Public Transportation in Belgium: A Practical Guide to Actually Getting Around

Published on January 17, 2026 and written by Cyril Jarnias

Getting around Belgium without a car is far from impossible. Between a dense rail network, coastal trams, three major regional bus and metro operators, apps that centralize information, and a multitude of discounts, the options are plentiful… but sometimes confusing. This practical guide offers a clear and concrete overview for using public transportation daily or for the duration of a stay, without getting lost in acronyms and fares.

Understanding the Belgian network’s architecture

Before even talking about tickets or apps, one must grasp an essential reality: Belgium does not have a single urban transportation system, but a mosaic coordinated around a central axis: the rail network.

The country has four major players. SNCB (or NMBS in Dutch) manages all trains, both national and some international ones. Alongside it, three regional operators handle buses, trams, and metros: STIB-MIVB for Brussels, De Lijn in Flanders, and TEC in Wallonia. Each sets its own fares, products, and schedules, which explains the diversity of offerings from one region to another.

From these hubs, urban networks take over. Brussels is the only city with a true metro system, but several agglomerations have trams or pre-metros (underground trams), notably Antwerp, Ghent, Charleroi, and the coast with the famous Kusttram which runs along the coast from De Panne to Knokke.

Despite this institutional fragmentation, common tools make life easier for users, notably the MoBIB card and interoperable passes like Brupass around Brussels.

The MoBIB card: the backbone of the payment system

Introduced in 2018, the MoBIB card (for “Mobility in Belgium”) has become the key to the system. It is a rechargeable smart card that can hold subscriptions, books of tickets, or single tickets, for both SNCB and the STIB-MIVB, De Lijn, and TEC networks.

The MoBIB card is not just for public transportation. In some cities, it can also be used to pay for parking, access car-sharing or bike-sharing services. It can be purchased at train stations, at operator ticket offices, in certain shops, and online, for a modest cost (generally around 5–6 euros, valid for several years).

Where and how to load your MoBIB card

The card can be reloaded through several channels: ticket machines (GO in Brussels, De Lijn or TEC terminals, SNCB machines), ticket offices, operator e-shops, or directly via certain official apps. On the STIB-MIVB app, for example, an NFC-compatible phone can read the card’s content and add Brupass passes or 10-trip tickets, with a processing time of at least 24 hours.

Trains: the country’s backbone

The train is often the fastest way to cross Belgium. The network is dense, national journeys are relatively short – the longest from Brussels, to Arlon, takes less than three hours – and main stations offer good connections with other modes of transport.

The different types of SNCB trains

SNCB distinguishes several service categories. InterCity (IC) trains connect major Belgian cities and some adjacent destinations abroad, often not stopping at all intermediate stations. Local trains (L) serve smaller stations, connecting medium-sized towns and villages to regional centers.

During peak hours, additional trains, called P or “peak-hour trains,” reinforce the service, notably in the morning and late afternoon. Around Brussels and a few major metropolitan areas like Antwerp, Ghent, Liège, or Charleroi, suburban S or RER/GEN trains ensure frequent service to the suburban basin.

Schedules and frequency

Most lines operate from around 4–5 AM until about midnight. On some routes, the interval can be up to an hour in the evening or on weekends, hence the importance of checking schedules before going to the station. The network regularly suffers from delays, documented via Infrabel’s (the infrastructure manager) open data which publishes punctuality statistics, but trains remain overall reliable for intercity travel.

Fares and major ticket formulas

Unlike practices in other European countries, SNCB’s domestic fares do not vary based on how far in advance you purchase or the time of travel: the price mainly depends on distance and class (1st or 2nd).

A few flagship products structure the fare offerings:

SNCB Product	Target Audience	Main Advantage	Indicative Price*
Standard Ticket	Everyone	One-way trip, valid for the day	Price based on distance
Senior Ticket	65+	Round-trip anywhere in Belgium at a reduced rate	Approx. €7–8.50
Youth Ticket / Go Pass	< 26 years	Flat fare anywhere in Belgium (one-way trip)	~€7.50
Standard Multi (10 trips)	Everyone	10 transferable trips, valid for one year	~€102–105
Youth Multi (10 trips)	12–25 years	10 reduced-price trips, transferable	~€60–62
Weekend Ticket	Everyone	-50% on round-trip, from Friday evening to Sunday	Discount on normal price

Exact amounts may vary slightly depending on the purchase channel (app, ticket office, machine).

Single tickets are generally valid on any train on the day of validity, without a reservation. On domestic trains, seat reservations are not possible: you simply choose a 1st or 2nd class car based on your ticket.

Specific discounts complete this overview: fares for large families, military personnel, journalists, social security recipients, pregnant women (who can travel in 1st class at the 2nd class price), young people in training, etc. Children under 12 can travel for free with a paying adult (up to four children per adult), and people with disabilities benefit from discounts sometimes up to 80%, or even free travel in 2nd class for blind or visually impaired people.

Weekends and holidays: deals to know

Weekends are particularly interesting, thanks to the Weekend Ticket which offers a 50% discount on round trips made between Friday evening and Sunday. For young people, products like the Youth Holiday Pass (valid for a week or a month during school holidays) allow almost unlimited travel at a fixed price, practical for exploring the country in summer.

Traveling with a bicycle or an animal

Belgium encourages train + bike intermodality, but the transport of bicycles remains regulated. On SNCB trains, a non-folding bicycle requires a dedicated supplement (single-use bike ticket or daily pass). Folding bikes, however, travel for free, provided they are folded.

Some stations have secure bike parking – notably Antwerp-Berchem, Bruges, Brussels-North, Kortrijk, Ghent-Saint-Peter, Mechelen, Nivelles – and about sixty stations offer bike rental, in particular via the Blue-bike network.

Regarding animals, rules vary by operator, but on regular trains, small animals in a carrier (limited dimensions) often travel for free, while larger dogs must be muzzled and on a leash, with a modest fee to pay. Guide dogs travel for free without restriction.

Regional networks: STIB-MIVB, De Lijn, and TEC

Aside from trains, the daily reality of Belgian transportation largely plays out on urban and regional networks.

Brussels: STIB-MIVB and Brupass

STIB-MIVB manages buses, trams, and the metro in the Brussels-Capital Region. The city has four “classic” metro lines (M1, M2, M5, M6) and three pre-metro lines (underground tram lines) for a total of 59 stations. To this are added 19 tram lines and over 60 daytime bus lines, complemented by a night network, Noctis, which operates on Fridays and Saturdays from midnight to 3 AM, with 11 lines radiating from the Bourse/Beurs.

Services generally operate from 5–6 AM until midnight. STIB tickets are valid on the entire network (bus, tram, metro) for about 60 minutes, with transfers allowed.

Ticket in Brussels	Network Covered	Main Validity	Indicative Price*
1-Hour Ticket	STIB-MIVB	Bus, tram, metro (transfers included)	~€2.10–2.80
Brupass	STIB + SNCB + De Lijn + TEC (11.5 km zone)	Multimodal within the Brupass zone	Monthly pass ~€56.5
Brupass XL	Same + extended periphery, airport	Multimodal extended zone	Monthly pass ~€78
Annual STIB subscription	STIB-MIVB	Entire network	€499 (full fare)

Exact amounts vary slightly depending on the medium (card, contactless, app).

Brussels residents aged 18 to 24 benefit from a STIB subscription for 12 euros per year, as do students aged 12 to 24. Since 2023, Brussels residents over 65 also enjoy an annual STIB subscription for 12 euros (compared to 60 euros for non-Brussels seniors), which has greatly democratized the use of the network.

De Lijn: buses and trams in Flanders

In Flanders, De Lijn operates almost all buses and trams. Major cities like Antwerp, Ghent, Leuven, or Bruges are well covered, with some lines running until 2–3 AM on weekends in large agglomerations (notably under the name Nachtnet in Antwerp). In rural areas, service is reduced in the evening and weekend schedules are more limited.

De Lijn offers single tickets, 10-trip passes, day passes, and even books of 50 trips valid for three months. Children under 5 travel for free. Buzzy Pazz (6–24 years) and Omnipas (25–64 years, then 65+) subscriptions allow unlimited travel at an annual or monthly rate.

De Lijn Ticket	Target Audience	Characteristics	Indicative Price
Single Ticket	Everyone	60 minutes, bus or tram	~€3
Lijnkaart (10 trips)	Everyone	10 trips with a discount	~€21
50-Trip Ticket	Frequent travelers	50 trips valid for 3 months	~€91
Day Pass	Tourists / intensive users	Unlimited trips for 1 day	~€9
Buzzy Pazz / Omnipas	Youth / adults / 65+	Monthly or annual subscriptions	Price depends on category

Tickets can be purchased via the De Lijn app, by SMS, contactless on board, or at sales points. Here again, buying from the driver is more expensive. Many municipalities partially subsidize subscriptions for certain age groups, such as the city of Ghent which offers a free Buzzy Pazz up to age 15.

TEC: buses in Wallonia and pre-metro in Charleroi

In Wallonia, TEC operates regional buses and also has a pre-metro/”light rail” network in Charleroi. Night service is more limited than in Flanders or Brussels: there is no structured night network, although some lines run late in the evening in major urban centers.

In terms of discounts, children under 6 travel for free, those aged 6–11 can get a free subscription (on a personalized MoBIB), while 18–24 year-olds and those over 65 benefit from very low-cost annual subscriptions, often around 12 euros.

Metro, trams, and buses: optimizing urban journeys

In major Belgian cities, the choice between bus, tram, and metro depends as much on the destination as the time of day.

Brussels metro: speed and connections

The Brussels metro, in service since the 1970s, carries millions of passengers per year. It is connected to six national train stations and a dense mesh of trams and buses. Lines 1 and 5 cross the city east to west, while lines 2 and 6 form a more or less circular loop around the center.

A major extension is underway with the future line 3, which will notably transform a pre-metro section between Nord and Albert into a fully automated metro line, with a new terminus at Bordet and, eventually, an extension to the south.

Trams: the backbone of Flemish cities and the coast

The trams of Antwerp, Ghent, and Brussels crisscross dense neighborhoods, often faster than buses as they have dedicated rights-of-way or tunnels (pre-metro). The Kusttram, 67 km long, serves all coastal towns between the French and Dutch borders; a day pass, offered at an attractive rate, is a good deal for exploring the coast.

Urban and night buses

Buses complement the coverage of neighborhoods not served by the metro or tram, especially in the suburbs. In Brussels, daytime lines run until around midnight, while Noctis takes over on weekends, with a fare identical to daytime services.

In Flanders, De Lijn offers a set of evening and night lines in cities like Ghent, Bruges, Ostend, Leuven, or Antwerp, sometimes until 3 AM. As schedules and frequencies vary greatly from one region to another, it is essential to check the De Lijn app or online schedules before a late trip.

Accessibility: a network still uneven but improving

The accessibility of Belgian transportation is mixed. Brussels has signed the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which mandates transport accessibility, but the on-the-ground reality remains uneven.

In the capital, STIB-MIVB buses are almost entirely accessible, equipped with ramps (often electric) and a dedicated space for wheelchairs, although the frequent lack of restraint straps can be problematic. Each bus only has one wheelchair space. As for the metro, about half of the 59 stations are now equipped with elevators allowing level access from the sidewalk to the platform. However, the gap between the platform and the train can sometimes be difficult, with steps or gaps of up to 6–7 inches in some central stations, while they are smaller in the periphery.

On the rail network, the situation is more problematic. At the beginning of 2022, only 4.5% of Belgian stations were considered fully accessible, and nearly 377 stations had neither assistance nor level access. SNCB has since accelerated its investments: over 100 stations are now fully accessible, and the stated goal is to bring this number to 150 by 2025 then 176 by the end of 2032, which would cover nearly 70% of passengers.

The SNCB assistance service is free and available from the first to the last train at 132 stations, including 115 accessible stations and 17 “relay” stations where taxis provide connection to an assisted station. Requests must be made in advance (24 hours for national trips, 48 hours for international trips) via a single phone number or online, with a meeting at a defined meeting point 15 to 30 minutes before departure.

People with disabilities can obtain a national reduction card, often synonymous with free or heavily discounted travel throughout the country, and a companion benefits from a free “carer” card to travel without paying on trains.

Discounts and free travel: seniors, students, families

The Belgian system combines strong social policies, notably in favor of young people, seniors, and low-income individuals. The complexity arises from the fact that each operator and each region has its own rules, although the basis is fairly consistent.

Youth and students

In Brussels, people under 25 – whether students or not – can obtain a STIB annual subscription for only 12 euros. This measure, initially reserved for schoolchildren, was extended to other young people in 2022. On the SNCB side, those under 26 benefit from advantageous fares with the Youth ticket or Youth Multi passes, and students can benefit from 80% discounts on certain home-to-school train subscriptions.

Seniors

People over 65 have substantial discounts, particularly on rail travel. The SNCB Senior Ticket allows traveling across the country at a flat rate, sometimes around 7–8 euros for a round trip, under certain time conditions. In the Brussels region, a specific STIB subscription for those 65+ is offered, and its price has drastically dropped for residents (12 euros per year).

Low-income individuals and families

People with a status of increased intervention from their health insurance, specific allowances, or recognition as a large family obtain significant discounts, sometimes even total free travel on certain networks. This is the case, for example, for beneficiaries of increased allowances who can purchase an annual De Lijn subscription for 66 euros, or travel for free on certain services.

Large families benefit from discounts on SNCB tickets, families with three or more children can obtain discounts ranging from 50% to 100% depending on the case. Each paying adult can also travel with up to four children under 12 for free on trains.

Digital tools: apps to find your way

Faced with the potential complexity of fare rules and connections, mobile applications play a central role.

The SNCB/NMBS app

Used by over a million travelers per month, the SNCB app centralizes door-to-door journey planning, ticket purchases (single, Multi, Flex subscriptions, Brupass, De Lijn tickets), real-time tracking of integrated trains, buses, trams, and metros, and traffic alerts. It also indicates the estimated occupancy level of trains.

STIB-MIVB app and Floya in Brussels

The STIB-MIVB app allows purchasing Brupass (and Brupass XL) tickets individually or in packs of 10, planning multimodal trips within Brussels, and checking in real-time the status of elevators and escalators, a crucial point for people with reduced mobility. The user can also, via NFC, read and reload their MoBIB card, track the number of remaining trips, or check if a stop is accessible.

De Lijn, TEC, and third-party apps

The De Lijn and TEC apps fulfill similar functions: real-time schedules, ticket purchases, location of sales points, subscription management. User feedback, however, reports recurring problems with the TEC app (unclear zone maps, payment bugs, crashes) and some difficulties on the De Lijn side after its recent network reform.

Third-party apps like BeTrains, Citymapper, Google Maps, Brussels Transport Live, or Omio complete the landscape. Some allow planning multimodal trips at the national or even international level, comparing trains with buses or planes, or accessing offline maps.

Intermodality: combining bike, tram, train, and more

Belgium is increasingly betting on intermodality to reduce congestion and pollution. This logic is reflected in the space given to bicycles, in P+R (park and ride) facilities, or in bonuses like Bruxell’Air, which offers up to 900 euros in mobility budget to Brussels residents who give up their fossil fuel car.

Bikes in transport and parking

Buses rarely accept non-folding bicycles, but some pilot projects have tested bike racks on the back of express buses (for example on the TEC E5 line between Nivelles and Namur). The metro and trams in Brussels, Antwerp, Ghent, or Charleroi allow bicycles at certain times, outside of weekday peak periods, provided you use the doors marked with the bike pictogram and do not inconvenience other passengers.

Taxis, carpooling, and other options

Taxis remain a useful complement, although fares are higher than public transport. They are regulated, must display their pricing, and provide a receipt mentioning the driver’s ID. In Brussels, taxis are often black with a yellow and black checkered pattern.

Ride-hailing platforms like Uber or Bolt operate in several cities, notably Brussels, Mons, and Charleroi. They allow easily combining a train or tram journey with a “last kilometer” by car.

Finally, an original service, the Waterbus, operates on the Senne canal between Vilvoorde and Brussels, from May to the end of October. It provides a leisure but also utilitarian link, with the possibility to embark bicycles, and constitutes a pleasant alternative to the road.

Managing delays, strikes, and construction work

As elsewhere in Europe, the Belgian network is not immune to major construction work or social movements. Strikes by SNCB or Infrabel regularly lead to a reduced transport plan, with lists of maintained trains published 24 to 48 hours in advance. In these cases, it is advised to always check your train on the official websites or apps and, for international travel, on the traffic info pages of each operator (Eurostar, TGV INOUI, ICE, Nightjet, etc.).

Planned construction work – for example on international lines towards Amsterdam or Cologne – is generally announced well in advance, sometimes with significant detours (station closed, replacement buses, longer travel times). Operators’ journey planners take these modifications into account, but a last-minute check is still recommended.

Some practical tips for using the system well

Navigating this complex landscape becomes much simpler with a few habits.

First, think “train axis + local networks”: to cross the country, rail is almost always the base, with buses and trams serving to cover the last kilometers. Then, make the most of combined products like Brupass around Brussels, which avoid having to multiply different tickets for each network.

Finally, rely on official apps to plan journeys, check delays in real-time, and buy tickets in advance, preferably on a digital medium or MoBIB card, to avoid surcharges on board or lines at ticket offices.

In daily life, this combination of a dense network, abundant discounts, and digital tools makes public transportation in Belgium a credible option, often more practical than the car, especially in and around large cities. Provided you know the main rules of the game, the possibilities are vast for moving efficiently from the Flemish coast to the Walloon hills, passing through the heart of Brussels.