Brussels Airport BRU is about 9 miles from the City, there are several airport hotels near to this one, to check rates or make hotel reservations for Brussels Airport Hotels click on any name. discounted room rates Cityotels have special internet rates available for certain hotels and dates, if the hotel participates in this scheme it will be ticked under deal
Airport shuttles Brussels Airport to the City Centre of Brussels take around 30 minutes, Brussels South Airport located at Charleroi is around 1.5 hours by train, to make life easier for either, make sure that you are not standing in line for ages, pre book an Airport transfers to your city centre hotel - click here
Travel Information Belgium has two international airports, the main one being Zaventem, 14km northeast of Brussels. The other one, Deurne, is close to Antwerp and has less frequent flights to Amsterdam, London, Liverpool and Dublin only. Depending on when you leave, flights to London can be cheaper from Deurne. If you're in Europe already, a bus or train is the best option. Eurolines and Hoverspeed Citysprint operate international bus services to and from Belgium. Brussels has three main railway stations and is the central hub, with lines in all directions. Two companies operate car/passenger ferries to and from Britain: north sea ferries (overnight from Zeebrugge to Hull) and Ostende lines/ ferries (six boats daily between Ostend and Ramsgate). Sample flying times are as follows: from the UK about an hours flying time some others are 6 hours, 50 minutes from New York to Brussels; seven hours from Boston to Brussels. Return flights stateside are about an hour longer By train
Eurostar trains from London (Waterloo) use the channel tunnel to cut travel time to Brussels (Gare du Midi) to 3 1/4 hours. Trains stop at Ashford (Kent) and Lille (France). There are seven daily services. First and second class seats are available. A number of promotional fares are offered. Brussels is linked with Paris, Amsterdam, and Liège by new high-speed trains, which operate at full TGV speed on French tracks. In Belgium and Holland, until new tracks have been laid, they provide a slower but comfortable ride. Belgian National Railways (SNCB; tel. 02/203-3640 is the National rail line. Some travel times:
Brussels-Bruges = 1h, Brussels-Ghent = 40 min, Brussels - Antwerp = 35 min, Brussels - liège = 1 h, Brussels - Amsterdam = 3h, Brussels - Cologne = 2h | for selected hotels in the City click here to find all Brussels Bruxelles hotels use the above search box |
Brussels City Information Brussels is an exciting, modern city, yet it is rich in strikingly beautiful medieval and art nouveau buildings. It has outstanding museums and galleries and a vibrant cultural life. The heart of the capital city of Belgium lies inside a circle of main roads. The inner city can easily be explored within this circle on foot, by bus, or by tram. For areas outside it, there is an excellent subway system. Grand'place is Europe's most ornate city square. The soaring lines of the Gothic Town Hall dominate one side, in contrast with the elaborately decorated baroque guild halls that surround it. There's a daily flower market, a bird market on Sunday morning, and frequent musical performances One of the most beautiful town squares in Europe, if not in the world", is a phrase often heard when visitors in Brussels try to describe the beauty of this central market square. French speakers refer to it as the 'Grand-Place', and in Dutch it is called 'de Grote Markt'. Writers over the years, including Victor Hugo and Baudelaire were struck by the charm of the market square with its rows of guild houses set against the backdrop of the Town Hall and the king's house. The Grand-Place is the main tourist attraction of the city of Brussels. It is visited in every season by thousands who enjoy strolling through and admiring the beautiful buildings, or sitting down on one of the many terraces with a good Belgian beer. Concerts and musical events are presented on the square throughout the year. The Grand Sablon is an elegant square surrounded by restaurants, cafés, and exclusive antique shops. Every Saturday and Sunday morning a lively antiques market takes over the upper part of the square. The petit Sablon, the other half of the square, is surrounded by a magnificent wrought-iron fence topped by 48 small bronze statues representing the city's guilds. There are many attractions the whole family will enjoy. One that is sure to please is Brupark, an outstanding theme park in the city's northern suburbs. There the Atomium can be viewed from the ground by going inside the structure. There is a 24 theatre complex, a planetarium, a water park, a miniature re-creation of Europe that has several hands - on components Shopping in Brussels is a favourite occupation. Though there are no longer 22,000 lace makers as there were in the 17th century, visitors will have at least 40 lace makers' shops from which to choose. Much lace is now machine made, but handmade lace can still be found. Art and antique shops are also abundant. Boutiques feature the latest fashions on several of the city's streets Over the centuries, Brussels (Bruxelles in French, Brussel in Flemish) has been ruled by every major power at or near its boundaries from the Romans to the Spanish to the Germans. Its colonial history provided a fitting prelude to its current status. Brussels has become an international business community composed of diplomats, lobbyists, and euro-politicians connected with NATO and the European Union. International business arrived in the past three decades, resulting in blocks lined with steel-and-glass office buildings. However, these modern edifices are only a few steps from the cobbled streets, splendid cafés, and graceful art nouveau architecture that speak to the city's eventful past. When to go:
Many residents of Brussels take vacations in July and August. This makes the city less crowded, but also means that some shops and restaurants will be closed. Belgium's climate is temperate: never too hot or too cold; never too wet or too dry. Spring and autumn are cooler than summer and more changeable. A shower can spring up at any time The city is a favourite bargain break week end destination for many Europeans, travelling from the UK is relatively inexpensive and many take a short break off season to visit the many events some popular ones are listed below. European Christmas Market:
2nd weekend in December in the Grand'place in Brussels features the traditions and products of many different European Union countries Antique Fair
The annual 10 day event is held at Brussels' Palais des Beaux-Arts in late January. It offers the best from antique dealers in Belgium and neighbouring countries and is eagerly anticipated each year. Mid-Aug.:
A flower carpet, painstakingly laid out, covers and transforms the entire Grand'place of Brussels for two days. Even years only Tipping:
A service charge is included in restaurant and hotel bills, and tips are also included in the amount shown on the meter in taxis. Additional tipping is unnecessary unless you wish to say thank you for very good service Holidays:
January 1 - New Year's Day
March or April (varies) - Easter and Easter Monday
May 1 - Labour Day
May (varies) - Feast of the Ascension,
May (varies) - Whitsunday, Pentecost Monday
August 15 - Assumption of the Virgin
December 25 - Christmas day
December 26 - St. Stephen Day |  Brussels | | | Brussels Information |
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