Belgium Rail Passes and Train Tips

By Rick Steves

Are rail passes a good value for Belgium?

Most visits to Belgium don't cover enough miles to justify buying a rail pass, even if you're visiting the Netherlands as well. (All rail passes that cover Belgium also cover the Netherlands and Luxembourg as well; together they're called "Benelux," and count as one country as far as rail passes are concerned.) If your itinerary extends beyond this relatively small region, adding Benelux to a multi-country rail pass may be a good deal (but it always pays to double-check). If you decide against a pass, see our general tips for buying point-to-point tickets in Europe.

How do I see whether a rail pass doesn't make sense for my trip in particular?


What are my options for rail passes that cover Belgium?


Benelux Eurail Passkey details

Benelux–France Eurail Passkey details

Benelux–Germany Eurail Passkey details

Eurail Select Passread more about this pass

Eurail Global Passread more about this pass


Do I need to make seat reservations on Belgian trains?

For the most part, you can hop on nearly any Belgian train with just your rail pass in hand. But the fast Thalys trains that run between Brussels and Amsterdam, Cologne, and Paris do require reservations — and they're expensive (point-to-point tickets also cost more on these trains than other trains on these routes). On Brussels–Amsterdam and Brussels–Cologne trains, you can avoid this extra cost simply by choosing a regular non-Thalys train, which doesn't require seat reservations. The Brussels–Paris direct route, however, is served only by Thalys trains, and reservations cost $40–95 in addition to a rail pass that covers both Benelux and France. To avoid Thalys fees when heading from Bruges or Brussels to Paris (or from Paris to Brussels or Bruges), you can take a little more time and connect in Lille to a TGV train (still requires reservations, but only cost $11, provided you reserve ahead, as TGV limits the number of seat reservations sold to rail-pass holders).

What do rail passes cover in Belgium?

Aside from the extra reservation fees required for certain classes of train (see above), rail passes cover all travel on trains run by the SNCB, Belgium's national railway. Rail passes do not, however, cover the full cost of these two popular high-speed trains:

  • Thalys: Even with a rail pass that covers your whole route, you'll still need to pay a hefty seat reservation to ride this train (see above).
  • Eurostar: The trains that cross the English channel aren't covered by rail passes, but passholders are eligible for special fares provided their pass covers either Benelux or England (these fares also sell out in advance of the rest of the train). Fortunately, Eurostar tickets to/from Brussels also cover the cost of any direct connecting train within Belgium.

Any tips for buying point-to-point train tickets in Belgium?

If a rail pass doesn't pencil out for your trip, you may be able to shave off the cost of your train tickets with some local deals. For example, seniors (65 and older) can hop any train for just €6 round-trip, provided it's not a high-speed express (or Thalys) train, and provided it's not a weekday before 9 a.m. Youths (25 and younger) can take advantage of a similar deal on etickets.

Belgium Rail Passes: Key Details


