Brussels trip

[Vespa]

I'm planning to do a trip to Brussels via Eurostar, I'm plannng to explore Brussels trams, Metro and other public transport options as well as general sightseeing, will be there for 6 days.

Has anyone else recently done this ? Passports, Eurostar and checking in etc also best travel pass to use on all transport within Brussels either weekly or daily pass.

Can I use my disabled railcard on Eurostar ?

Thanks.

 

[30907]

Assuming you will travel home to Brussels and vv in a day, I would cost out a 4-day Interrail Global Pass - it may not be cost effective but worth checking.
This would give you 2 days for travel outside Brussels (I think you may struggle to fill 6 days in the city itself!).

Railcard discounts aren't valid as ES isn't part of NR, sorry.

I reckon the sweet spot for checking in is just under an hour in advance - you want to reach the lounge just after the previous train boards, which is 20min before departure.

 

[Vespa]

This would give you 2 days for travel outside Brussels (I think you may struggle to fill 6 days in the city itself!).

Is Brussels that small ?

 

[Martijn]

19 municipalities in Brussels, each with their own characteristics, that gives you less than 1/3 of a day for each of them…
Kidding aside, depending on your interests, there's plenty to keep you occupied!

The easiest way to use STIB public transport within the Brussels region is to just use your contactless debit/credit card: there's a € 7,50 day cap.
Alternatively, the paper version of a day pass is € 8,00.

STIB is enough to get you around in Brussels, since the companies run by the other regions—TEC for Wallonia, De Lijn for Flanders—are mainly aimed at getting you out of Brussels, as is the national train company SNCB.
If you get a slightly more expensive Brupass (for the Brussels region) or Brupass XL (for Brussels and an area around it), you can use TEC, De Lijn, and SNCB in the specified area as well.
Unfortunately, to get a Brupass for day (€ 8,40), you need to buy a MOBIB card (€ 6,00) to load it upon first… A day version of the Brupass XL doesn't even exist! Single tickets are available in the STIB app though…
CONTACTLESS, MOBIB OR PAPER

Sounds needlessly complicated? It is!

 

[Vespa]

19 municipalities in Brussels, each with their own characteristics, that gives you less than 1/3 of a day for each of them…
Kidding aside, depending on your interests, there's plenty to keep you occupied!

The easiest way to use STIB public transport within the Brussels region is to just use your contactless debit/credit card: there's a € 7,50 day cap.
Alternatively, the paper version of a day pass is € 8,00.

STIB is enough to get you around in Brussels, since the companies run by the other regions—TEC for Wallonia, De Lijn for Flanders—are mainly aimed at getting you out of Brussels, as is the national train company SNCB.
If you get a slightly more expensive Brupass (for the Brussels region) or Brupass XL (for Brussels and an area around it), you can use TEC, De Lijn, and SNCB in the specified area as well.
Unfortunately, to get a Brupass for day (€ 8,40), you need to buy a MOBIB card (€ 6,00) to load it upon first… A day version of the Brupass XL doesn't even exist! Single tickets are available in the STIB app though…
CONTACTLESS, MOBIB OR PAPER

Sounds needlessly complicated? It is!

Unsuprisingly with three languages and regions.
I'm interested in a visiting museums about Belgian history, military history as well as transport modern and historical.


Update:

I've booked my Eurostar ticket and hotel for 6 nights, I chose standard class seats as I've seen comments about the poor offering for the price if you upgraded, the hotel is next to Brussels midi so saves me have to trek long distance to a hotel.

Can a day pass be brought at Midi ?

I've read about a vintage tram tour round Brussels, has anyone been on them and do you need to book in advance ?

TIA

 

[Martijn]

I'm interested in a visiting museums about Belgian history, military history as well as transport modern and historical.

Well, then three of the musea that would interest you are nicely grouped together in the Cinquantenaire Park:
Royal Military Museum (€ 12, or € 25 for all three musea)
Autoworld (€ 17)
Art and History Museum (€10)

Public transport:
Train World (€ 15, not in Museum Pass)
Tram Museum (€ 13, not in Museum Pass) is also where the vintage trams depart from.

Annoyingly the last two musea are no longer included in the Museum Pass, but if you entend to visit more musea, at € 59 for a year it's still worth considering. And if you do want to venture (far) outside of Brussels: it comes with five discount codes you can use to book return train tickets with 50% off! You can but it at the first museum, but if you buy it online, you'll immediately have access to the codes, so you can already buy the train tickets.

Can a day pass be brought at Midi ?

Definitely! But make sure you're in the lower levels of the station, there will be a STIB sales outlet there.

 

[AlbertBeale]

Is Brussels that small ?

It's big enough to have a sufficient range of purveyors of Belgian chips, and of Trappist beer, to keep you going for a visit of this length...

(NB - the only time I remember having my pocket picked on public transport anywhere in Europe was on a Brussels tram; though that was a long time ago!)