To central Brussels · One way · All prices are totals for 1 adult · All service hours
4 transfer options
Not everything runs all night.Not all night: the De Lijn bus R26 runs 05:26–22:56, the De Lijn night bus N62 runs 00:55–04:46, the NMBS/SNCB train runs 04:42–23:57.
Recommended
37 minutes quicker than the De Lijn bus R26, for €8.60 more.
Train
NMBS/SNCB train
Train · NMBS/SNCB
16–23 min rideEvery 12 min04:42–23:57
The station under the terminal→Bruxelles-Central
Luggage space
€11.60total for 1 adult€11.60 eachBuy ticket2 places to buy
Pickup, hours & luggage
Boards at. The station under the terminal, below the departures and arrivals hall
EUR 11.60, one adult, second class, single, weekday, airport to Bruxelles-Central — the Anytime ticket, EUR 6.90 supplement included. EUR 10.20 at weekends and on public holidays: 30% off the fare, none off the supplement. Bruxelles-Nord and Bruxelles-Midi are on the same ticket. Up to four children under 12 travel free with an adult.
Luggage. Intercity carriages with racks and space by the doors.
Hours. About 110 direct trains a day to Bruxelles-Central, every 10 to 15 minutes. First 04:42, last 23:57 on weekdays; Saturday starts at 05:30. These are ordinary intercity trains to Ostend, Bruges, Ghent, Mons and Tournai that happen to call here.
Boards at. The Zaventem Brussels Airport bus station — since 7 May 2026 a temporary one, about 100 m from the terminal on level 0, under a covered walkway
The ordinary De Lijn fare, no airport supplement. A 10-rittenkaart (EUR 22, EUR 2.20 a ride) can be shared: scan it once per traveler within two minutes, with the cardholder staying with the group. Above ten people, ask for a group ticket at the same EUR 2.20 a head.
Luggage. An ordinary city bus. There are no racks, so a big case sits with you.
Hours. The cheap daytime option is also the first to stop: the last R26 leaves at 22:56, roughly an hour before the last train and the last STIB bus. After that the choice is the EUR 7.90 bus or the train, until the N62 night bus starts at 00:55.
Boards at. The Zaventem Brussels Airport bus station — since 7 May 2026 a temporary one, about 100 m from the terminal on level 0, under a covered walkway
The same ordinary EUR 3.00 fare applies in the middle of the night too — this service runs every night of the year.
Luggage. An ordinary city bus, quiet at that hour.
Hours. Eight departures — 00:55, 01:25, 01:55, 02:25, 03:16, 03:46, 04:16, 04:46 — every night of the year. They are NOT evenly spaced: there is a 51-minute hole between 02:25 and 03:16 that De Lijn's "roughly every half hour" does not mention.
The options are still here — your budget or journey-time filter is drawn tighter than any of them. Widen either one, or reset the filters, to bring them back.
Prices are whole-party totals; group fares are included. Ride times are recorded journey durations — no waiting or onward travel has been added — and road times vary with traffic. Confirm prices and availability with the operator. Going the other way? Brussels to Brussels Airport: where each one boards and when the first one runs
How do I get from Brussels Airport to Brussels city center?
For one traveler we recommend the NMBS/SNCB train at €11.60, 16–23 min: 37 minutes quicker than the De Lijn bus R26, for €8.60 more. The cheapest is the De Lijn bus R26 at €3, 43–60 min. Every option below is priced as a total for your party and says where it leaves you.
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Arriving late?
Not everything runs around the clock: the De Lijn bus R26 runs 05:26–22:56, and the De Lijn night bus N62 runs 00:55–04:46, and the NMBS/SNCB train runs 04:42–23:57. Outside those hours, the Pre-booked private transfer is what remains. Set the hour you leave arrivals and the board keeps only what is running.
Traveling together?
10-rittenkaart, ten rides on one card, shareable. Group fares are already included in the totals.
Luggage
An ordinary city bus. There are no racks, so a big case sits with you.
Going somewhere specific?
"The center" is not one place, and the answer changes
The train station is on level -1, one floor below the Arrivals Hall on level 0.
Tickets
Tickets are scanned at gates on the way into and out of the station, either the barcode on a paper or electronic ticket or a MOBIB card. Buy in advance online, in the NMBS app, or at the station's ticket machine or office.
The taxi rank
Taxis are available outside the Arrivals Hall. If you have pre-booked one, your driver will meet you at the exit.
Uber and Bolt
Uber's pickup point is parking garage P1, fourth floor. From baggage claim, turn left, go straight about 50 metres to the sliding doors, cross toward P1, then take the lift up and through the sliding doors at level 4.
Before you travel
Where each one starts, how long it runs, what it carries
R26 · De LijnDe Lijn bus R26
From
The Zaventem Brussels Airport bus station — since 7 May 2026 a temporary one, about 100 m from the terminal on level 0, under a covered walkway
To
Brussel-Noord / Bruxelles-Nord, a main-line station and tram hub
Luggage
An ordinary city bus. There are no racks, so a big case sits with you.
Runs
05:26–22:56
Journey
43–60 min
The ordinary De Lijn fare, no airport supplement. A 10-rittenkaart (EUR 22, EUR 2.20 a ride) can be shared: scan it once per traveler within two minutes, with the cardholder staying with the group. Above ten people, ask for a group ticket at the same EUR 2.20 a head.
It is the cheapest way into Brussels by a wide margin and the slowest by an equally wide one: 43 to 60 minutes against the train's 16 to 23.
It leaves you at Brussel-Noord, one of the three main stations, on the northern edge of the center. For Grand-Place or the lower town add a metro or tram hop, or ride the train two stops on.
Check the ticket clock. De Lijn tickets run 60 minutes, and this journey can take 60. A ticket bought on a card lets you finish the ride you are on; De Lijn's own table lists the app and website version as 60 minutes without that wording.
Traveling together, buy one 10-rittenkaart at EUR 22 rather than singles once there are eight of you, and scan it once per person.
It stops at 22:56, earlier than everything else at this airport.
The cheap daytime option is also the first to stop: the last R26 leaves at 22:56, roughly an hour before the last train and the last STIB bus. After that the choice is the EUR 7.90 bus or the train, until the N62 night bus starts at 00:55.
The Zaventem Brussels Airport bus station — since 7 May 2026 a temporary one, about 100 m from the terminal on level 0, under a covered walkway
To
Brussel Rogier, one block from De Brouckere
Luggage
An ordinary city bus, quiet at that hour.
Runs
00:55–04:46
Journey
29 min
The same ordinary EUR 3.00 fare applies in the middle of the night too — this service runs every night of the year.
This is the answer to the night here: it lands almost exactly in the gap the trains and the STIB bus leave, and it charges the ordinary EUR 3.00 to do it.
It is also faster than the daytime bus — 29 minutes against 54 — because the roads are empty.
Mind the 02:25 to 03:16 gap. The half-hourly claim does not hold across the middle of the night.
Eight departures — 00:55, 01:25, 01:55, 02:25, 03:16, 03:46, 04:16, 04:46 — every night of the year. They are NOT evenly spaced: there is a 51-minute hole between 02:25 and 03:16 that De Lijn's "roughly every half hour" does not mention.
Platform D of the bus station — since 7 May 2026 a temporary one, about 100 m from the terminal on level 0, under a covered walkway
To
Schuman (metro 1 and 5), then Luxembourg and Trone (metro 2 and 6)
Luggage
A city bus with a luggage area, since the route exists for this traffic.
Runs
05:08–00:30
Journey
27–52 min
EUR 7.90 contactless or on a MOBIB card, EUR 8.40 on paper — this direction only; airport-bound, an ordinary EUR 2.40 ticket works. An Airport2City 10-journey card (EUR 52) can be shared, but a first-time visitor also needs the EUR 6.00 MOBIB card, so EUR 58 total.
You are paying EUR 7.90 for a journey that costs EUR 2.40 in the other direction. That is not a mistake on the fare machine — every ordinary STIB ticket is written to be void leaving this airport.
It is the best option for the European quarter: Schuman in about 27 minutes puts you where neither the cheap bus nor the train leaves you.
Paper costs EUR 0.50 more than contactless or a card.
Seven of you should still buy singles. The 10-journey card only wins from eight once the EUR 6.00 MOBIB card is counted, and from seven if you already have one.
Peak traffic nearly doubles it — 52 minutes to Trone against 38 off-peak.
Every 10 to 20 minutes by day and every 20 in the evening, with the last departures at 23:50, 00:10 and 00:30 — and identically every day of the week, which is unusual and useful.
The station under the terminal, below the departures and arrivals hall
To
Bruxelles-Central, via Bruxelles-Nord; some trains also serve Schuman and Luxembourg
Luggage
Intercity carriages with racks and space by the doors.
Runs
04:42–23:57
Journey
16–23 min
EUR 11.60, one adult, second class, single, weekday, airport to Bruxelles-Central — the Anytime ticket, EUR 6.90 supplement included. EUR 10.20 at weekends and on public holidays: 30% off the fare, none off the supplement. Bruxelles-Nord and Bruxelles-Midi are on the same ticket. Up to four children under 12 travel free with an adult.
EUR 11.60 weekday, EUR 10.20 weekend or public holiday, airport to Bruxelles-Central, supplement included. There is no separate airport fare: buy a ticket to whichever Brussels station you want.
It is much the fastest way in — about 17 minutes to Bruxelles-Central against 54 on the cheap bus.
The supplement survives every discount you might expect to shake it off, including the 30% weekend fare and Train+.
Children under 12 accompanying you travel free, need no ticket at all, and pay no supplement — they walk through the gates with you. It is the one thing here that genuinely changes the cost of a family.
Four or more travelling off-peak, at weekends or on public holidays should ask for the Minigroup ticket: 40% off for 4 to 14 people on one ticket. It is not priced here because it is unclear if the supplement is discounted too; likely not, which would put it at about EUR 9.70 a head to Bruxelles-Central.
Going to the European quarter, check whether your train serves Schuman — 33 do on a weekday, between 05:47 and 21:47.
About 110 direct trains a day to Bruxelles-Central, every 10 to 15 minutes. First 04:42, last 23:57 on weekdays; Saturday starts at 05:30. These are ordinary intercity trains to Ostend, Bruges, Ghent, Mons and Tournai that happen to call here.
The station under the terminal, below the departures and arrivals hall
To
Leuven station, one stop, with nothing in between
Luggage
Intercity carriages with racks and space by the doors.
Runs
05:21–23:38
Journey
13–14 min
EUR 11.90, one adult, second class, single, weekday, airport to Leuven — supplement included. On weekends when a diverted train runs, EUR 10.50 (30% off everything but the supplement). Up to four children under 12 travel free with an adult; 4 to 14 people off-peak can ask for the Minigroup ticket, 40% off the fare only.
EUR 11.90 on a weekday, with the EUR 6.90 supplement inside it: only 30 cents more than the ticket to Bruxelles-Central, for a train that goes the other way.
WEEKDAYS ONLY, in the base timetable. On a Saturday or Sunday change at Brussel-Noord — about 43 minutes in all — or take De Lijn bus 91, which runs seven days a week.
Thirteen minutes, one stop, no Brussels: it is the fastest thing this airport does.
Children under 12 travel free with you and pay no supplement; they walk through the gates with you.
Two trains an hour on weekdays, at 21 and 38 past: first 05:21, last 23:38, with one more around 23:50 on some Monday–Thursday nights. Weekends normally have no direct train, though some autumn weekends do run diverted trains — check NMBS for your date. From 3 to 18 October 2026 there is no direct train any day.
Platform B of the De Lijn bus station — since 7 May 2026 a temporary one, about 100 m from the terminal on level 0, under a covered walkway
To
Leuven Station, platform 1, via Kortenberg and Everberg
Luggage
An ordinary regional bus with no racks; a big case sits with you.
Runs
05:16–21:17
Journey
59–85 min
The ordinary De Lijn fare: EUR 3.00 for 60 minutes, no airport supplement. A 10-rittenkaart is EUR 22 for ten rides (EUR 2.20 each) and can be shared: scan it once per traveler within two minutes.
EUR 3.00 against EUR 11.90 on the train, and the only direct way to Leuven at weekends, when the base rail timetable has no Leuven train.
It takes about an hour against the train's 13 minutes, and up to 85 in the morning peak.
The ticket is valid 60 minutes and the ride can take longer; De Lijn lets you finish the ride you are on, so a single bus is fine. Do not plan a change on the same ticket.
The last weekday bus is 21:17, well before the last train; on Saturday it is 22:18 and on Sunday 22:21.
Eight or more of you should buy one EUR 22 ten-ride card and scan it once per person.
The guides still name buses 651 and 652: De Lijn closed both on 6 January 2024. Line 91 from platform B is the bus.
Weekdays: 30 departures, every 30 minutes 05:16–18:13, then hourly to 21:17, 64–85 minutes to Leuven Station (slowest in the morning peak). Saturday: hourly, 05:17–22:18, 61–71 minutes. Sunday: hourly, 06:23–22:21, 59–64 minutes.
The station under the terminal, below the departures and arrivals hall
To
Antwerpen-Centraal, via Mechelen and Antwerpen-Berchem
Luggage
Intercity carriages with racks and space by the doors.
Runs
05:41–23:41
Journey
30–33 min
EUR 15.00, one adult, second class, single, weekday, airport to Antwerpen-Centraal — supplement included. EUR 12.60 at weekends and on public holidays (30% off the fare, not the supplement). Up to four children under 12 travel free with an adult; the Minigroup ticket (4 to 14 people, off-peak) is 40% off the fare only.
EUR 15.00 on a weekday and EUR 12.60 at the weekend, the EUR 6.90 supplement inside both; the weekend discount never touches the supplement.
Half the weekday trains are the EC to Rotterdam and Amsterdam. NMBS's own product sheet lists EC among the domestic trains an ordinary ticket is valid on, so board it for Antwerp; you need an international ticket only beyond it.
Twice an hour on weekdays, hourly at weekends, and about 30 minutes either way.
Children under 12 travel free with you and pay no supplement.
Weekdays: two an hour, at 41 and 11 past, 30–31 minutes via Mechelen and Antwerpen-Berchem; first 05:41, last 23:41. Weekends: hourly at 38 past, 05:38–23:38, 33 minutes. In some works weeks the last two evening trains divert via Brussel-Noord (about an hour); 3–18 October 2026 the weekend pattern runs every day.
The station under the terminal, below the departures and arrivals hall
To
Gent-Sint-Pieters, via Bruxelles-Nord, Central and Midi
Luggage
Intercity carriages with racks and space by the doors.
Runs
05:24–23:24
Journey
54–86 min
EUR 20.00, one adult, second class, single, weekday, airport to Gent-Sint-Pieters — supplement included. EUR 16.10 at weekends and on public holidays (30% off the fare, not the supplement). Up to four children under 12 travel free with an adult; the Minigroup ticket (4 to 14 people, off-peak) is 40% off the fare only.
EUR 20.00 on a weekday and EUR 16.10 at the weekend, the EUR 6.90 supplement inside both — the same ticket is valid on the fast train and the slow one.
Take the train at 24 past on a weekday. The one at 57 past also goes to Ghent, direct, and takes 83 minutes instead of 55.
At weekends only the 83-minute train runs, hourly, and the last one leaves at 22:57.
Gent-Sint-Pieters is south of the old town: De Lijn trams 1 and 3 from the station forecourt reach Kouter on an ordinary EUR 3.00 ticket.
Children under 12 travel free with you and pay no supplement.
Weekdays: the train at 24 past, 54–55 minutes, calling only at three Brussels stations; the train at 57 past, 83 minutes, calling at every station from Denderleeuw. First 05:24, last 23:24 (a Bruges-bound train, 65 minutes). Weekends: the slow train only, hourly, 05:57–22:57, 81–83 minutes — same every day 3–18 October 2026.
What is the best way from Brussels Airport to Brussels city center?
For one traveler, the NMBS/SNCB train at €11.60, 16–23 min. 37 minutes quicker than the De Lijn bus R26, for €8.60 more. The same holds for a group of up to eight. How we weigh price against time is set out on the fares page, in numbers.
What is the cheapest way from Brussels Airport to Brussels city center?
For one traveler, the De Lijn bus R26 at €3. Per-person fares multiply with the size of your party and per-vehicle fares do not, so check the total for your group rather than the single fare.
How do I get from Brussels Airport to Brussels city center by train?
One train reaches central Brussels: the NMBS/SNCB train, €11.60 for one traveler, 16–23 min, to Bruxelles-Central. It is not the cheapest way in: the De Lijn bus R26 at €3 is. From 7 travelers the Pre-booked private transfer at €73 works out cheaper than any train, because its fare is per vehicle. See every option by train
How do I get from Brussels Airport to Brussels city center by bus?
For one traveler the cheapest bus is the De Lijn bus R26 at €3, 43–60 min, and it is also the fastest. For one traveler that is the cheapest way into Brussels by any means. The fastest way overall is the NMBS/SNCB train, 16–23 min. See every option by bus
How do I get from Brussels Airport to Brussels city center by taxi?
One taxi reaches central Brussels: the Pre-booked private transfer, €52 for one traveler, 18 min, to any address. It is not the cheapest way in: the De Lijn bus R26 at €3 is. The fastest way overall is the NMBS/SNCB train, 16–23 min. See every option by taxi
How long does it take to get from Brussels Airport to Brussels city center?
De Lijn bus R26: 43–60 min. NMBS/SNCB train: 16–23 min. Pre-booked private transfer: 18 min. De Lijn night bus N62: 29 min
How far is Brussels Airport from the city center?
Brussels Airport does not publish a distance to the city. By time: the fastest way in, the NMBS/SNCB train, takes 16–23 min; the cheapest, the De Lijn bus R26, 43–60 min.
Where is the train station at Brussels Airport?
The train station is on level -1, one floor below the Arrivals Hall on level 0.
Is there Uber or Bolt at Brussels Airport?
Uber's pickup point is parking garage P1, fourth floor. From baggage claim, turn left, go straight about 50 metres to the sliding doors, cross toward P1, then take the lift up and through the sliding doors at level 4.
Where do I catch the De Lijn bus R26 at Brussels Airport?
The Zaventem Brussels Airport bus station — since 7 May 2026 a temporary one, about 100 m from the terminal on level 0, under a covered walkway. Follow the signs from arrivals. It leaves you at Brussel-Noord / Bruxelles-Nord, a main-line station and tram hub.
Is there a train from Brussels Airport to Brussels at night?
The De Lijn bus R26 runs 05:26–22:56. The De Lijn night bus N62 runs 00:55–04:46. The NMBS/SNCB train runs 04:42–23:57. Outside those hours the pre-booked private transfer is what remains; it is €52 for the vehicle. The cheap daytime option is also the first to stop: the last R26 leaves at 22:56, roughly an hour before the last train and the last STIB bus. After that the choice is the EUR 7.90 bus or the train, until the N62 night bus starts at 00:55.
Does the STIB bus 12, the Airport Line go to central Brussels — Bruxelles-Central, Brussel-Noord and Rogier?
The European quarter — Schuman, Luxembourg and Trône — and not the centre: for the Grand Place, Central or Noord, take the train or the De Lijn bus.
Does the IC train to Leuven go to central Brussels — Bruxelles-Central, Brussel-Noord and Rogier?
Runs east to Leuven, away from Brussels, and never enters it. For Leuven only.
Does the De Lijn bus 91 to Leuven go to central Brussels — Bruxelles-Central, Brussel-Noord and Rogier?
Runs east through Kortenberg and Everberg to Leuven and never goes near Brussels. For Leuven and the villages on the way only.
Does the IC train to Antwerpen-Centraal go to central Brussels — Bruxelles-Central, Brussel-Noord and Rogier?
Runs north to Antwerp via Mechelen and never enters Brussels. For Antwerp and Mechelen only.
Does the IC train to Gent-Sint-Pieters go to central Brussels — Bruxelles-Central, Brussel-Noord and Rogier?
Runs through the three Brussels stations and on west to Ghent. For Ghent — and, on the slow train, the Denderleeuw–Aalst–Wetteren stops — only.
Does the Private transfer to Leuven go to central Brussels — Bruxelles-Central, Brussel-Noord and Rogier?
This goes to Leuven, not Brussels: the driver takes you to any address there.
Does the Private transfer to Antwerp go to central Brussels — Bruxelles-Central, Brussel-Noord and Rogier?
This goes to Antwerp, not Brussels: the driver takes you to any address there.
Does the Private transfer to Ghent go to central Brussels — Bruxelles-Central, Brussel-Noord and Rogier?
This goes to Ghent, not Brussels: the driver takes you to any address there.
Does the Welcome Pickups transfer to Charleroi Airport from Brussels Airport go to central Brussels — Bruxelles-Central, Brussel-Noord and Rogier?
The other airport, not the city. A door-to-door transfer between the two airports.
Does the Private transfer to Charleroi Airport from Brussels Airport go to central Brussels — Bruxelles-Central, Brussel-Noord and Rogier?
The other airport, not the city. A door-to-door transfer between the two airports.
Worth knowing
Three operators serve this airport at three prices: De Lijn EUR 3.00, STIB EUR 7.90, and the train EUR 11.60 (EUR 6.90 of that an airport station supplement). De Lijn is the cheapest by far.
The EUR 6.90 airport station supplement is fixed by law and included in the ticket price on most products. Gates at the station mean you cannot leave without paying it. It is not reduced by the weekend fare, Train+, or any off-peak discount.
An ordinary STIB ticket is void leaving the airport: the trip that costs EUR 2.40 airport-bound costs EUR 7.90 city-bound, same bus.
De Lijn charges no airport supplement at all — ordinary fares apply, unlike STIB's written exclusion.
The De Lijn bus takes about 54 minutes to Brussel-Noord; the train takes about 17 to Bruxelles-Central. Choosing the bus over the train costs you about 37 minutes.
Brupass and Brupass XL do not cover the airport either. De Lijn excludes the Zaventem Luchthaven stop, STIB excludes the airport section of lines 12 and 21, and the airport station itself is not in the Brupass XL rail zone (Diegem, Zaventem, Nossegem and Vilvoorde are).
NMBS's current site prices the supplement at EUR 6.90; an old, unmaintained NMBS page still says EUR 5.50 — expect EUR 6.90. It is the same in first and second class.
Nothing runs between 00:30, the last STIB bus, and 00:55, the first De Lijn night bus. Otherwise De Lijn covers the night: eight departures at the ordinary EUR 3.00, every night, with no published taxi price as the only alternative.
No taxi fare is published. The rank is licensed by the municipality of Zaventem, and Flemish law puts the tariff in the municipality's hands and requires the driver to quote you a price before you set off. Ask for that quote before you get in.
Leuven, Antwerp and Ghent are direct on weekdays: Leuven in 13 minutes every half hour, Antwerpen-Centraal in about 30, Gent-Sint-Pieters in 55 on the fast train. At weekends Antwerp drops to hourly, Ghent keeps only the 83-minute train, and Leuven has no direct train — change at Brussel-Noord or take De Lijn bus 91 (EUR 3.00, daily). Weekday fares (supplement included): EUR 11.90 to Leuven, EUR 15.00 to Antwerpen-Centraal, EUR 20.00 to Gent-Sint-Pieters. Weekend fares: EUR 10.50, 12.60 and 16.10 — 30% off everything but the supplement.
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