The Brussels Public Transport system might seem a bit complicated at first, but in this article we’ll cover everything you need to know.
Brussels public transport tickets & prices
Despite the several companies operating the trains, metro, trams and busses in Brussels, they all share the same ticketing system. It’s called the Brupass and it allows you to easily travel across Brussels on all train, metro, trams and bus lines for a fixed price.
| Ticket Type | Brupass | Brupass XL |
|---|---|---|
| Single journey Brupass | 2,40€ | 3,20€ |
| 10 journey Brupass | 16,80€ | 22,40€ |
| Day Pass | 8,40€ | n/a |
The regular Brupass is valid all around Brussels city centre on all public transport networks, including trains, trams, metro and busses. The Brupass XL allows you to travel to the outskirts of Brussels.
How and where to buy your tickets
- Paper Tickets can be purchased at the BOOTIK, KIOSK and GO vending machines. They are however more expensive then other tickets.
- The Mobib Travel Card works as a ticket holder for all public transport tickets in Belgium. It has an initial cost of 5€ and can be recharged at the vending machines.
- Digital Tickets can be purchased in the official MIVB-STB app.
- Contactless payment can be used for payment of single tickets on board. Simply hold your bankcard, smartphone or smartwatch against the grey validating machine when boarding and wait for the “beep”.
Brussels Metro, Tram and Bus Network
Local metro, tram and bus lines in Brussels are operated by MIVB/STIB. In addition there are also bus lines coming from Flanders and Wallonië. These lines are operated by De Lijn and TEC. Travelers don’t have to worry about these different companies, since all public transport in Brussels share the same ticket system called the Brupass.
Brussels metro
The Brussels Metro is the backbone of the Brussels public transport system. There are currently 4 Brussels metro lines, serving 60 metro stations.
On weekdays the Brussels metro opens at 5:30AM and closes at midnight. During weekends the Brussels metro runs between 6AM and midnight.
The Brussels Metro has a high frequency, during peak moments there’s a metro every 3 minutes, during weekends every 5 minutes and after 8pm every 10 minutes.
Brussels metro prices
- Single trips costs 2.40€
- Day passes are available at 7.80€ and can be used on all public transport in Brussels
- Use the Mobib travel card to store your tickets for the Brussels metro system
Doors to the metro need to be opened manually. When boarding the metro, validate your ticket (Mobib card) at the validation machines near the entrance.
Brussels trams
In addition to the metro network, there are 17 tramlines spanning over the Brussels capital region. 8 lines are considered to be Pre-metro lines, 5 lines are considered to be “Chrono” or fast lines.
Brussels tram prices
- Single trips costs 2.40€
- Day passes are available at 8,40€ and can be used on all public transport in Brussels
- Use the Mobib travel card to store your tickets for the Brussels tram network
Brussels busses
Busses in Brussels are part of the city bus network that connect all 19 municipalities of the Brussels Capital Region. These busses are operated by MIVB/STIB. In addition to the local busses, there are also incoming bus lines from Flanders (operated by De Lijn) and from Wallonia (operated by TEC).
Brussels bus prices
- Single trips costs 2.40€
- Day passes are available at 8,40€ and can be used on all public transport in Brussels
- Use the Mobib travel card to store your tickets for the Brussels tram network
Brussels night busses
All regular metro, tram and bus lines stop running after midnight. However, there is a night bus service available during the weekends, called “Noctis”. These Noctis night busses run every Friday and Saturday night between midnight and 3AM. There’s a total of 11 lines which run every 30 minutes. Ticket prices are the same as during the day.
Brussels Trains
All trains in Belgium are operated by the national railway services NMBS/SNCB. Brupass tickets are valid as well on trains within Brussels.
Railway stations in Brussels:
- Brussels-Zaventem Airport:
- Brussels Nord station is close to the business districts and government institutions.
- Brussels Central station is located close the market square and city centre.
- Brussels South Station has an international terminal for TGV, Eurostar and Thalys trains
- Brussels Shuman is close to the Berlaymont building, in the centre of the European District.
Brussels Airport to city transfer
Trains from Brussels Airport to the city centre:
During weekdays there are 8 trains per hour connecting Brussels Airport with the city centre, whilst on weekends there are 5 trains per hour. A journey to Brussels Central station takes only 17minutes.
All train tickets from and to Brussels-Zaventem Airport will have automaticly a 5.70€ supplement charged for every journey.
Busses from Brussels Airport to the city centre:
Airport line 12 will bring you from Brussels Zaventem Airport to the city centre and European district. For this journey you need to buy a GoCity 1 journey ticket at the price of 7€. You can buy a paper ticket at a GO vending machine at the Airport.
More info: https://www.stib-mivb.be/article.html?_guid=d07b4e96-1283-3410-f08c-e0c5cfea3859&l=en
Brussels Public Transport Route Planner
The old days of planning your journey with the help of paper maps are long gone. Use the official STIB-MIVB app to plan your route using the Brussels public transport system. You can find it in the Apple or Android app store. Not only will the app calculate which train, metro, tram or bus combination will bring you to your destination fastest, it will also tell you when to exit so you’ll never miss your stop. In addition you can also manage your Mobib travel card through the app.
Useful links
- Brussels metro tram and bus map: https://www.stib-mivb.be/irj/go/km/docs/resource/Dynmaplan/index.html#en
- STIB-MIVB online journey planner: https://www.stib-mivb.be/tripplanner/?l=en
- STIB-MIVB Sales points: https://www.stib-mivb.be/article.html?_guid=30d93c3b-2b83-3410-94b5-eec92fbd03ff&l=en
