Capra in Brussels

Conference picture

Travel Information

Arriving by train

Train timetables are available on this website for international transports. National train connections are best described on this website.

Most of the trains stop in Brussels-South railway station or Brussels-Central railway station. From there you can reach most places around Brussels by metro, train, tram or bus.

Arriving by plane

If you arrive by plane at Brussels Airport Zaventem, you will easily find a direct train to Bruxelles-central station (and all main Brussels train stations) directly from the airport. You’ll need to pay an extra fee on your train ticket to open the gates of the airport train station. This fee is automatically applied when purchasing a ticket on the vending machine or on the SNCB (or NMBS in Dutch) app.

From Brussels-Central, you can reach most places around Brussels by metro, train, tram or bus.

If you arrive by plane at Brussels South Charleroi Airport, you can then the bus A2 from the airport to Fleurus railway station. From there, take a train to Ottignies and then another train to Bussels-Central. You can also take the bus A1 to the Charleroi-Central train station before taking a train to Brussels-Central. Those bus tickets can be bought simultaneously with your train ticket on the SNCB app: simply select your trip. When prompted whether you’ll be travelling off-peak or not, select add supplements and add the bus ticket supplement.

Another option is to take a direct Flibco bus directly from the airport to Brussels-Central, see this website for bus schedules.

Accommodation

We are aware of the difficulty of finding an available and affordable accommodation in Brussels due to the concomitance of a BTS concert with Capra. If you’re still looking for an accommodation and that the options listed on the Solvay Institues are no longer within your budget, here’s an option outside of Brussels:

The Hôtel les 3 clés: located in Gembloux, the hotel is close to the Gembloux train station which has a direct connection to the Etterbeek train station. The pricing is reasonable, but it would take you around one hour to go from the hotel to the conference venue.

Generally, if you’re looking for an accommodation outside of Brussels, we would recommend cities that are directly connected to the Etterbeek train station to reduce commute time. You can find the list of such cities on the SNCB website. All cities on the line Brussels-Namur are connected to Etterbeek (Watermael/Boitsfort/Groenendaal/La Hulpe/Genval/Rixensart/Profondsart/Ottignies/Louvain-la-Neuve/Gembloux/Namur). Location in between Etterbeek and Mechelen are also conveniently located.

Local transportation

Metro/Tram/Bus

The most convenient way to travel in Brussels is by using the STIB services, which includes the metro, tram and bus network.

For more information on lines and schedules, visit the STIB website here or download the STIB-MIVB app. From there you can schedule your trip and get real-time information on possible delays.

The easiest way to pay when commuting with STIB is by tapping-on your card or your smartphone when boarding the bus or the tram, or at the entrance gates of the metro. Beware that you need to tap-on every time you enter a new public transport. You might sometimes also need to tap-off to exit a metro station, so make sure you use the same card throughout your commute.

Other options consist of buying tickets on the STIB-MIVB app (but you’ll need to create an account) or buy tickets at a vending machine (but not all stops have a vending machine).

Train

National train connections are available on this website or on the SNCB app.

If you don't have any SNCB/NMBS train subscription, you must purchase a ticket to your destination before boarding the train. You can do so either at the vending machines, which are present on every train station, or on the SNCB app. There are basically two prices for the ticket: an off-peak price if you’re travelling before 6am, between 9am and 4pm or after 6pm) and an ‘anytime’ price for everything else.

In Belgium, it is common for trains to switch to a different platform than the one originally announced. This occurs essentially in Brussels. Be sure to regularly check the information on the screens in the station.

Bike fleet

The most time-effective way to commute in Brussels is by bike. You can purchase a 1-day subscription on the Villo! bike fleet company for 1.5€. The first 30 minutes of travel are free.

Either go on the Villo! website or on the Villo! officiel app, create an account and purchase your 1-day subscription plan. Check on the Villo! map which docks have available bikes and/or places you can leave your bike. A dock is located at Fraiteur, just at the entrance of the campus, at a 2-minute walking distance from the venue.

Please be aware that many trams operate in Brussels. You will occasionally have to ride on streets that are paved with tram lines. When you have to make a turn, make sure your front wheel crosses the tram line as perpendicularly as possible.

Taxis/Rideshare

Ubers are available.

We recommend using the "Taxi bleu" company.

Food & Drinks

Brussels Central

Get a beer in one of the numerous bars of the Delirium Village
Royal Toone Theater (if you understand French you will enjoy the puppet theater in the attic)
The Beer Lab Rooftop (rooftop on the Place de la bourse)
Order fries at Maison Antoine (renowned to be the best Belgian fries). Most of the bars on the Jourdan square allow you to eat your fries at their place if you order a drink from them.
Manatthn's burger (Place de la bourse)
Yummy Bowl (close to the Grand Place)
Wolf food market

Please be aware that Belgian fries are in general not vegetarian as they are fried in beef grease. Some places do use vegetable oil but we recommend you carefully check with the restaurant before.

Ixelles

Get a drink on the terrace at one of the bar in the Cimetière d’Ixelles neighborhood: Mylène, Ginette Bar, Tavernier Bar, Le Bar d’Ixelles, …
Enjoy some italian food at the Grande Piazza,
Choose the cuisine you like in one of the numerous restaurants on Place Eugène Flagey, just next to the Ixelles Ponds,
Grab some drinks and snacks in one of the kiosks of the Bois de la Cambre (Woodpecker, Le Kiosque),
Book a table on the Chalet Robinson on the island of the lake in the Bois de la Cambre.

Banquet

The conference banquet will take place on Thursday, 2 July, at 19:30 at Le Roy d’Espagne (Grand-Place 1 1000 Brussels).

Please note that registration is mandatory. Requests for new registrations can be accommodated until Monday at noon at the latest by sending an email to isabelle.vangeet@solvayinstitutes.be

Local Attractions

Excursion

We organise a visit of the European Parliament on Thursday after the talks. To go to there, we plan to take the train in Etterbeek station at 4:22PM. The visit of the parlamentarium is free of charge, but we need to book in advance the train tickets. For that purpose, a Google form will be shared within the week.

For this excursion, please make sure that you carry you physical ID card or passport with you to enter the parliament. Any kind of copy of it is not allowed.

After the visit, we will take a group photo at the place where the Solvay Conference of 1927 took place. If you plan not to visit the parlamentarium, you can still join the group for the Solvay picture.

Brussels Central

Grand-Place: 5 min from Brussels-Central, easily reachable with bus 71, 95 or metro 5 from the venue
Manneken Pis: 250 m from the Grand-Place
Jeanneke-Pis: after the Royal Gallery
Saint-Hubert Royal Gallery: 5 min from the station
Saint Catherine's Square
Place de la Bourse
Mont des Arts
Cathedral Saints-Michel-et-Gudule
Magritte Museum (website)
Comics Art museum (website)
Royal Toone Theater (if you understand French you will enjoy the puppet theater in the attic)
Beer Museum
Enjoy Belgian fries, Belgian waffles and Chocolate in the streets
And many others. Visit this website for a long list of touristic places.

Other sites

Visit the Parc du Cinquantenaire
Visit the Atomium
Visit the Laeken Greenhouses
Waterloo Hill (website)
Discover the Koekelberg Basilic
Walk in the Bois de la Cambre
European Quarter: around Brussels-Luxembourg station
Walk up the Lion’s Mound in Waterloo (website). If you arrive the week-end before Capra, check out the historical re-enactment of the battle of Waterloo!
Have a look at the buildings in the European Quarter: right on the Place du Luxembourg, you’ll find the European Parliament and just above the Brussels-Schuman station stands the European Commission.
Have a run in the Forêt de Soignes: from the venue, go to the Bois de la Cambre, then south to the Watermael-Boitsfort Hippodroom and then to the Forêt de Soignes. You can ask the LOC for some GPX tracks.
And many others. Visit this website for a long list of touristic places.

Out of the city

Check out the wonderful architectural style of Bruges. The city can be reached in one hour by train from Brussels-Central.
Go to the Belgian coast. Oostende is the easiest city to reach from Brussels: approximately 1h20 by train from Brussels-Central. There you can move from one seaside resort to another using the longest tram line in the world: 67 km of tram lines connecting the entire Belgian coast from Knokke-Heist to La Panne. You can also rent a bike on one of the many bike rental company on the embankment and ride on the kustroute, an 85 km cycling lane on the Belgian coast.
Check out the Citadel of Namur in the headcity of Wallonia, which can be reached within one hour by train. You can either walk up the Citadel or enjoy a panoramic view using the telepheric.
Discover the city of Mons, famous for its nice Belfry, its huge Grand-Place, the Sainte-Waudru collegiate church and its famous train station. The city can be reached within one hour by train from Brussels Central. By taking a bus or a taxi, you can quickly go to and visit the Saint-Symphorien military cemetery.
Hike in the luxurious forests and valleys of the Ardennes. Find a hike path from the tourist website above, get your track on a hike app such as Komoot, or ask members of the LOC for suggestions.

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