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.

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.

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.