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Brussels AirporttoLeuven

Airport to another city · One way · All prices are totals for 1 adult · All service hours

3 ways to Leuven

For Brussels generally we recommend the NMBS/SNCB train; for Leuven the answer changes.

Recommended

56 minutes quicker than the De Lijn bus 91 to Leuven, for €8.90 more.

IC train to Leuven

IC · NMBS/SNCB
13–14 min rideEvery 30 min05:21–23:38, Monday to Friday
The station under the terminalLeuven station
Luggage space
€11.90total for 1 adult€11.90 eachBuy ticket2 places to buy
Pickup, hours & luggage

Boards at. The station under the terminal, below the departures and arrivals hall

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.

Luggage. Intercity carriages with racks and space by the doors.

Hours. 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.

Price for every party size · Fare source

Bus

De Lijn bus 91 to Leuven

91 · De Lijn
59–85 min rideEvery 30 min05:16–21:17
Platform B of the De Lijn bus stationLeuven Station
Luggage space
€3total for 1 adult€3 eachBuy ticketOn De Lijn
Pickup, hours & luggage

Boards at. 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

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.

Luggage. An ordinary regional bus with no racks; a big case sits with you.

Hours. 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.

Price for every party size · Fare source

Pre-booked

Private transfer to Leuven

Driver meets you in arrivals
22 min rideTraffic dependentRuns all night
Driver meets you in arrivals with a name boardAny address in Leuven
Non-stop24-hour servicePer vehiclePre-book
€108total for 1 adult€108 eachBook transferPartner link · through Kiwitaxi
Pickup, hours & luggage

Boards at. Driver meets you in arrivals with a name board

The price is for the car, fixed when you book; traffic and the hour do not change it.

Price for every party size · Fare source (partner link)

On a weekday, take the train: 13 minutes, every half hour, 05:21–23:38, from the platform under the terminal. EUR 11.90 (supplement included); children under 12 ride free. At weekends there is no direct train — change at Brussel-Noord (about 43 minutes total) or take De Lijn bus 91 from platform B (about an hour, hourly from 05:17 Saturday/06:23 Sunday, EUR 3.00, or EUR 2.20 on a ten-ride card). The bus also works on weekdays if an hour is fine. Buses 651 and 652 no longer run.

Ride times exclude walking and waiting. Every way from Brussels Airport into Brussels

Your destination

Straight there.

No. Leuven is a separate city east of the airport, on the far side of it from Brussels: the direct train reaches it in 13 minutes without touching Brussels at all, and the De Lijn bus in about an hour. Both leave you at Leuven station.

Brussels Airport
Follow the signs
The station under the terminal
IC train to Leuven · 13–14 min
Leuven

IC train to Leuven serves Leuven. De Lijn bus R26 does not.

Arriving late?

Not everything runs around the clock: the IC train to Leuven runs 05:21–23:38, Monday to Friday, and the De Lijn bus 91 to Leuven runs 05:16–21:17. Outside those hours, the Private transfer to Leuven is what remains. and the board keeps only what is running.

From arrivals to Leuven

01

Find the stop

The station under the terminal. Follow the signs from arrivals.

02

Choose IC train to Leuven

Check the destination and departure board before boarding.

03

Arrive at Leuven

13–14 min. Continue to your accommodation or follow signs for onward transport.

A few things for the rest of your trip

Partner offers

Not transport options · Affiliate links
Data in BelgiumAiralo

An eSIM for Belgium, installed before you fly, works in the arrivals hall: tickets, maps, the driver's messages.

Choose an eSIM
Bags in BrusselsRadical Storage

Radical Storage keeps bags in shops and hotels around Brussels: 40 places by its own count, booked by the day for the hours before check-in.

Find a bag drop
A late flight?AirHelp

A flight three or more hours late, or cancelled at short notice, can be owed up to €600 a passenger under EU and UK rules, depending on the flight. AirHelp charges only if the claim succeeds.

Check your flight

These links pay us a commission. They never change which transfer we rank first.

Continuing by public transport?

Follow the station signs for your onward connection.

Walking to your stay?

Check the address and choose the nearest exit.

Before you travel

Does the De Lijn bus R26 stop at Leuven?

No. It runs to Brussel-Noord / Bruxelles-Nord.

Does the De Lijn night bus N62 stop at Leuven?

No. It runs to Brussel Rogier.

What if my flight arrives late?

Not everything runs around the clock: the IC train to Leuven runs 05:21–23:38, Monday to Friday, and the De Lijn bus 91 to Leuven runs 05:16–21:17. Outside those hours, the Private transfer to Leuven is what remains.

Is Leuven in Brussels?

No. Leuven is a separate city east of the airport, on the far side of it from Brussels: the direct train reaches it in 13 minutes without touching Brussels at all, and the De Lijn bus in about an hour. Both leave you at Leuven station.

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