Bilingual transportation (Transports in Brussels)

Member Name: Morgenhund

Product:	Transports in Brussels
Date:	23/05/01 (74 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: cheap and thorough network

Disadvantages: announcements change language frequently..., commuter trains are unreliable

I spent six months living in Brussels, during which time I found that thanks to the very good general network of trams, underground and buses, a car was really not very necessary, although when travelling further afield the trains had a tendency to be woefully inadequate.

The tram network in Brussels is by and large very efficient and reliable, and complements the Underground network well. Trams run more or less on time and from very early (0530ish) to pretty late (0030ish). As far as the cost of public transport goes, a day pass is just over £2 (BEF 130), and there are tickets that are valid for 5 or 10 journeys. Monthly passes are about £23 (BEF 1400), and work out as a good investment for anyone who is travelling regularly by public transport.

Probably the most useful tramroutes are the 23 and the 90 which are the largest circular routes, and are very reliable and can take you to a large percentage of the places you want to go to. The Métro is relatively simple with only three lines, (1A, 1B and 2) although the connectivity with the trams is excellent. There is also a section of the tram network called the Pre-Métro, which is essentially where the trams go underground.

A lot of other routes are served by a very reliable bus network which can sometimes work out as the quickest way across town. One thing to watch out for is which way you are travelling on the Métro, as it can be very easy to head in the wrong direction, and at some stations it is not very clear which platform is for which direction.

The trains however, vital for many people commuting are a lot less reliable, especially since they are often late, and connections don't tend to be held. Most trains tend to be about 5-10 mins late so connections from one train to another are dicey. If you are going out to/returning from the suburbs, this can cause a great deal of difficulty as trains often don't connect very well with each other.

For people using
the trains frequently, the Go Pass for travellers under 26 offers ten single journeys for about GBP23 and this means theoretically a ticket to Arlon from Brussels return costs about 5 pounds return! There are also passes for commuting where you get 10 single journeys for the price of eight, and this is well worth investigating.

Brussels has a lot of different railway stations, which serve different directions, so be warned that you may well get a northbound train from the South Station (Gare du midi/Brussel Zuid) and not the otherway round! Eurostar goes to Gare du Midi/Brussel Zuid and from there there are a wide variety of buses, trams, métro and trains to allow you to travel onwards.

Faredodging is a big issue in Brussels with fines escalating rapidly, and a three strikes and you're out type system. Bearing in mind that a custodial sentence could await you for getting caught three times, that after having paid fines of around £40 and £80 first and second time round, I would not recommend faredodging, especially when a monthly ticket is only just over £20. For one you will require a passport folder for the first time you buy a monthly pass, but thereafter you get a monthly ticket to slide into the laminated pouch.

Of course you do need to be slightly on your guard as announcements fluctuate between French and Flemish (but usually both!) so keep an eye for which stop you are approaching!

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