Rail travel in Belgium Voyage Tips and guide

Belgium has one of the densest rail networks anywhere in the world. They are reasonably timely, fast and frequent, making rail travel in Belgium a convenient way to travel around much of the country. With over 3,500 km of lines (and 3 high-speed rail lines), the network also has excellent connectivity, and very easy-to-use, even for the standards of that region.

Trains in Belgium are primarily operated by the National Railway Company of Belgium^{[dead link]}, abbreviated as SNCB in French, and NBMS in Dutch. In English, you will see both used (SNCB/NBMS), though usually the former is often used for trains that exclusively run in Wallonia and the latter for trains in Flanders.

Belgium has over 3,500 km of track, over 3,000 km of which is electrified. Non-electrified lines are limited to a few small regional lines, such as Couvin, Eeklo or Ronse. All conventional rail lines use 3 kV DC, with the high-speed lines and some of the newer electrified lines closer to Luxembourg using 25 kV AC.

Belgium has daytime rail connections to Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Germany, France and the UK, and also has night trains to Austria and Czechia.

There are two operators that run sleeper services to Belgium, both starting/ending at Brussels: ÖBB's Nightjet to/from Vienna via Cologne and Frankfurt, and European Sleeper to/from Prague via Berlin. Both operate thrice a week.

The Netherlands

The main connections to the Netherlands all go via Antwerp. These include the Eurocity services, connecting to Rotterdam, Schiphol Airport and Amsterdam on the Dutch side of the border. The EuroCity service, operated by NMBS/SNCB stops in Breda before connecting to Rotterdam, The Hague, Amsterdam and Lelystad. The EuroCity direct, operated by the Dutch NS, calls at the same stations as the Eurostar, but is cheaper than Eurostar, and quicker than the EuroCity.

Stopping trains also serve the Netherlands. From Puurs and Antwerp, S-32 connects to Roosendaal. On the other side of the country, Dutch operator Arriva connects Liège to Aachen (Germany) via Maastricht and Heerlen in the Netherlands. In most of Brabant, rail connections from the Dutch to the Belgian side have been ripped up, with one goods connection between Neerpelt and Weert remaining in service. Talks of reactivating it for passenger transport exist, but it doesn't look like this connection will join the roster soon.

France

Paris Gare du Nord is connected to Brussels on Eurostar, with trains to the Netherlands also passing by Antwerp, and trains to Germany passing by Liege. A trip between Paris and Brussels on the high-speed line takes about 80 minutes. Ouigo (French budget train operator) also operates on the Brussels–Paris corridor, stopping by Mons.

TGV lacks rail connections to Paris itself, but it has connections to various other French cities all across the country, such as Strasbourg, Marseille, Lyon, Perpignan (F Sa southbound, Sa Su northbound only), Nantes or Rennes.

Regional IC trains also connect Lille and Maubeuge to the rest of the Belgian network.

No reservations are required for the IC trains, but are required (or included in the ticket) for all the other (high-speed) routes from France.

Germany

Direct ICE trains link Belgium with western Germany. ICE high-speed services run from Brussels via Liège to Cologne (which take about 2 hours) and continue to Frankfurt. Regional RE trains also connect Liège with Aachen and Cologne, offering a cheaper but slower alternative. Reservations are optional on ICE services, but recommended during busy summer periods.

Luxembourg

Hourly IC trains run from Brussels to Luxembourg City via Namur and Arlon, taking anywhere between 2 hours 50 minutes to 3 hours 20 minutes. These trains, for all intents and purposes, are considered domestic services, and are thus reservation-free. Note that public transport within Luxembourg is free, but Belgian fares still apply for the Belgian portion of the journey.

United Kingdom

Eurostar stops by Bruxelles-Midi/Brussel-Zuid and on its London–Brussels/Amsterdam route, with the journey from London St Pancras International taking around 2 hours, but allow an extra hour for border formalities before departure. All seats are reserved-only, and make sure to book in advance for cheaper fares. The London–Brussels route has about 9 services a day, but there are more that start/end in Amsterdam.

There are several types of domestic trains in Belgium.

• IC (intercity) – these are the main long-distance connections, running on an hourly schedule. ICT trains are the same, but typically cater towards tourists.
• S (suburban or S Train) – these are local trains within a 30 km radius around and in Antwerp, Brussels, Charleroi, Liège and Ghent. They are very comparable to S-Bahn systems in German-speaking countries, or the RER.
• L (local or omnibus) – these are trains that serve all stops on main lines and secondary branch lines. On branch lines they are sometimes the only types of train on that route, sometimes with frequencies every two or four hours if demand is lower.
• P (peak hour) – these trains exist to meet the increased demand from commuters, and thus do not follow a regular pattern. They run on weekdays, towards major cities, and may provide more or less service to intermediate stations. Some such trains also run on the weekend, mainly intended for students returning from the weekend.

In practice, the distinction between train types matters less for travellers than in some other countries (particularly Germany), as fares are generally the same regardless of the service used. If you get the choice, use the faster trains (IC), leaving the L and S trains for shorter trips that reach smaller stations.

Most domestic train trips within Belgium tend to be short: most major cities can be reached from Brussels in under an hour, and even cross-country trips exceed two hours. The network is highly interconnected, with most lines converging at Bruxelles-Midi/Brussel-Zuid. However, there are also many direct cross-country routes that avoid the capital, particularly between larger cities such as Antwerp, Ghent, Liège and Charleroi. Changing trains is usually straightforward, and connections are often timed to minimise waiting.

IC trains are also cadenced with almost all IC routes running every hour in exact 60-minute intervals (meaning the minute will not change – if a train leaves a certain town at 07:23, every IC train for the rest of the day will leave at :23). Some corridors may have trains running more frequently, but the interval will remain consistent.

Suburban trains (S Trains) are run by SNCB/NMBS and thus covered in the § Domestic section above.

Belgium only has one full proper metro system, the Brussels Metro. It's a solid metro system that consists of 3 lines (disguised as 4), covering most of inner Brussels. Most of the metro is underground, but there are sections on the fringes of the metro network above ground. Trams connect the rest of the city, with over 145 km of track.

Charleroi has a light metro – that is, a system that runs underground within the urban core, and a light rail line in the outskirts. Due to long-standing complex Belgian politics and funding issues, Charleroi's light metro system is perhaps infamously known for the lines that were abandoned, including the M5 which was "completed, but never opened", which, as of 2026, still remain abandoned.

Antwerp also has an extensive tram system of about 88 km and a small "premetro" system consisting of 8 stations. Trams are also the main mode of transport within Ghent, though the Ghent network is considerably smaller.

Liège previously didn't have any form of urban rail except the SNCB S Trains since tearing down the old tram network. However, in 2025, Liège opened its first light rail line spanning 11 km.

Perhaps rather unusually, Belgium also has a coastal tram, with the line spanning for 68 km. For decades, it was the world's longest tram line, but the line lost its spot to LA Metro's Line A.

SNCB/NMBS services all operate on an honesty system, similar to the German-speaking countries and unlike the Netherlands. With the exception of Brussels Airport-Zaavantem, all gates are open, and you don't need a ticket to enter the platform or station premises. However, STIB-MIVB services in Brussels (including the Brussels Metro) do operate on a pay-as-you-go basis, with the metro having ticket barriers.

Normal fares on Belgian trains are cheap compared to Germany, the UK, or the Netherlands, and there are no seat reservations (not even the option for it). 2nd class fares don't go higher than €14 with Train+ for the longest domestic trips (one way, Nov 2025). For young people and seniors, the maximum price with Train+ is €5.50. 1st class costs 50% extra. Trains can get very full during rush hour, so you might need a 1st class ticket to get a seat at those times. In the train station, you can pay with cash or credit card. Normal tickets are 30% cheaper at the weekend. Normal tickets for young people and seniors are 40% cheaper at all times.

Most tickets are sold for a designated route on a designated day, so you can take any train on the day of your ticket. There is no extra validation when you step on a train.

You can buy tickets and plan your journey via four ways:

• the SNCB website;
• SNCB app;
• ticket machines (and counters) – machines are available at almost every large station;
• on the train.

If you want to buy a ticket on the train, you have to warn the train conductor. Avoid buying tickets on the train, as you will have to pay an extra €9 per ticket. Many smaller stations don't have ticket counters anymore, and if there are, they are not open very often. In every station, there is at least one ticket machine. If ticket counters are closed and ticket machines don't work, no supplement will be charged on the train if you address the issue to the conductor.

You can pay with cash and credit card. You can also pay with PayPal via the website or app. Contactless payments are accepted in most train stations and at some ticket machines. As for paying cash at ticket machines, they only allow coins, no paper bills. Not buying a ticket can result in a fine up to €225.

Since the fare system was reformed, there are no longer any multi-tickets and no youth or senior tickets. That's what Train+ is for. Train+ can be purchased on a monthly basis, i.e. valid for 30 days. As of Nov 2025, it costs €6 or 4. The reduced price applies to young people (up to 25 years) and seniors (from 65 years). With Train+, the price of the single ticket is reduced by 40% during off-peak times on working days and generally on weekends and public holidays, with the maximum price in 2nd class being €14 or €5.50 per trip.

If you're visiting a certain event or concert, be sure to check if your train travel isn't already included in the ticket. Some major festivals and concerts like Rock Werchter, Pukkelpop or I Love Techno include train travel in the ticket price. For visiting special places like theme parks or museums, inform for the option 'B-Excursions'. That way you buy your entrance ticket and train ticket in one at the train station. This always is low-priced, normally resulting in normal entrance ticket price plus €4-5 for travel. The desk agent will surely point you out the details.

Eurail/Interrail passes are valid on all SNCB trains. This includes the S Trains that run in various Belgian cities. A One Country Pass isn't available for Belgium; you have to get a Benelux Pass instead, which also covers trains in the Netherlands and Luxembourg.

An Eurail pass is also valid on SNCF, Eurostar, DB and NS trains that run in Belgium. However, for the former two, you will need always need a reservation.

Eurail/Interrail passes are not valid on urban rail systems – this includes:

• all tram systems, including the Belgian Coastal Tram;
• Brussels Metro;
• Charleroi Light Metro;
• Antwerp Premetro.

• Rail travel in France
• Rail travel in Germany
• Rail travel in the Netherlands
• Rail travel in Great Britain