By Air
Following the bankruptcy of Belgium’s
international carrier, Sabena, in 2001, Belgium’s
regional airline, DAT (Delta Air Transport), has
launched its new European airline SN Brussels
Airlines (SN). More than 35 European destinations
are served including frequent flights to London
City Airport. For further information check online
(website: http://www.brussels-airlines.com).
Approximate flight times: From
Brussels to London is 50 minutes and from Antwerp
is 50 minutes. From Brussels to Los Angeles is
16 hours and to New York is 7 hours.
International airports: Brussels
Zaventem (BRU) (website: http://www.brusselsairport.be)
is 12km (8 miles) northeast of the city (travel
time – 35 minutes). The Airport City Express
train connects all three main railway stations
(Brussels North, Central and South) with the airport,
running every 15 minutes 0600-0000 (travel time
– 15-30 minutes). The airports station is
located on level one below the terminal. Other
trains also depart frequently for the city and
for destinations all over Belgium. Coaches depart
from the airports bus station on ground level
for major cities in Belgium, France and the Netherlands.
Buses run regularly to and from the city. Taxis
to the city cost approximately €30. Hotel
courtesy coaches go to Holiday Inn, Novotel and
Sofitel. There are helicopter services to and
from Antwerp, Ghent and Kortrijk. Airport facilities
include car parking, car hire (Alamo, Avis, Budget,
Europcar and Hertz), post office (0800-1900),
banks (0700-2200), bureaux de change, bars, restaurants,
incoming and outgoing duty-free shops selling
a wide range of goods (including mini-computers),
medical facilities, computer and fax facilities
and conference and business facilities.
Antwerp (ANR) (Deurne) (website: http://www.antwerpairport.be)
is 3km (2 miles) east of the city. There is a
regular bus service (no. 16) to Central Station.
Taxis are available. Airport facilities include
an outgoing duty-free shop, car hire (Budget and
Hertz), bank (0900-1200 and 1330-1900) and bar/restaurant
(0700-2300).
Ostend (OST) (website: http://www.ostendairport.be),
5km (3 miles) from the city, has car parking facilities,
car hire, exchange bureau de change, a restaurant,
a bar and a duty-free shop.
Charleroi (CRL) (Brussels South Charleroi) (website:
http://www.charleroi-airport.com)
is 5km (3 miles) from Charleroi and 50km (31 miles)
from Brussels. Airlines serving the airports include
Ryanair, which operates cheap flights to several
European destinations from Charleroi. Buses depart
every 30 minutes to Charleroi (travel time –
10 minutes). There are regular coaches to Brussels
(travel time – 45 minutes). Airport facilities
include automatic money changer, business lounge
and duty-free shop.
Liège (LGG). There are taxis and a regular
bus service to the centre, 8km (5 miles) away.
Departure tax: None. |
By Land
RAIL: The Belgium national railway,
Société Nationale des Chemins de
Fer Belges (SNCB) (website: http://www.sncb.be),
operates frequent day and night trains to destinations
in Andorra, Austria, Czech Republic, Denmark,
France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Luxembourg, The
Netherlands, Poland, Switzerland and the UK. High-speed
trains – Trains à Grande Vitesse
or TGV – operate between Belgium and France,
connecting Brussels with destinations in Britanny,
on the French Atlantic coast, the Côte d’Azur
and the French Alps. Cities that can be reached
from Brussels by TGV include Rennes, Bordeaux,
Lyon, Valence, Perpignan, Marseille, Cannes, Nice
and Chambéry. TGV trains depart from Brussels
and need to be booked in advance. Further high-speed
trains are operated by Thalys (website: http://www.thalys.com),
a service jointly run by the the Belgium, French,
German and Dutch national railways. The main international
Thalys trains link Brussels to Amsterdam (The
Netherlands), Cologne (Germany) and Paris (France).
Rail passes: International
rail passes include the Eurail and Euro passes,
available to non-European residents and permitting
unlimited travel in most European countries for
a period of one or two months; and the Interrail
pass, permitting unlimited travel in Europe to
European residents. The Benelux five-day Tourrail
ticket offers five days of unlimited travel within
a period of 30 days by rail in Belgium, The Netherlands
and Luxembourg. The Rail Plus Senior card is available
to people aged over 60 and entitles the buyer
to reductions of up to 25 per cent on international
tickets in 19 European countries. For further
information, contact Rail Europe (tel: (08705)
848 848; website: http://www.raileurope.co.uk)
or Belgian National Railways (tel: (020) 7593
2332; fax: (020) 7593 2333; e-mail: belrail@aol.com;
website: http://www.raileurope.be).
Channel tunnel: Eurostar, a
service provided by the railways of Belgium, the
UK and France, operates direct high-speed trains
from London (Waterloo International) via the Channel
Tunnel to Brussels (Midi/Zuid). The travel time
from London to Brussels is 2 hours and 40 minutes.
For further information and reservations contact
Eurostar (tel: (0870) 6000 792 (travel agents)
or (08705) 186 186 (public; within the UK) or
(+44 1233) 617 575 (public; outside the UK); website:
http://www.eurostar.com);
or Rail Europe (tel: (08705) 848 848). Travel
agents can obtain refunds for unused tickets from
Eurostar Trade Refunds, Second Floor, Kent House,
81 Station Road, Ashford, Kent TN23 1PD. Complaints
and comments may be sent to Eurostar Customer
Relations, Eurostar House, Waterloo Station, London
SE1 8SE, UK (e-mail:
new.comments@eurostar.co.uk). General enquiries
and information requests must be made by telephone.
ROAD: There are good road links
from most of the European countries. Eurolines,
departing from Victoria Coach Station in London,
serves destinations in Belgium. For further information,
contact Eurolines (4 Cardiff Road, Luton, Bedfordshire,
L41 1PP; tel: (08705) 143 219; fax: (01582) 400
694; website: http://www.eurolines.com
or http://www.gobycoach.com).
Channel Tunnel: From
the UK, all road vehicles are carried through
the tunnel in shuttle trains running between the
two terminals, one near Folkestone in Kent, with
direct road access from the M20, and one just
outside Calais with links to the A16/A26 motorway
(Exit 13). Each shuttle is made up of 12 single-
and 12 double-deck carriages, and vehicles are
directed to single-deck or double-deck carriages
depending on their height. There are facilities
for cars and motorcycles, coaches, minibuses,
caravans, campervans and other vehicles over 1.85m
(6.07ft). Bicycles are provided for. Passengers
generally travel with their vehicles. Heavy goods
vehicles are carried on special shuttles with
a separate passenger coach for the drivers. Terminals
and shuttles are well equipped for disabled passengers.
Passenger Terminal buildings contain a variety
of shops, restaurants, bureaux de change and other
amenities. The journey takes about 35 minutes
from platform to platform and around one hour
from motorway to motorway. Eurotunnel runs up
to four passenger shuttles per hour at peak times,
24 hours per day. Services run every day of the
year. For further information about departure
times of shuttles at the French terminal contact;
Eurotunnel Customer Information in Coquelle (tel:
(3) 2100 6543). Motorists pass through customs
and immigration before they board, with no further
checks on arrival. Fares are charged according
to length of stay and time of year and whether
or not you have a reservation. The price applies
to the car, regardless of the number of passengers
or size of the car. Promotional deals are frequently
available, especially outside the peak holiday
seasons. Tickets may be purchased in advance from
travel agents, or from Eurotunnel Customer Services
in France or the UK with a credit card. For further
information, brochures and reservations, contact
Eurotunnel Customer Services UK (tel: (08705)
353 535; e-mail: callcentre@eurotunnel.com;
website: http://www.eurotunnel.co.uk).
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