of €7. See that page for exceptions; the main exceptions are:

• you buy a Brussels Airport supplement (Brussels Airport-Zaventem station access fee; €5.5).
• you buy a ticket departing from the following places outside Belgium: Maastricht, Maastricht Randwyck, Eijsden, Roosendaal (Netherlands), Aachen (Germany), Lille (France), and any station in Luxembourg.

Notice that the list of exempted foreign departure points DOES NOT include: a) Aulnoye Aymeries and Maubeuge in France (buying tickets on board will incur the €7 onboard surcharge); b) Breda and destinations further north on the Intercity from Amsterdam (without a valid ticket on board in the Netherlands, you may get a fine of €50).

Go to a train conductor before they come to you. If you don't have a valid ticket and fail to buy a ticket on board, you will get a fine of €75 in Belgium.

The ticket that you get from a train conductor is an RFID card (contactless card). If you need a receipt, or need to read the data off an RFID card issued to you, you can tap the card on the card reader at a Belgian ticket machine.

An RFID ticket issued on board cannot be used to travel from Belgium to a neighbouring country.

Domestic tickets via the NMBS/SNCB app

At the NMBS/SNCB domestic app (android, iOS), you start by using the journey planner. If you press a suggested itinerary that is purely domestic, and involves only NMBS/SNCB trains, at the bottom of the suggestion is a button which says 'buy ticket'. Check the details of the ticket: Product (i.e. ticket type), From, To, Number of passengers, Date, Type/Class (single/return/1st class/2nd class). 'Via' is not possible with Belgian domestic tickets. Breaking of journey along the shortest route between the 'From' and 'To' stations is allowed, but if you make a detour, you have to buy two separate tickets (see below). Methods of payment are Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Bancontact, Belgius Direct Net, KBC Online, PayPal. After the transaction is succesfully processed, the ticket is stored in the app.

Domestic tickets via the NMBS/SNCB website

This is the domestic ticketing webpage. You fill in the journey details and the personal details of the traveller(s). Payment methods accepted are Bancontact, Visa, Mastercard, American Express, BNP Paribas Fortis, Belgius, KBC/CBC

The delivery method is pdf, or, for a purely domestic journey, Belgians can choose to have the e-ticket recorded electronically in their Belgian national ID card (you input the ID card number before payment).

Domestic and cross-border tickets via Belgian ticket machines and ticket counters

Some stations have ticket counters. They sell the whole range of domestic tickets (except internet-only tickets). The ticket counters at these stations can sell international tickets. They may charge a ticket-issuing fee for international tickets.

There are ticket machines at all Belgian stations. In Germany and the Netherlands, there are Belgian ticket machines at Aachen Hauptbahnhof, Roosendaal, Maastricht, and Maastricht Randwyck (but apparently not at Eijsden). You can choose from Dutch, French, German, and English language at the ticket machines. They take Visa, Bancontact (Belgian cards), MasterCard, Maestro, and American Express. Some also take coins.

Types of tickets: domestic and cross-border

There is a plethora of ticket types sold by NMBS/SNCB for domestic and short-distance cross-border journeys. Here I will only introduce the commonnest domestic tickets. Most of these had a name change in 2020; instead of separate Dutch and French names, in most cases unified English names are used in both Dutch and French.

• Standard Ticket (old names: Standaardbiljet / Billet Standard / Standardfahrkarte): full fare single ticket, or day return ticket. Return is just double the price of a single ticket.
• Weekend Ticket (old names: Weekendbiljet / Billet Week-end / Wochenendfahrkarte): weekend return for basically the same price as a normal one-way Standard Ticket. Departure and return can be at any time on Friday from 19:00, Saturday, or Sunday. Also valid on certain other days, e.g. during long weekends (see the Weekend Ticket page for the exact dates of these holidays).
• Standard Multi (old name: Rail Pass): €86/€131 from ticket machines, or €83/€128 from the app (second class/first class) for any ten one-way trips within a year, on NMBS/SNCB trains between any two Belgian stations. (You can begin or end your journey at a station closest to the border with this ticket, but the frontier points are not included.) Can be used by multiple passengers at the same time.
  

  

• 10 same journey card (old name: 10 identieke rittenkaart / Carte 10 trajets identiques / Karte 10 identische Fahrten): 10 one-way trips between two pre-nominated stations. Can be used by multiple passengers at the same time.
• Local Multi (old name: Key Card): €28／€36 from ticket machines, or €27/€35 from the app (second class/first class) for 10 short one-way trips within six months, within the 'Key Card validity area' of a pre-nominated station. Check the pdf in that page for the Key Card area from each station. The Key Card can be used by multiple passengers, including pets on leash, at the same time. (For Brussels: Zone Brussels is included in the Key Card area of stations just outside Brussels, but the Key Card is not available from the Brussels-Capital Region itself; use Brupass instead.)
• Brupass and Brupass XL tickets. Brupass tickets are timed tickets that are valid with NMBS/SNCB and the other three Belgian public transport operators within the Brussels-Capital Region, and Brupass XL tickets have a wider validity zone. (The airport is NOT included!) These tickets need to be loaded into a MoBIB card (Belgium's RFID contactless card). For anonymous MoBIB cards, it is easiest to get one from STIB-MIVB. For catching NMBS/SNCB trains, a JUMP ticket can be validated by tapping the MoBIB card at the card reader of an NMBS/SNCB ticket machine.
• Kids Ticket (old names: Child Ticket / Biljet Kind / Billet Enfant / Fahrkarte „Kind“): half price for children 11 years old or younger. Children 11 years or younger do not need a ticket if they are accompanied by a passenger 12 years or older with a valid ticket; each such older passenger can accompany at most four ticketless children 11 years or younger. Each extra child, or a child not accompanied by a passengers 12 years or older, needs a child ticket.
• Youth Ticket (old name: Go Pass 1): for people 25 years old or younger, €6.6 one-way second-class journey between any two stations in Belgium.
• Youth Multi (old name: Go Pass 10): for people 25 years old or younger, €55 from ticket machines or €53 from the app for ten second-class one-way trips within a year on NMBS/SNCB trains between any two stations in Belgium. Can be used by multiple young passengers at the same time.
• Youth Holiday (old name: Go Unlimited): for people 25 years old or younger, during the Spring / Easter / Summer / Autumn / Christmas holiday, €18 for 7 consecutive days; or during the Summer holiday, €29 for 31 consecutive days of unlimted train travel between any Belgian stations. This ticket can be purchased from the app, or loaded into a personalised MoBIB card. Go Unlimited can be combined with an international/cross-border ticket in the same train (according to the 03.04.2021 terms and conditions; to be safe, bring along a pdf of the terms and conditions of this ticket along).
• Senior Ticket (old names: Seniorenbiljet / Billet Seniors / Seniorenfahrkarte): for people 65 years or older, €7.2 second class/ €15.3 first class return journey between any two Belgian stations. Usually it is valid from 09:00 on weekdays, and the whole day on the weekend. However, there are some weekdays when it is valid the whole day, and some days when it is NOT valid the entire day. Check the validity calendar in that page carefully.
• Brussels Airport Supplement (old name: Diabolo fee; see next section).
• Train+bus ticket to/from Charleroi Airport.
• Bicycles and pets: see below.

There is a whole gamma of other tickets and deals; see here.

For short-distance cross-border tickets, see Aachen, Maastricht and Roosendaal, Lille, Aulnoye Aymeries, and Maubeuge, and Luxembourg below.

Surcharges

• Brussels Airport Supplement (old names: Diabolo fee / Diabolotoeslag / Redevance Diabolo / Diabolo-Zuschlag): station-access supplement for Brussels Airport-Zaventem station, €5.50 for each access (passing the station gates once) by each passenger. See also the Diabolo fee page on who is exempt from this fee. A diabolo fee purchased from a train conductor does NOT incur the €7 on-board surcharge.
• Using ICE domestically in Belgium requires a surcharge of €10 second class or €15 first class on top of a normal domestic fare. This can be purchased from ticket machines, and is also offered from the app when you book a journey where this could be applicable.

Bicycles and pets

Fully folded up folding bicycles travel for free. Otherwise, a Bike Supplement (Fietssupplement / Supplément Vélo / Fahrrad-Zuschlag) (old names: Bike ticket / Fietsbiljet / Billet Vélo / Fahrradfahrkarte) is €4 one-way. A bicycle ticket is not valid, i.e. bicycles are not allowed to board/deboard trains, at the stations of Brussels-Central, Brussels-Chapelle/Kapellekerk, and Brussels-Congres. Bicycles are also not allowed on the Libramont – Bastogne NMBS/SNCB bus line. See also the domestic train/bike page, domestic bike on train page and the international FAQ.

The bike supplment is valid on domestic trains, as well as NMBS/SNCB services to Roosendaal, Maastricht (Netherlands); Aachen (Germany); Maubeuge, Aulnoye Aymeries, Lille (France); Luxembourg. On the other hand, on the IC service to the Netherlands via Breda, the charge is €12.

Pet Supplement (Huisdier Supplement / Supplément Animal Domestique / Haustier-Zuschlag) (Old names: Pet Ticket / Huisdierbiljet / Billet Animal / Haustierfahrkarte) is €3 for each non-contained pet per domestic journey. The carriage of pets is free for animals in a container 55×30×30 cm not occupying a seat. Assistance animals travel for free, but it needs a pass obtained from an assistance animal organisation. See also the domestic Travel with your pet page, and the international FAQ.

(Bicycles and pets travel for free on domestic public transport in Luxembourg. People also travel for free on public transport in Luxembourg, except for first class train travel.)

Summary of purchase channels and ticket types

NMBS/SNCB provides this summary for the various channels of purchase and types of tickets.

Breaking, detours, zones, and fares

Breaking and detours

By default, you travel on the shortest possible route in distance between the 'from' and 'to' stations. In this case, you are allowed to break your journey: feel free to stop at an intermediate point, and join a later train to continue your journey. The ticket is valid until the last service of the day. (But make no assumptions on how late trains might run till.)

In some cases, you are allowed take a route that is not shortest in distance. However, in these circumstances, you are not allowed to break your journey (you can make the necessary train changes, but not leave the station). You can take a route that is not the shortest in the following situations:

• if you can get to your destination faster.
• if you can avoid changing trains, and can stay in the same train, and if this journey is maximally 30 minutes longer than taking trains along the shortest route in distance.
• you can backtrack along a route if by doing so, you can get to your destination faster, or if there are no connecting services right at the point where the two tracks intersect.
• if there is a delay.

Otherwise, you are not allowed to make a detour. If you want to make a detour, you have to purchase two spearate tickets. In the NMBS/SNCB journey planner, sometimes it gives you suggested itineraries with a warning saying that you have to buy two separate tickets for the suggested journey.

Zones, 'non-zones', and fares

Some stations are grouped together into 'Zones'. There are 21 such Zones in Belgium; the largest is the Brussels Zone, covering the same area as the Brussels-Capital Region. (The station of Linkebeek, which straddles the border of Brussles and Flanders, lies outside the Brussels Zone.) These zones are indicated in the maps above as mauve polygons. Each of these Zones is a single tariff point. A domestic or international ticket which has a Zone as its origin and/or destination gives the traveller, on the ticket's day of validity, free travel on NMBS/SNCB trains within that Zone until one leaves that Zone. (When purchasing a ticket, when you type in a station within a Zone, I think the resulting ticket automatically has the name of that Zone as the origin/destination.) In a Standard Multi (Rail Pass) or similar ticket, you can put down a Zone as the origin and/or destination.

A ticket with Mortsel, Mortsel-Liersesteenweg, Mortsel-Oude-God, or Mortsel-Deurnesteenweg as its origin/destination has equal validity at the other three Mortsel stations. However, Mortsel is not a Zone, e.g. a ticket to one of the Mortsel stations does not give limitless travel amongst the Mortsel stations.

An NMBS/SNCB return ticket to a coastal station (kuststation / gare du littoral) allows the traveller to return from another coastal station. The coastal stations are: Knokke, Duinbergen, Heist, Zeebrugge-Dorp, Zeebrugge-Strand, Blankenberge, Oostende, Veurne, Koksijde, and De Panne. Basically the entire coast is linked by the Kusttram 'Coastal Tram'. Ticketing of De Lijn, the Flemish public transport company, applies on the Coastal Tram.

Most of the points above are mentioned in the NMBS/SNCB glossary, which can be found in the NMBS/SNCB terms and conditions (Dutch, French). Also in the terms and conditions are the tariff tables. For ordinary single tickets, 1 to 3 km have the same fares, and distances longer than 150 km are charged 150 km on domestic NMBS/SNCB services.

Accessibility issues

This is the NMBS/SNCB disability page.

Assited boarding is available at more than 130 stations. Request can be made by dialling +32 2 528 28 28, or online (domestic page, international page). Domestic requests has to be made at least 24 hours beforehand. If the trip is a direct journey between some 40 larger stations, the notice needed is reduced to 3 hours (see a list of these 40+ stations in the disability page). For international travel, request has to be made at least 48 hours beforehand. Before making an international request, TGV, Thalys, and Eurostar offer special wheelchair fares for wheelchair users and their carers. Phone +32 2 432 38 01 to make this booking.

There are various special domestic deals for people in certain categories, e.g. carers, people with visual impairment, people with hardship / lower income, and people with difficulties walking/standing.

The disability pages of the three other public transport operators in Belgium:

• De Lijn (Flanders)
• STIB-MIVB (Brussels)
• TEC (Wallonia)

Other public transport operators

Other than NMBS/SNCB, there are three other public transport operators in Belgium:

• De Lijn (Flanders; network maps)
• STIB-MIVB (Brussels; network maps)
• TEC (Wallonia; network maps)

Their networks overlap a little bit. Some Belgian buses cross into neighbouring countries, and some foreign buses cross into Belgium.

NMBS/SNCB has various subscriptions that combine journeys on their trains and one of the other public transport operators.

All four Belgian public transport operators use an RFID card called MoBIB. However, for NMBS/SNCB and De Lijn, they only use personalised MoBIB cards for subscriptions. STIB-MIVB and TEC, on the other hand, use MoBIB cards for both subscriptions and timed tickets.

Train deals with the Netherlands

Also read further in the Netherlands page, especially for domestic travel in the Netherlands.

Special short-distance cross-border tickets

There is a range of tickets to Roosendaal and Maastricht in the Netherlands on the NMBS/SNCB local trains. The Roosendaal line has one station, Roosendaal, in the Netherlands, while the Maastricht line has tree stations: Eijsden, Maastricht Randwyck, and Maastricht. (In the past these three stations are priced the same, but now they are priced differently.) Ticket machines in Belgium and the NMBS/SNCB international website/app can handle tickets to/from these stations. (The domestic NMBS/SNCB website now directs all Roosendaal/Maastricht tickets to the international site.) There are also Belgian ticket machines at Maastricht and Maastricht Randwyck, but apparently not at Eijsden. The range of tickets available from these ticket machines in the Netherlands is somewhat smaller, e.g. the Standard Multi (Rail Pass) is apparently not available. The domestic Bike Ticket is also valid on these NMBS/SNCB services. A ticket from/to Roosendaal or Maastricht can be used back-to-back with a Belgian domestic ticket on the same train (there are probably no domestic tickets left that prohibit combination with an international ticket, but check). For instance, you can use an NMBS/SNCB Standard Multi (Rail Pass) up till Visé near the Dutch border, and then present another ticket between Visé and Maastricht, while sitting in the same Belgian train. (Terms and conditions for the standard tickets in Dutch and French.)

Belgian ticket machines cannot handle tickets for the IC train to Breda and further north. You have to get tickets for this from the Belgian rail international website/app, or from ticket offices that can handle this international journey.

There is also the Euregio ticket, which is valid on many non-high-speed rail services and buses/trams in the Belgium/Netherlands/Germany tripoint region. See here.

Some train stations in the Netherlands have gates. Stations that have gates include Roosendaal, Breda, and Amsterdam Centraal, while stations that do not have gates include Maastricht and Schiphol Airport (January 2021). Belgian tickets include a barcode for opening these station gates in the Netherlands if the destination requires one.

Other international tickets

For non-high-speed train tickets between Belgium and the Netherlands, there is the Early Bird deal: a fixed discount is given (i.e. no need to book too early) if booked seven or more days before the departure date. The discount is on average 40% off full-fare for Monday to Thursday departures, and 20% off for Friday to Sunday departures. These discount tickets are mid-flex, i.e. it is refundable to a degree. The same deal is also given in the Netherlands for non-high-speed travel to Belgium, and to Luxembourg via Belgium. These deals are best booked online, because in Belgium, ticket offices and telephone booking usually charge a booking fee, and in the Netherlands, ticket machines and the normal ticket counters do not sell discounted tickets, while the international ticket offices and telephone booking charge hefty booking fees for tickets that you cannot get from ticket machines. Children 11 years old or younger travel for free if they are accompanied by an adult 18 years old or older. (Each such adult can take with them at most 4 children for free.)

(If it is just between Belgium and Roosendaal/Maastricht, NMBS/SNCB automatically give you their better fixed-rate fare. In general, if you have to go through Roosendaal or Maastricht, see whether getting Belgian tickets to Roosendaal/Maastricht and then domestic Dutch tickets from Roosendaal/Maastricht is a better deal than getting one ticket the entire way.)

For a small fixed-price (starting from €7.6 second class, €11.6 first class), a Connection ticket on NMBS/SNCB trains can be added to a Thalys or Eurostar ticket to/from the Netherlands. Just book the entire journey through the NMBS/SNCB International website/app.

Train deals with Germany and Austria

Special short-distance cross-border tickets

There is a range of tickets to Aachen Hauptbahnhof in Germany on NMBS/SNCB local trains. (Aachen is Aken in Dutch, and Aix-la-Chapelle in French.) Ticket machines in Belgium and the NMBS/SNCB international website/app can handle tickets to/from Aachen Hbf on NMBS/SNCB trains (but not on Thalys, ICE, or Nightjet trains). (The NMBS/SNCB domestic website no longer handles tickets to Aachen Hbf.) There are also Belgian ticket machines at Aachen Hbf. However, the range of tickets available there is smaller (e.g. the Standard Multi (Rail Pass) is apparently not available there). The domestic Bike Ticket is also valid on the NMBS/SNCB L train to/from Aachen. A ticket to/from Aachen can be used back-to-back with a Belgian domestic ticket on the same train (there are probably no domestic tickets left that prohibit combination with an international ticket, but check). For instance, you can use an NMBS/SNCB Standard Multi up till Hergenrath near the German border, and then present another ticket between Hergenrath and Aachen Hbf, while sitting in the same Belgian train. (Terms and conditions for the standard tickets in Dutch and French.)

An interactive map of the local train lines in the state of Nordrhein-Westphalia 'North Rhein-Westphalia' (NRW) is here.

Unlike the widespread 'incursion' of German local public transport and ticketing into the border areas in the Netherlands, German local ticketing is very rarely valid in Belgium. The Aachen regional AVV-Tarif and the state-wide NRW-Tarif are NOT valid on the NMBS/SNCB line to Aachen Hbf.

(With buses, the only bus line where normal local German tariff is valid for some distance in Belgium is ASEAG bus 24 between Kelmis Bruch in Belgium and Aachen Bushof in Germany. In other cases, normal German tariffs stop at the first bus stop before or after the border. Joint German–Belgian bus fare in the Aachen area is handled through a special tariff called region3tarif. The next two German public transport authorities to the south, VRS (Cologne/Bonn) and VRT (Trier), have no bus services to Belgium, although some are right on the border. The Belgian–German border area south of the Aachen region lies in the Eifel mountain range, and is very lightly populated in general.)

There is the Euregio ticket, which IS valid on the NMBS/SNCB line to Aachen Hbf, plus many other non-high-speed rail services and buses/trams in the wider Belgium/Netherlands/Germany tripoint region. See here.

See also the Germany section in the home page. There are two German states that border Belgium: for North Rhine–Westphalia, see the Germany section in the Netherlands page; for Rhineland–Palatinate, see the Germany section in the Luxembourg page.

Other international tickets

For ICE tickets between Belgium and Germany (or beyond), it seems that the Sparpreis Europa and Super Sparpreis Europa saver fares no longer give a free connecting trip within Belgium. For destinations outside the Brussels and Liège zones, Check the price for the entire journey, versus booking the ICE and Belgian domestic legs as two separate tickets.

For a small fixed-price (starting from €7.6 second class, €11.6 first class), a Connection ticket on NMBS/SNCB trains can be added to a Thalys/Nightjet ticket to/from Germany or Austria. Just book the entire journey through the NMBS/SNCB International website/app.

See what DB says about carriage of bicycles in general in Germany.

Train deals with Luxembourg

Also read further in the Luxembourg page. (Luxembourg here refers to the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, as opposed to the Province of Luxembourg in Belgium.

Public transport within Luxembourg (except for first-class on trains) has become zero-fare since 1 March 2020. Since 2021 (Feb 1?), tickets to Luxembourg can be purchased from any ticket machine in Belgium. You have to specify whether you enter Luxembourg via the Gouvy, Sterpenich, or Athus frontier. Tickets to Luxembourg can also be purchased from the NMBS/SNCB International website/app or international ticket offices.

For Gouvy and Sterpenich frontiers, there is a cross-border charge (included in a ticket). Athus is different: Athus station in Belgium is considered a domestic destination by both Belgian and Luxembourgish rail, meaning that normal Luxembourgish tarif applies between Athus and the border on trains, i.e. zero-fare on second class. For first class rail tickets, there are no Luxembourgish ticket machine in Athus, but a ticket can be obtained from the train conductor with a €1 surcharge.

The range of tickets offered to Luxembourg is similar to the range of domestic Belgian tickets, e.g. stardard, weekend return, senior, youth, child. Normal domestic bicycle and pet tickets are required in Belgium, but they are carried for free in Luxembourg.

There are also special monthly and annual subscriptions.

Train deals with France and England

Special short-distance cross-border tickets

NMBS/SNCB runs its own non-high-speed trains to three destinations just across the border in France: Lille Flandres via the Tourcoing or Blandain frontier (you can choose either border frontier point), Aulnoye Aymeries via the Quévy frontier, and Maubeuge via the Jeumont frontier. Tickets to these can now (since Feb 1? 2021) be purchased from a ticket machine throughout Belgium. (However, last time I looked at a Belgian ticket machine far away from the border, while Aulnoye was available, Maubeuge was not.). Alternatively, these tickets can be purchased from the NMBS/SNCB international website/app, or international ticket ofices. (The old Trampoline and cross-border tickets have been discontinued. Unlike the flat-charge in the past, the stations in between Lille and Kortrijk / Tournai now have normal distance tarif, plus border-crossing charge if applicable.)

(In the other direction, from the French regional train ticket machines in the region ('TER', blue in colour), choose FRANCE/BELGIQUE from the home screen for these tickets. In French, Kortrijk is Courtrai; Courtrai and Tournai look somewhat similar; do not get them mixed up. Also note that in Dutch, Lille is Rijsel, and Tournai is Doornik.)

Belgium classes these train services as Intercity, while France classes these as TER (regional services). The Lille services run all day, while the Aulnoye and Maubeuge services only have two return services per day each (these are aimed at connecting with French domestic TER services to/from Paris Nord).

If you buy a ticket from an NMBS/SNCB train conductor at Aulnoye Aymeries or Maubeuge, or within Belgium, they charge you a €7 on-board surcharge. The on-board surcharge is not applicable at Lille.

This is the official webpage of rail maps of France. This is the website of SNCF TER Hauts-de-France (local rail network in far northern France), and SNCF TER Grand Est (local rail network in northeastern France). Although there are no direct passenger rail links between Grand Est and Belgium, some stations are close to Belgium, e.g. Givet, Longwy.

The range of (non-high-speed) tickets offered to Lille, Aulnoye Aymeries, Maubeuge, and other TER Hauts-de-France destinations is similar to that to domestic Belgian destinations, e.g. standard, weekend return, senior, youth, child. Normal domestic bicycle and pet tickets are required on NMBS/SNCB trains. Bicycles are carried for free on TER Hauts-de-France trains. As for pets, see what TER Hauts-de-France says.

The following are French bus operators that are based near the Belgian border (many have buses extending into Belgium).

• Pas-de-Calais (closest point to England):
  • Calais urban (Kales in Dutch): SITAC
  • Pas-de-Calais district bus
• Nord (borders West-Vlaanderen and Hainaut Provinces of Belgium):
  • Dunkerque urban (Dunkirk in English, Duinkerke in Dutch): DK'Bus (Connections with De Panne station in Belgium.)
  • Lille urban (Rijsel in Dutch): ilevia; also operates metro and trams
  • Valenciennes urban (Valencijn in Dutch): Transvilles; also operates trams
  • Maubeuge/Aulnoye-Aymeries urban (Mabuse or Malbode in Dutch): Stibus
  • Nord district bus: Arc-en-ciel
• Aisne (shares a short border with Hainaut Province of Belgium): district bus
• Ardennes (borders Hainaut, Namur, and Luxembourg Provinces of Belgium):
  • Charlevilles-Mézières/Sedan urban: TAC
  • Ardennes district bus: fluo
• Meuse (shares a short border with Luxembourg Province of Belgium): district bus fluo
• Meurthe et Moselle (shares a short border with Luxembourg Province of Belgium):
  • Longwy urban: TGL
  • Meurthe et Moselle district bus: fluo

Other international tickets

For high-speed travel between Brussels-Midi/Zuid and Lille Europe, NMBS/SNCB International has a high-speed Brussels–Lille subscription, valid on all TGV and Eurostar services. This can be purchased at the international ticket office at Brussels-Midi/Zuid.

For a small fixed-price (starting from €7.6 second class, €11.6 first class), a Connection ticket on NMBS/SNCB trains can be added to a TGV/Thalys/Eurostar ticket to/from France or England. Just book the entire journey through the NMBS/SNCB International website/app.

Between Belgium and England, there is the Zeebrugge – Kingston upon Hull passenger ferry. For Zeebrugge, one can apparently walk/cycle between the Zeebrugge ferry terminal and the Zeebrugge stations. However: a) I have read that the Zeebrugge port area is not very pedestrian/cyclist friendly; and b) you have to look up which of the two Zeebrugge stations (Zeebrugge-Strand and Zeebrugge-Dorp) is in use if you are heading landward, and the train frequency is not great. See the ferry link above for their coach service to Brugge.

The plan for an Oostende – Ramsgate ferry service fell through dramatically in 2019; perhaps it will be restarted in the future. Not far from Belgium are Dunkerque (Dunkirk/Duinkerke) and Calais in France, both with multiple sailings per day to Dover. (The Dunkirk – Dover ferry is vehicle-only, with bicycles included. Dunkirk buses are free (since late 2018; check again before you go), and there is a bus line to De Panne station in Belgium.)

Tourist railroads

The following is a list of rail services in Belgium that: a) are tourist-/enthusiast-oriented; b) run 'between destinations' (e.g., not running entirely within a theme park or grounds of a preservation association); and c) run entirely or mostly on railway not served by regular passenger train services. These touristic rail services run on very limited schedules, and they are also relatively expensive. However, you get to experience the history of rail transport, as they usually run on antique vehicles that are difficult to see elsewhere. Excluded in the following list (currently?) are most historical tramways and narrow-gauge railways. The information below is shown in the weekend local train maps above.

Ordinary Belgian railway ticketing is not valid on them. These services are not aimed at passengers taking luggage with them. Some allow bicycles. Check with the individual organisations.

• In East Flanders Province: Stroomtrein Maldegem–Eeklo, Maldegem – Eeklo. Steam and diesel train rides. While there are regular train services at Eeklo, the rides start at Maldegem. Check with De Lijn for buses to Maldgem.
• In East Flanders and Antwerp Provinces: Stroomtrein Dendermonde–Puurs, Baasrode-Noord – Oppuurs. Steam train rides. Both stations are a bit away from Dendermonde/Baasrode-Zuid and Puurs stations, where regular train services are available. Check with De Lijn for buses.
• In Namur Province: Le Chemin de fer du Bocq, Ciney – Evrehailles-Bauche. Railcar and diesel trains. Regular train services available at Ciney. (The railway line has seemingly not yet been restored to Yvoir.)
• In Namur Province: Chemin de fer à vapeur des 3 vallées. Mariembourg – Treignes. Steam train and railcars. Regular train service available at Mariembourg.

Also fun are Train World at Schaarbeek/Schaerbeek in Brussels, Rétrotrain at Saint Ghislain, and Centre du Rail & de la Pierre at Rochefort-Jemelle.

Disclaimer

I do this as a hobby. I am not a travel agent; while I would be interested in questions that you might have, please direct your questions to the public transport providers involved. Situations and rules can change quickly; please check with the public transport providers for the latest information. I take utter care on the accuracy of the information I provide here, but I cannot be held responsible for any inaccuracies. If you see any doubtful information, comments are welcome: hilario.bambooradical gmail.

Unless otherwise stated, all diagrams and photos are work of mine. Please respect copyright. I apologise for the quality of the photos and videos; I hope that they are good enough for illustrative purposes.