Brussels Travel Forum

HELP!!! I'm going on holiday to Brussels next week and I have no idea how to get from the station to the apartment building I'm staying in. I'll be arriving at gare du midi at approx 16.30 and need to get to Wiertzstraat BE-1050 Elsene (from the map I have been given it looks like it's next to Parc Leopold). I would like to make my own way by public transport rather than taxi as I've heard they can be quite expensive - or do you think it is a walkable distance (bearing in mind I will have luggage with me).
If anyone is able to advise me what bus or train I can get there, how much approx it might cost and how long the journey will be (by bus/train/walking) I would be so happy!!! I've tried all sorts of websites trying to find out but haven't had any luck.

Thank you so much to all who (hopefully) reply!!!!!

Hi there,

It is next to Parc Léopold indeed... But more known than Parc Leopold is the European Parliament ;-) Rue Wiertz runs right behind the parlament.

From Brussels midi station the shortest way is :
- 4 stops by metro line 2 (direction Simonis) until station "Porte de Namur"
- then a short bus ride with bus 34 (destination Sainte Anne) or 80 (destination Maes) until the stop "Museum".

But, seen that you are carrying luggage, I would suggest you to use this slightly longer... yet far more convenient possibility... using a train.
(depending on the ticket you are arriving to Brussels with the use of this train may be included, please detail...)

Possible connections starting at 16.30...
Bruxelles Midi 16.36 - Bruxelles Luxembourg 16.55 (destination Luxembourg)
Bruxelles Midi 16.45 - Bruxelles Luxembourg 17.04 (destination Louvain la Neuve)
Bruxelles Midi 17.06 - Bruxelles Luxembourg 17.26 (destination Dinant)
Bruxelles Midi 17.36 - Bruxelles Luxembourg 17.55 (destination Luxembourg)

(16.45 only Monday-Fridays)

At Bruxelles Luxembourg station take the exit marked "Rue Wiertz".

Have a nice stay.
Bart W

You can also take bus 27 from the Gare du Midi. Follow signs to "rue couverte", which is under the railway bridge outside the station, as you come out of the door look left and you may see the 27 bus waiting there, it is the starting point. If it isn't there, walk straight ahead to the furthest tram platform where there is a ticket machine, if you buy your ticket before you get on the bus it costs €1.50, if you buy it on the bus it costs €2. The bus stops in Place du Luxembourg outside Fat Boys Sports Café and right in front of the Gare du Luxembourg (ring the bell as the bus enters the square). Rue Wiertz is on the other side of the station and railway line, where you see the "jukebox" of the European Parliament (Caprice des Dieux...). You can also reach it by turning right (from Square du Luxembourg) into rue d'Idalie and then next left, walking around the right-hand side of the Radisson EU hotel.

Thanks for replying and for the useful information.

I am coming by Eurostar and I think I have been told that I might be able to use my ticket to get to my final destination so might be able to use it to get to Bruxelles Luxembourg but I will have to check this.

Can I ask one more thing. What is the best ticket to buy? I will be in Bruxelles for 2 weeks and plan to see as much as I can in the capital but also travel around Belgium as much as I can by train (Ghent, Waterloo, Bruges, Namur, Ypres, Antwerp) but returning to Bruxelles everynight as I have booked an apartment. Will this be expensive? I am on rather a small budget of approx €30 per day...

Any train ticket to "Brussels Zone" can be used for travel to any other station in Brussels than the one of arrival, so you can save yourself €1.50 by taking the train to the Gare du Luxembourg (formerly Quartier Léopold), although it will go half-way around Brussels to get there.
Train travel in Brussels is not all that expensive, but the normal €24 return fare for Brugge is going to take rather a bite out of that; however, if you do this trip at the weekend, when there is a 50% reduction for RETURN tickets, it will cost the same as a normal single fare, i.e. €12.
You can also buy a RailPass for €69 for 10 trips anywhere in Belgium, i.e. €6.90 each: however, if you are returning to Brussels each time, this would be €13.80 return, so you should always check what the normal fare would be for the destination concerned, as it could be cheaper (certainly for Antwerp and Waterloo) to buy a normal ticket. See See http://www.b-rail.be/nat/E/tarifs/passes/rail/
If by any chance you were thinking of going to Waterloo to see the battlefield, I would advise you to take bus W instead from Ave. Fonsny outside the Gare du Midi (opposite the Ibis Hotel), as you would need to go to Mont St. Jean. If you ask for a day ticket, which I think costs about €5, you can stop off in Waterloo, the bus stop is right outside the tourist office and opposite the Wellington Museum, then take a later bus to Mont St. Jean where the lion mount is (butte de lion).

Google-STIB.be-you can plot your course-It is in French but you can figure it out.