This article first appeared in My Travelogue by Bhushavali
HOW TO EXPLORE MORE OF BELGIUM, ECONOMICALLY & SUSTAINABLY
BELGIAN RAIL HISTORY
Belgium is one of the countries that was super connected with trains. To begin with, the first-ever train connection in the whole of Europe was between Brussels and Mechelen. Soon, the entire country was super connected with trains to connect to the seaport at Antwerp & Oostend to Mons & Liege and more to connect to the French Border. However, in course of time, some of the passenger trains fell into disuse as more & more people started to own cars. Today some of such train lines are even used for recreation, re-purposing them as Railbiking, like the ones in Les Draisines de la Molignée.
Check the Ultimate list of Things to do in Belgium with our Belgian Bingo. How many boxes have you checked already?
.jpg)
TRAIN TRAVEL - ECONOMICAL & SUSTAINABLE
However today with more & more awareness about Sustainable Tourism and the effect of pollution on climate change, we should try as much as possible to travel to by public transport, esp., trains as much as possible. So, here are some ways to save more money on SNCB/NMBS voyages all over Belgium...
WHY IS BELGIAN RAIL CALLED SNCB-NMBS?
The local languages in Belgium are primarily French & Flemish (the Belgian dialect of Dutch) with small regions that speak German as well. So, SNCB and NMBS are just the abbreviations of 'National Railway Company of Belgium' in the 2 languages. SNCB is the abbreviation in French for Société Nationale des Chemins de fer Belges and NMBS is the abbreviation in Dutch for Nationale Maatschappij der Belgische Spoorwegen.
WHAT IS THE OFFICIAL SNCB APP TO BUY TICKETS FROM?
Most of the below tickets and passes (except Euregio, Thalys Izy) can be bought at the ticket counters or self-service kiosks (look for SNCB Kiosks which is different from STIB/DeLijn/LeTEC kiosks) at the railway stations as well as online. Here are the links.
SNCB-NMBS Websites & Apps for Domestic Travel
Belgian Rail Websites & Apps for International Travel
HOW TO SAVE MONEY with CHEAP BELGIUM TRAIN TICKETS
ADULT TICKETS FOR DOMESTIC TRAVEL
The best aspect of Belgian trains is that there is NO dynamic pricing for domestic travel. Most of the time I just book a ticket on my phone, standing on the platform, while waiting for the train. No matter whether you book it 3 months before or 3 minutes before, it's the same price for domestic travel within Belgium!
SNCB DISCOVERY COMBI TICKETS (earlier called B-Excursion)
It's a combo of entry tickets to certain places to see along with return train tickets for day trips (return on the same day). Works out cheaper esp if you're above 26 and traveling on weekdays (I'll tell you why soon). Of the places that we've been to, Bokrijk, Pairi Daiza, and Grottes de Han could be done with the Discovery Tickets. If you're in a city other than Brussels, a trip to Brussels to visit Atomium, Natural Sciences Museum, etc could be done with the SNCB Discovery Combi Tickets.
Find currently available Discovery Combi Tickets on SNCB's Official Website here.
WEEKEND INTERNET TICKET
50% off on Standard round-trip fare if bought online, obviously when traveling during the weekend (yeah, that's why I specified 'weekdays' above; on weekends with this 50% off this might work out cheaper than a discovery ticket. It is applicable on Friday too without time restriction in summers and after 7pm otherwise.
STANDARD MULTI TICKET - €87 for 10 tickets
This is a Belgian Rail Pass which has a 1-year validity, so it is perfect for long-distance travel, esp on weekdays. That's the same as the Youth ticket for people over 26 (obviously). I used it for my trips to Eupen, Hasselt, Antwerp, etc. Of course, it doesn't make sense for nearby places when the fare is less than €8 or when traveling at weekends (when you have 50% off). This is not only perfect for Tourists, but also for residents. The best thing is, this can be used by multiple people - 2 people can do 5 journeys or 3 people in 3 journeys too! It is basically a form of 10 rows that you have to fill out before every journey. In 2 instances, I've even seen semi-filled tickets on Facebook Marketplace!
MUSEUMPASSMUSÉES - 50% off on 5 daytrips
I'm a big-time fan of Museumpassmusées and that shouldn't be news if you're a regular reader of this blog. One of the advantages of Museumpassmusées is the 5 Discovery Ticket coupon codes that come with it! That's 50% off on 5 return trip journeys anywhere in Belgium, as usual, it works out best for longer journeys! However, this can be bought only if you're a resident of the EU and is not applicable for tourists.
.jpg)
ADULT TICKETS FOR INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL
EUREGIO TICKET - €19 for 1 day for 2 adults
This is a weird, regional, but international ticket (unlike Interrail pass). Though EU Regio technically means European Region, geographically it refers to the region where Belgium, Netherlands and Germany borders meet. So the Euregioticket is valid in the regions of Liege, Limburg, Aachen and Maastricht in all the 3 countries. This is valid not only in trains but also buses in the region! Euregio ticket is a day pass. More weirdly, it is valid for 1 person per ticket on weekdays but 2 adults per ticket on weekends!!! The only drawback is that it cannot be bought online, it can be bought only within that region in the ticket counters, meaning, if you're traveling from say, Brussels, in Belgium, you'll have to disembark at Liege or Hasselt to buy this ticket.
EU Regio Ticket can now be bought online! - Buy EU Regio Ticket on B-Europe of SNCB
TRAINS TO AMSTERDAM - Earlybird tickets
Earlybird tickets can be booked online, from major stations in Belgium to Amsterdam (via Rotterdam) at a reduced rate till a week before the travel date. Amsterdam to Antwerp train ticket is €20 (€25 on weekends) and Amsterdam to Brussels train ticket is €25 (€33 on weekends), one way. The number of tickets available is technically unlimited and you can take any train (time isn't fixed) of that day. It also means that the seat is not booked and on summer weekends, trains do get super crowded and you may have to travel the distance standing!
TRAINS TO PARIS - Izy trains - Update July 2022
As of July 2022, Izy has stopped all operations. If you book Thalys early enough, the prices begin at €29. However, tickets during weekends & vacations are never at that price and last-minute ticket rates can go as high as €103! Sadly, Brussels to Paris trains is no longer an economical option. I have now started to travel by Flixbus from Brussels to Paris!
YOUTH PASS FOR DOMESTIC TRAVEL
YOUTH TICKET (GO PASS 1 or GO PASS 10) - €6.60 for 1 ticket or €55 for 10 tickets
You may be young at heart, but unless you're 'officially' under 26yrs, you can't use this. But if you are, you can essentially travel from anywhere to anywhere in Belgium at €6.60 per ticket if bought individually or €53 for a 10 journey pass. While a short trip like Brussels to Leuven doesn't make sense as its standard ticket price is cheaper, but on longer journeys where tickets go as high as €22 (Brussels to Eupen), super savings can be done with the youth ticket. The best thing is that it can be used by multiple people, like Standard Multi for adults. 2 people can do 5 journeys with the same pass!
YOUTH HOLIDAYS (GO UNLIMITED) - €18 for 1 week / €29 for 1 month
If you are under 26yrs of age, this is perfect for you. For €18 or €29 you can travel unlimited, all over Belgium for 1 week or 1 month. While the 1-week pass can be bought during any school holidays (spring/autumn/winter), the 1-month pass can be bought only during the summer holidays (July & August). Yes, Belgium is very considerate towards young people to travel well and provides them with a lot of cheap Belgium Train Tickets!!!
Your children are so cute! This was such a helpful and thorough post. I'm really so bad at finding deals and doing things in a budget friendly manner. I'm hoping to get to Belgium next summer, I've been dying to go. The museum pass is an especially great tip, I'll be pinning this for later use!
ReplyDeleteWe do love to travel by train when we are in Europe. Good to know that Belgium is well served by the train network. I have never seen combo tickets with train and entry to sights. So that is a good thing to check out. At first it seemed odd that weekend travel was cheaper. But then I realized that there must be a lot of business travel during the week. Good to know there are also deals on trains heading out of Belgium.
ReplyDeleteThese are very helpful tips if you plan to use the trains in Belgium. The Weekend Internet ticket that saves you 50% of the full price seems like a great deal. I don't travel by train very often in Europe (although I'd love to), but my husband prefers to drive.
ReplyDeleteI am all for sustainable travel and it is great to know that the train connectivity in Belgium is amazing. I find this very useful because I am planning more Europe train journeys for 2021. I find the train tickets from London expensive when travelling with 3 children, it looks like it is better to get to Belgium first and take advantage of their cheap train tickets for onward journeys.
ReplyDeleteEurope travel by train is like a dream.. infact I love to explore anywhere through rail only . Infact those are some useful tips to grab a reasonable tips .only time I travelled by Rail was inter Poland . So next time when I travel to Belgium I would love to refer to your tips to grab a cheap deal.
ReplyDeleteOh boy, this is one post that I am pinning right away. This is perfect for anyone heading to Brussels. The tickets and the various combinations make it so much easier to plan and save some bucks. And the trains do look pretty comfortable.
ReplyDeleteOh woow this is so detailed and all these tips seem great when planning traveling around Belgium. I really love traveling by train and I think I a train journey around Belgium might be a fantastic idea for a trip during the spring.
ReplyDeleteThis is such a detailed post, covering pricing, & options of passes available. Would love to explore Belgium by train, have only been to Brussels and majorly traversed the city by foot, though did heavily rely on U-Bahns in Berlin and Flixbus while travelling in Europe. The other plus is that it is so well maintained and economical at the same time. I like how you have emphasised on sustainable travel and trains being a great choice that way! Well articulated ��
ReplyDeleteLove the money saving section, super useful in an expensive city! The Weekend internet ticket looks especially valuable for long weekend visitors. Enjoyed the history section too. I had no idea the first train connection in Europe was between Brussels and Mechelen!
ReplyDeleteWow! I had no idea that they have a weekend internet ticket promotion. Enjoying 50% discount is such a big help for budget traveler like me. Thank you for sharing these tips.
ReplyDeleteI love train travel and that too in Europe. Very soon, I will be planning for Belgium and so your guide is super helpful. It is good the price of domestic travel remains same though it is on time or months before. Weekend train looks good option and good that they are offering discount on Friday too. It is good you have given some international options too from here. Thanks for this sharing information and your review as sometimes these things are very confusing, if read on original site.
ReplyDeleteLove your point about being eco conscious travelr. Never thought of train rides as an important aspect of being a planet conscious traveler but it makes sense. Great tips on how to make it cheap as well (In belgium)
ReplyDeleteYour child is so big already! Love your guide to Belgium cheap train tickets, I think you tackled the topic well and hope I will have a chance to try your tips! It's a great way to save money, as trains are expensive in there.
ReplyDeleteI used to like to travel by train a lot, but I haven't done it for a long time. Maybe it's a good idea to visit Belgium this way. Thanks for the inspiration and all the valuable tips! When the pandemic situation calms down, I will be happy to go on such a trip.
ReplyDeleteMakes me yearn for a train travel...
ReplyDelete