Train
- Arrival at the heart of the airport
- Up to 8 trains per hour from and to Brussels
- Direct train service to Belgian cities and easy connection to neighbouring countries
By train to the heart of the airport
From many Belgian train stations, you can get to the heart of Brussels Airport directly or with one change.
NMBS (Nationale Maatschappij van de Belgische Spoorwegen) is responsible for train traffic in Belgium. In French, the name is "SNCB".
You will find the train station directly under the Departure and Arrival Halls of the airport (level -1). The escalator or lift will take you directly to the platform (or into the airport).
Have you just arrived at the Brussels Airport station? Have your train ticket ready. You will need to scan it at the entrance gates to enter the airport.
Your train journey will be visible in the route planner. Please note that a "stopover" is not a "transfer". At a stop, the train stops briefly to allow passengers to board. When changing trains, you have to change trains and thus train tracks. 
You are allowed to take up to 3 pieces of baggage on the train. And yes, your folding bike or pet can come along too. Check out all the details here.
For your own convenience, download the SNCB app here for Android and here for Apple.
Did you know that children under 12 travel for free on trains with an adult? No ticket is needed for children and you do not have to pay the diabolo supplement. At the entrance gates of Brussels Airport-Zaventem station, children can travel with another passenger through the gates.
- for children under 12 years of age
- in 1st and 2nd class
- without time or destination restriction
- a maximum of 4 children per passenger with a valid ticket
- the children travel without a ticket, your ticket also applies to them
Is your child travelling alone? Then it needs a Kids Ticket at 50% of the price. This already includes the diabolo supplement. The child can open the entrance gates with the QR code on the Kids Ticket.
In both cases, each child must be able to show their identity card.
A total of 8 trains per hour run to and from Brussels on weekdays. Of those, 2 trains take you to the European district (Schumann station). At 5.24 am, the first train arrives at Brussels Airport and that rhythm continues until about midnight.
In the weekend there are 5 trains per hour to Brussels until about 23.00 hours Sunday evening. After that the trains run less frequently.
Would you like to go to the centre of Brussels? In just 17 minutes you can be at Brussels Central and start exploring the beautiful city.
Do you have a connection with an international train such as Thalys, TGV, Eurostar or ICE? Then get off at Brussels-Midi. A journey from Brussels Airport to Brussels-Midi takes 23 minutes on average.
A smooth journey to one of our beautiful cultural cities, the Belgian coast or the beautiful landscapes of the Ardennes? The train takes you Brussels Airport to all major Belgian cities in no time.
From Brussels Airport you can get to our Dutch neighbours in the blink of an eye. After about 1 hour and 40 minutes you can admire the Rotterdam skyline and after about 2 hours and 30 minutes you can experience the Amsterdam canals.
Smooth connections by various trains:
- IC Netherlands : 13 times a day to Amsterdam and 4 times a day to The Hague, via Breda and Rotterdam - with many connections in the Netherlands.
- Thalys: 14 times a day at high speed from Brussels or Antwerp to Rotterdam and Amsterdam.
- Eurostar : 3 times a day at high speed from Brussels to Rotterdam and Amsterdam.
With a transfer in Brussels-Midi you can be under the Eiffel Tower or in front of Cologne Cathedral in no time. Or you can go on a shopping trip in London or Lille.
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Take the Thalys to Paris or Cologne
- Take the Eurostar to Lille or London
To provide Brussels Airport with a station, a huge tunnel was built: the Diabolo tunnel. The government agreed with the construction company to finance this with a compulsory "Diabolo fee". So this is not a supplement for Brussels Airport, but a financing method between private company Northern Diabolo and the government. This supplement is:
- a supplement of €6.70 per single journey (in 1st or 2nd train class)
- in addition, you need a valid ticket to/from Brussels Airport
- the (Diabolo) supplement is automatically added to most tickets to or from Brussels Airport-Zaventem
- for a commuter ticket to and from Brussels Airport, the Diabolo supplement does not apply
Children under 12 do not pay a supplement. They can go through special gates where no scanning of the ticket is required.
Is the Brussels Airport supplement (Diabolo supplement) not included in your train ticket? Then buy a supplement separately here.