Brussels Metro
Although at time it's quite scarse, Brussels' metro takes you to the main points of interest in the city.
Despite being one of the most modern metros in Europe (its construction began in the seventies), Brussels Metro is very limited and gives the impression that it is old; although this doesn't mean that it isn't efficient. The range of some of the lines is insufficient. The Brussels Metro is managed by the STIB (The Brussels Intercommunal Transport Company).
Lines
Brussels Metro is made up of six lines, four of which are conventional and two are light rail lines (light rail are underground tramways).
In the city center, two of the metro lines merge into one, which means that there are essentially only three metro lines in most parts of Brussels, which in our opinion is insufficient.
- Lines 1 and 5: Run between the east and west parts of the city. You’ll need to take these lines to get to Brussels Park and the Cinquantenaire.
- Lines 2 and 6: These are circle lines. Line 6 runs to Brupark, the metro stop for the Atomium and Mini Europe.
- Lines 3 and 4: Run between the north and south parts of Brussels. These lines are useful if you need to get from the Gare du Midi to the center.
Schedule and Frequency
The “Métro de Bruxelles” opens during the weekdays at 5:30 am and closes at midnight. On Saturday, Sunday, and public holidays, the metro runs from 6 am – 12:30 pm. Some lines like 3 and 4 run from 5 am onwards.
The frequency of the Brussels Metro depends on the time of day and the day of the week, for example, a metro runs every 5 to 10 minutes during the peak hours. After peak hours, the metro runs every 20 minutes. Keep in mind that in the city center, two metro lines run on the same track so you will rarely have to wait 20 minutes for a metro.
Fares
If you’d like to find out more about the various travel cards and single-journey tickets available in Brussels, click here: Price of public transport in Brussels.
If you plan on spending some days in the city and you'll be using public transport quite often, we recommend buying a Brussels Card to travel comfortably and save on ticket prices. With this card, you'll also have free access to many tourist sites and discounts on stores and restaurants.
- Brussels Cards - Buy online for the best price
