Travel to Brussels

If you need assistance to organise your stay before or after the conference, e.g. plan a weekend in Brussels, Congrex can advise you.
Contact Congrex at:

Congrex Belgium SA
287 Avenue Louise
1050 Brussels
Belgium
T: +32 2 6452670
F: +32 2 6452671

Brussels

Brussels is the capital city of Belgium and of Brussels Capital Region. It is entirely surrounded by Dutch-speaking Flanders and its constituent Flemish Brabant province. As headquarters of many European institutions, Brussels might also be considered something of a capital for the European Union. Being at the crossroads of cultures (the Germanic in the North and the Romance in the South) and playing an important role in Europe, Brussels fits the definition of the archetypal "melting pot", but still retains its own unique character.

Belgium is one of the most famous historical cities and tourist attractions in the world with a comparatively small and easy-to-explore town centre, even on foot. The city boasts a number of museums, monuments and historical places not to be missed. Brussels has grown from a 10th-century fortress town into a metropolis of more than one million inhabitants, a historical place that unveils stories dating back to the 17th century. In contrast to its historical treasures, the city is also well-known for beers, breweries and beer festivals.

The currency used in Belgium is the Euro.

How to get to Brussels

By plane

Brussels National Airport is located in Zaventem, 14 km from the city centre. Full information is available at: www.brusselsairport.be

How to reach the city-centre from Brusels Airport:
By bus:
STIB Airport line: A bus assures connection between the Centre and Brussels National Airport B 12 (express bus). Centre to Airport (pick up points): rue Ducale, Luxembourg, Rond Point Schuman, Evere, Airport
First departure: 05:00; last departure: 00:00; every 30 minutes
By train:
A train assures frequent connections between the city and the airport. The journey lasts about 30 minutes. All trains stop at the North Station, Central Station and South Station. Frequent connections; first train: 05:32 - last train: 00:20. Tickets are on sale in the stations (it is also possible to buy a ticket in the train, but there is a considerable price supplement). Ticket prices: 4,30€ (1st class); 2,60 € (2nd class)

By train

International traffic and reservations available via Eurostar, TGV and Thalys:

Eurostar : www.eurostar.com
TGV : www.tgv-europe.com
Thalys : www.thalys.com
Belgian railroad : www.b-europe.com/Travel/

Eurostar
The Eurostar train links London and Brussels in 1h51 minutes. Trains depart/arrive at the Brussels South Station (Bruxelles Midi/Brussel Zuid) and depart/arrive at the London St. Pancras International Terminal. Up to 9 daily departures. It also stops at Ashford/England. For the Eurostar train, you need to reserve your seat in advance, you can do it through: Rail Europe or the Belgian Rail Road or Eurostar.

Thalys
The Thalys train links Paris and Brussels in 85 minutes. There are 25 Thalys trains departing daily in each direction between Paris and Brussels. Trains depart/arrive at the Brussels South Station (Bruxelles Midi/Brussel Zuid) and depart/arrive at the Paris North Station (Paris Nord) or at the Charles De Gaulle Airport. It also links Brussels to Koln and Amsterdam in 2h30 minutes. The Thalys train stops also at the following Belgian train stations: Liege-Guillemins, Antwerp-Berchem, Mons, Charleroi-South, Namur, Bruges and Ghent-St-Pieters. For the Thalys train, you need to reserve your tickets in advance: Rail Europe or the the Belgian Rail Road or Thalys.

How to get to the Conference venue: Management Centre Europe (MCE) Conference Centre

The MCE Conference Centre is located on the south-east edge of the Brussels pentagone: 1.8 km from city historical centre.

Environment

• Chic avenues with smart, fashionable shops.
• Deluxe boutiques and shopping galleries.
• Wide choice of trendy restaurants and good nightlife and late bars.

Arriving from airport

The closest airport to the MCE Conference Centre is Brussels National Airport. The journey from Brussels airport to the MCE facilities takes 25 minutes by taxi or 35 minutes by public transport (train + tramway). The estimated cost is 30 € by taxi and 10 € by public transport.

Arriving by train

The two main stations in Brussels are: Brussels Midi/Zuid (terminal for Thalys and Eurostar) and Brussels Central. The journey from these stations to the MCE facilities takes about 10 minutes by taxi or 10 to 25 minutes by public transport.The estimated cost is 12 € by taxi and 1.80 € by public transport.

Arriving by public transport

The MCE Conference Centre is located in the middle of the Avenue Louise. There are several possibilities to reach the facilities by public transport.

• From Brussels Midi: take tramway n° 81 direction “Montgomery” and stop at “Trinité”. You can walk from the stop to the MCE (estimated time 3 minutes).
• From Brussels Central: walk to rue Royale and take tramway n° 94 at “Palais”. Get off at “Bailli” and walk to the MCE from Chatelain square (estimated time 5 minutes).

Useful Links

Brussels National Airport : www.brusselsairport.be
Eurostar: www.eurostar.com
TGV: www.tgv-europe.com
Thalys: www.thalys.com
Rail Europe: www.raileurope.com
Belgian railroad: www.b-europe.com/Travel/
Visit Brussels: http://visitbrussels.be
Visit Belgium: www.visitbelgium.com