$141+ Cheap flights to Brussels, Belgium

Brussels Travel Guide

If Belgium is the host country for equality, Brussels is the core of European diplomacy. As the headquarters of both NATO and the European Union, there’s a chance to meet at least one international diplomat on your flight to Brussels. But you don’t have to be an ambassador to book a Brussels flight. The average tourist can visit this beautiful city and be immersed in its rich history, arts, culture, and people.

Belgium’s cosmopolitan capital is a melting pot of citizens with a fascinating mix of origins including: Flemish, Walloon, Italian, Spanish, English and German. Culture vultures arrive on flights to Brussels to enjoy the Musées Royaux Des Beaux-Arts, with its priceless collection of Flemish and Belgian art, while beer lovers will want to visit the Cantillon Brewery, a family brewery where Lambic, Gueuze, Faro and Kriek beers are made. Shoppers and sweet tooths should venture a little south of the city center to the area of Sablon, a haven for boutiques, antiques, jewelry, and highbrow master chocolate makers. Perhaps the best-known attraction in Belgium is Manneken Pis. This statue of a little boy urinating has a wardrobe of more than 700 costumes including Father Christmas and Elvis Presley suits, and is dressed in one of these costumes several times a week. Belgium is also home to one of Europe’s most beautiful town squares, Grand Place.

Travelers looking for inexpensive vacations can book cheap flights to Brussels and enjoy everything from hot waffles to designer shops. Brussels is brimming with forests welcoming nature lovers on hikes, and some cafes and pubs are open all-night for visitors wanting to relax with a Belgian beer after a long day’s walk through the city. Whether you’re on peace-keeping mission or visiting Brussels for personal exploration, there’s something for every traveler to enjoy. Here are some tips to help you plan and enjoy the smoothest possible trip.

Getting to and around the city of Brussels

International flights arrive at Brussels Airport (BRU) a little less than 10 miles northeast of Brussels. Passengers can reach the city center by a train shuttle service; the station is on the lower lever of the airport. This runs every fifteen to twenty minutes and takes approximately twenty minutes. A bus station below the arrivals hall operates buses that serve Brussels, Antwerp and Eindhoven. Metered taxis are available outside the arrivals hall; the journey to Brussels will likely take around twenty to thirty minutes.

Once you’ve settled in to your hotel and are ready to explore the city, you will find that when you’re in central Brussels it’s easiest to sightsee on your own two feet. If you’re going across town or to outlying areas, you’ll be better off taking public transportation. The Société des Transports Intercommunaux de Bruxelles (STIB) offers cheap and easy transport around town with buses, trams and metro lines. The STIB runs from 5 AM to midnight, and a night bus operates after that. Most of the metro stations are a sight to visit in and of themselves, with decorations from leading Belgian modern artists. Avoid rush hour, both in the morning and at night, and don’t bother trying to drive. Aggressive drivers, heavy traffic and nightmarish parking make public transportation seem even more inviting. Biking isn’t much different, but the city’s outskirts have some lovely bike lanes. Avoid taking a taxi too – rides are expensive.

Tips for your stay in Brussels

• Brussels is a small city and can easily be walked. Take a tour from the Grand Place to Manneken Pis and then on to the Musee des Beaux Arts and you will see much of the old city center.
• The Musee Royeaux des Beaux Arts is one of the finest galleries in Europe. If you want to see all it has to offer, make sure you arrive in the morning: you can easily spend an entire day here, just looking at its most famous paintings. The room with Bruegel’s works is the setting for W. H. Auden’s poem of the same name.
• The city is surrounded by parks. One of the most impressive parks is the Cinquantenaire, designed to commemorate 50 years of Independence in 1880. Its entrance from the city is a huge archway.
• Autoworld is a museum situated in the Cinquantenaire park dedicated entirely to cars. The museum has exhibits from the first ever cars, through to the “golden age in Europe”.
• The giant Atomium monument from the World’s Fair of 1958 has become as much of a symbol of Brussels as the Grand Place. The surrounding area is a pleasant park to visit, and includes “Mini-Europe” – small replicas of all the most important buildings of the European Union, including the Eiffel Tower. The Atomium and Mini-Europe are at the edge of the city in the Heysel area. Get here by Metro, alighting at the Heysel stop.
• To enjoy a spot of culture and shopping at the same time, visit the Galleries Royales Saint-Hubert. Completed in 1847, this was the world’s first ever shopping mall. An ornate glass ceiling covers the row of boutique balustraded shops. The motto, displayed on the entrance, is Omnibus Omnia (“something for everyone”) which still holds true today as the gallery houses everything from designer shops to grocers. There are also a few cafés, where you can sit and watch the world go by.
• Belgium is world-famous for its rich, delicious chocolate, and its beer, so be sure to try both while you are in the city.

Finding Flights from Brussels

Whether you’re heading back to the U.S. or traveling to another spot in Europe or elsewhere in the world, Cheapflights makes it easy to find flights out of the Brussels Airport on a range of domestic and international airlines. United operates a wide variety of flights to the U.S., while carriers such as Brussels Airlines offer short European hops and long-haul flights to the U.S. and Asia. Other carriers that fly out of Brussels include Air Baltic, Easy Jet, Czech Airlines and Vueling. Brussels’ second airport, the Brussels South Charleroi Airport, hosts budget carriers such as Wizz, Ryanair, and TUI fly. Visit https://www.cheapflights.co.uk for the top flight deals for routes out of Brussels.

When your trip is over, taxis to the Brussels Airport are readily available from the city center. Another option is the Airport Line bus, which runs directly to the airport from the European quarter in approximately thirty minutes. Traffic in the city can be heavy, particularly in the mornings and evenings, so the train is often the fastest option. The trip takes just under twenty minutes. To reach Brussels South Charleroi Airport, take a train to the Charleroi-South Station and hop on an airport bus. Taxis and the Brussels City Shuttle also serve the airport.

No matter how you choose to travel, leave ample time to get through security. The airport enacted stricter safety measures after the 2016 airport bombings, so officials recommend that you arrive a minimum of two hours before departure.

Once you choose a destination, be sure to check out our Brussels airport guides for more detailed travel information and helpful tips.