Getting around Belgium
This article is dedicated to the different transportation means in Belgium.
Belgian transportation
Bicycles, cars, trams, trains, buses, metros, and taxis can get you from one place to another in Belgium.
Bicycle
There's a very good infrastructure for biking in Belgium, so many people commute to work that way.
In general, bikes follow the same traffic rules as cars. However, you must always use bike paths if they're present. Also, you're able to go down one-way streets if they say “excepte” (French) or “uitgezonderd” (Dutch) with a picture of a bike.
Make sure you invest in a good lock, as there are many bike thieves. You'll want to lock it to something immovable if possible.
You'll also want to get your bike engraved with a serial number (for free) by the police or your local commune. The Pro Velo offices also provide this service for €1. That way, if your bike ever gets stolen, it'll be easier to recover.
Car
We discuss driving in Belgium in detail in another article. If you're already used to driving in Europe, then driving in Belgium will be easy since they follow most (if not all) rules that the EU does.
Tram
Brussels, Antwerp, Ghent, and Charleroi all have efficient and complete tram networks. In Flanders, the company De Lijn manages the trams. In Brussels, the Brussels Inter-communal Society for Transport (STIB/MIVB) is in charge, and the TEC is in Wallonia. Trams have been a Belgian mode of transportation for a long time.
Each company manages the distribution of its own transportation means. Different memberships and fixed prices exist, depending on how often you take the tram and where to. You can ask for more information on board or at the tram station.
The minimum price for a tram ticket is between €2.10 and €3. You can purchase your ticket on board, online, or at automated machines at the tram station.
Train
The Belgian railway network is the most comprehensive one in Europe. If you need more information on traveling to and from Belgium, you can go online on the official railway website (SNCB, National Rail Belgium).
As for the metro, young travelers benefit from some free travel. Children from 0 to 11 years old (4 children maximum), can take the train for free if accompanied by someone with a valid ticket (aged 12 ). Children aged 6-11 can take the train for free from Monday to Friday after 9:00 am. Families with a family card can take the train for free at any time.
Do note that if you buy a single ticket for the metro, you can use it for 60 minutes after you first validate it. During these 60 minutes, you can change buses as many times as you'd like.
If you'd like to go to Paris or London, you'll have to depart from Midi/Zuid station in Brussels.
Bus
Belgium has two bus companies: one French, managed by TEC, and another one for the Flemish part of the country, managed by STIB. If you regularly take both, you need a membership for each.
Children under 6 and people aged 65 travel for free with both companies. They need to ask for a membership at TEC. It's valid throughout all of Belgium.
Like with the metro, if you buy a single ticket, you can transfer as many times as you'd like within 60 minutes of the first validation.
There are also coach services available. These are pretty cheap and can take you to other countries, such as Germany and France.
MoBIB Card
In Belgium, there's the MoBIB (Mobility in Belgium) card. It's relatively new; it was only introduced in 2018. It's similar to the public transportation card used in the Netherlands.
There are two cards: anonymous and personal. You can buy these cards at a number of places, such as online and stores. If you're living in Belgium on a long-term basis, it's worth it to get a personal card because you can get discounts for trips by getting monthly or annual subscriptions. Anonymous cards are better for short-term visitors.
You can use your MoBIB card for trams, buses, and buses. You can also use it to pay for car parking payments. In addition, the MoBIB card works for numerous car and bike-sharing platforms.
Taxis
Taxis in Belgium are operated by private companies. They have an indicator light that says “TAXI” on the roof of the cars and you can usually find taxi ranks at train stations and ports, as well as popular tourist attractions.
Fees are decided by each region in which the taxi company is implemented. It varies from €1.40 to €3 per kilometer. Additionally, client management costs between €2.25 and €2.40 per person during the day. At night, it can be up to €4.25 or €4.40 per person.
Fees per kilometer change whether you travel inside the region affiliated with the taxi company or outside it. As for waiting times, fees vary from €25 and €30 per hour or €0.50 per minute.
While it's not customary to tip, you should highly consider rounding up to the nearest euro when paying your driver.
Rideshares
Many people are using rideshares instead of taxis, so you might be interested in this as well. However, you should know that the only rideshare available in Belgium is Uber, and it's only available for use in Brussels. Uber is allowed to also operate in Charleroi and Mons.
Useful links:
Brussels Inter-Urban Transport
