Where in Brussels is a Eurostar ticket valid to, and for how long?
On the Eurostar website, when booking a ticket to Brussels, it gives the main options of Brussels and Any Belgian station (via Brussels). If you pick the former, it shows this:
The first line of that states:
Your Eurostar ticket will be valid for travel to and from Brussels-Midi/Zuid and within the Brussels metropolitan area only.
(And then goes on to explain the advantages of the slightly more expensive And Belgian Station ticket)
However, I can't seem to find anything on their website which explains what the boundary is that they're using for the Brussels metropolitan area only, nor things like what it's valid for (trains? local trains only? trains and trams? metro? etc). While for the And Belgian Station ticket they explain how far after your Eurostar journey and how long before the ticket is valid, again for these Brussels-only tickets they're valid.
That leads me to four linked questions:
- What area / stations are these Eurostar Brussels (only) tickets valid for onward transport to?
- What are they valid on? (eg local trains, all trains, trains and metro etc)
- After my Eurostar gets in, how long are they valid for this local connection for? i.e. How long can I spend in Brussels Midi before setting off and still have them valid?
- Before my return Eurostar leaves, how far in advance are they valid?
Best Answer
Regular tickets to Brussels bought in the Benelux (i.e. not the special Thalys, Eurostar, etc. international tickets) are typically marked as “Zone Bruxelles”. The English-language version only has a definition but the French-language website of the Belgian railways lists the following stations as part of the “Brussels zone”:
Berchem-Ste-Agathe, Bockstael, Boitsfort, Boondael, Bordet, Bruxelles-Central,Bruxelles-Chapelle, Bruxelles-Congrès, Bruxelles-Midi, Bruxelles-Nord, Bruxelles-Ouest, Bruxelles-Luxembourg, Bruxelles-Schuman, Delta, Etterbeek, Evere, Forest-Est, Forest-Midi, Germoir, Haren, Haren-Sud, Jette, Meiser, Mérode, Moensberg, Saint-Job, Schaerbeek, Simonis, Tour et Taxis, Uccle-Calevoet, Uccle-Stalle, Vivier d'oie/Diesdelle, Watermael
I don't have more specific information but I assume it's the same for Eurostar tickets (that might also be the reason why the Eurostar website is silent; unlike the “Any Belgian station” ticket, it's not a special offer of any kind, just the way national tickets work in Belgium). I could not find official info on that either but forum posts suggests such tickets are only valid for direct – or at least reasonable – train connections (no bus or metro, no dinner at Midi station).
Pictures about "Where in Brussels is a Eurostar ticket valid to, and for how long?"
How long are Eurostar tickets valid for?
You can book a ticket up to 180 days in advance on most of our routes though, effectively giving you 18 months in which to travel again. See below to find out when you can book. E-vouchers are valid for one year from the day they're issued, but you can travel beyond this date.How long are Eurostar E vouchers valid for?
Claim your e-voucher: Your voucher will be valid for 12 months from the date of your delayed or cancelled train.Where does the Eurostar go in Belgium?
Eurostar trains arrive into the centre of town at Brussels-Midi/Zuid (Brussels South) station. On arrival you've plenty of choice of public transport with STIB trams and metros, and the De Lijn or Tec bus networks.How long are you on the Eurostar?
The Eurostar can take up to 2hrs 37mins from London to Paris, however, most of our trains will take you to Paris in only 2hrs 16mins. If you take the first Eurostar at 5:40am, this direct train from city centre to city centre will give you plenty of time to make the most of a day trip to Paris!My trip with Eurostar in Premier Standard Class: Brussels to London
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Images: Tim Douglas, MART PRODUCTION, Liliana Drew, Paul Deetman