Brussels - Post Report Question and Answers
Are local buses, trams, trains or taxis safe and affordable?
Public transit is quite good and reasonably priced. We didn't have a car so we used public transit and bikes to get around. We never felt like we were at a disadvantage for not having a car. In fact, the traffic is pretty notorious, and a car would have been a liability. - Aug 2024
Yes. - Apr 2024
Yes, safe and affordable and go everywhere. - Feb 2023
Safe and affordable. If you live in the city, you could get by without a car, except for the weekend excursions. The metro system is very safe and even our children took it on their own. - Jan 2022
Yes and yes. Great metro, tram, and bus system. Uber operates in the city. Taxis are not on the street for hailing; you need to call one. - Oct 2021
Yes. - Apr 2021
Absolutely safe and affordable. Students have yearly cards that cost 50 EUR / year and includes all transportation. The monthly cost of public transport is about 50 eur for adults. - Sep 2020
Yes. - Sep 2020
Yes, the embassy community uses all of these forms of transportation regularly. I have an annual pass for the Metro that costs 500 euros and it's good for unlimited trips via Metro, tram, and bus. A good deal in my opinion. - Mar 2020
Totally safe and everywhere but not super cheap. We buy a yearly pass since we use it almost every day for work and the yearly pass runs about 600 euro a person. There is no parking at the embassy except for maybe 5 diplomatic spots so your only option is to get to work by 7am or take the bus/metro. - Feb 2019
Local transportation networks are generally efficient and ubiquitous. Brussels is generally safe, with the same sorts of petty crime one finds in any city this size. - Feb 2019
Yes. An extensive public transportation network. Taxis and Uber are generally available, too. - May 2018
Public transit is safe, reliable, and cheap. Taxis are safe but they're very expensive. - Jan 2018
Public transportation isn't inexpensive but parking your car downtown is sometimes a nightmare. It can be worth it. Safety depends on where you are, what time it is, and whether or not you are alone. The RSO gives a good briefing when you arrive at post. - Feb 2017
Absolutely! And with the hellish traffic and strange driving laws, we prefer public transport. It is +/-1.40 Euro for a trip. A trip can include bus, tram and metro as long as you check in to the next transport mode within an hour of the last one. The bus system in Belgium is amazing. You can go to literally anywhere, no matter how small the village, on a bus. Plus you are only 1-2 hours away from Paris, Amsterdam, and Germany by train. - Dec 2016
Yes. - Aug 2014
Tons of options available. Very safe. Taxis might be on the expensive side and trains can be if travelling last minute (book 3 months or more in advance to get the better rates) - Jul 2014
Yes, all safe and relatively affordable. However, a taxi from the airport to town is pricey - over 50 Euros each way. - Apr 2014
Local public transport is largely cheap and safe. Taxis are expensive and the drivers often navigate traffic like maniacs at high speeds. - Jan 2014
Public transportation is very good. Living near a metro station is very convenient. There are also trams and safe city buses. Trains around Belgium are also easy and cheap. - Jan 2014
Yes, although pick pockets abound on the metro, so take little with you and be ever vigilant. - Oct 2012
Trains, buses, metro, trams are all safe, cheap, reliable with easily -- there are route planners and timetables online. Taxis are a bit expensive, actually, and bring your A-Z as they often don't know where they are going (no "The Knowledge" test here). - May 2012
Yes. Although the Belgians constantly complain about the service, the public transportation system is surprisingly good. - Jan 2012
yes and yes - Nov 2011
You can get just about anywhere by public transportation at very reasonable prices. You can also venture further out by train to just about anywhere in Europe. - Aug 2011
The local trains are relatively inexpensive. Not cheap. But definitely affordable. And worth it. I mentioned the Eurostar/high speed trains earlier. AMAZING. Do not ever think of driving to Paris, London or Amsterdam. Just hop on the train. But it will cost. At it will be worth it for the reduced hassle. All of this is totally safe. Buses, trams and metro in the city are totally safe. Though, at night around in the Gare Midi it supposedly gets dodgy. That's where the immigrant neighborhoods start. Public transit is afforable as well. At least compared to London.1 euro 20 cents per trip when you buy a 10 voyage ticket. 1 euro 80 cents for individual tickets. Monthly passes are also available. - Jul 2011
Public transport - yes. Taxis - yes, in the city. But to go out of town (beyond the ring road) - taxis are very expensive. - Jun 2011
All of these are safe. Trains and buses, as well as the metro, are efficient, easy to use, and fairly cheap. Taxis are expensive, more so than other European cities. - Jun 2011
All are safe and reasonably priced. A ten-ride metro/bus card is EUR 12.30. A weekend round trip to Antwerp is EUR 8. - Jun 2010
Yes. - Jun 2010
Yes, available and affordable. However, if you live far out in the suburbs, commuting by public transport can be an adventure - bus, then tram, then metro - 1.5 hrs. - Mar 2010
Very safe and more affordable than the US. - Jul 2009
