What is the cheapest way from Brussels Airport to the city center?

STIB/MIVB bus 12 (weekdays) or 21 (evenings, nights and weekends) to the Schuman stop, then metro line 1 or 5 to Brussels-Central — about €7.90 tapped contactless on board, roughly 40 minutes door to door.

Where does the airport bus leave from?

From the bus station on Level 0, about 100 metres from the arrivals hall — follow the 'Bus' signs; the Airport Line (12/21) has its own bay there.

Is the train faster than the bus?

Yes — the SNCB/NMBS train reaches Brussels-Central directly in about 17–19 minutes, but at around €13 it costs nearly double the €7.90 bus-plus-metro fare.

How much does a taxi cost from Brussels Airport?

Metered taxis run about €45–50 to the centre, more at night — roughly six times the bus-and-metro fare.

What is the best way from BRU to downtown Brussels?

For budget travellers the best way is the cheapest one: bus 12 (or 21 outside weekday daytime hours) to Schuman plus the metro to Brussels-Central — about €7.90 tapped contactless, roughly 40 minutes.

How do you get from Brussels Airport (BRU) to downtown Brussels — the cheapest way?

The cheapest way from Brussels Airport (BRU) into central Brussels is STIB/MIVB bus 12 (or 21 outside weekday daytime hours) to the Schuman stop, then a short metro ride to Brussels-Central: tap a contactless card or phone on board for about €7.90, with the whole trip taking roughly 40 minutes. Buy it by tapping in, since a paper ticket from the driver costs €8.40, or take the €13 SNCB/NMBS train from Brussels Airport-Zaventem station if you'd rather skip the bus and reach Brussels-Central directly in about 20 minutes. Don't default to a taxi, which runs a metered €45–50 for the same trip.

How to find it

AIRPORTBrussels Airport (Zaventem)
01From arrivals, follow the 'Bus' signs down to the bus station on Level 0, about 100 metres from the arrivals hall. STIB/MIVB's Airport Line uses its own bay there — line 12 on weekdays, line 21 in the evenings, at night and on weekends.
02Board the bus and tap a contactless bank card, phone or MOBIB card as you get on — about €7.90 — rather than paying the driver €8.40 for a paper ticket.
03Ride roughly 20–25 minutes through the EU Quarter and get off at the Schuman stop (both line 12 and line 21 stop there).
04At Schuman, use the same tap-in (it's a free transfer within the hour) to go down into the metro and take line 1 or line 5 towards Gare Centrale/Centraal Station — about 4 stops, roughly 10 minutes — which is Brussels-Central.
CITY CENTREBrussels

Ticket

Airport2City ticket for STIB/MIVB bus 12 (weekdays) or bus 21 (evenings, nights and weekends)

Where to buy: Cheapest by tapping a contactless bank card, phone or watch directly on board (about €7.90); also sold in advance at STIB BOOTIK/KIOSK counters, GO ticket machines, or the STIB-MIVB app (paper ticket from the driver costs €8.40).

How to pay: Tap your contactless card, phone or MOBIB card as you board — no ticket needs to be bought beforehand; app and paper tickets are shown or scanned for the driver. The tap also starts a free transfer onto the rest of the STIB-MIVB network, including the metro, for one hour.

Local's trick: Tap a contactless bank card, phone or watch directly on the bus instead of buying a ticket first — it's the cheapest fare at €7.90 and it doubles as a metro ticket, so the same tap gets you from Schuman to Brussels-Central for free within the hour.

Trap to avoid: Skip the taxi rank outside arrivals — metered fares run about €45–50 (more at night) for the same 20-minute trip — and don't pay the driver cash for a paper bus ticket, which costs €8.40 instead of the €7.90 tap fare.

All ways to downtown, compared

Option	Price	Time	Ticket
BusCheapest route	€7.90	40 min	Airport2City ticket for STIB/MIVB bus 12 (weekdays) or bus 21 (evenings, nights and weekends)
Train	€13.00	20 min	SNCB/NMBS Standard Ticket, Brussels Airport-Zaventem to Brussels-Central (includes the mandatory Brussels Airport Supplement)

Frequently asked

What is the cheapest way from Brussels Airport to the city center?: STIB/MIVB bus 12 (weekdays) or 21 (evenings, nights and weekends) to the Schuman stop, then metro line 1 or 5 to Brussels-Central — about €7.90 tapped contactless on board, roughly 40 minutes door to door.
Where does the airport bus leave from?: From the bus station on Level 0, about 100 metres from the arrivals hall — follow the 'Bus' signs; the Airport Line (12/21) has its own bay there.
Is the train faster than the bus?: Yes — the SNCB/NMBS train reaches Brussels-Central directly in about 17–19 minutes, but at around €13 it costs nearly double the €7.90 bus-plus-metro fare.
Do I need a separate ticket for the metro after the bus?: No — the Airport2City tap includes a free transfer onto the rest of the STIB-MIVB network, including the metro, within one hour.
How much does a taxi cost from Brussels Airport?: Metered taxis run about €45–50 to the centre, more at night — roughly six times the bus-and-metro fare.
What is the best way from BRU to downtown Brussels?: For budget travellers the best way is the cheapest one: bus 12 (or 21 outside weekday daytime hours) to Schuman plus the metro to Brussels-Central — about €7.90 tapped contactless, roughly 40 minutes.

Last verified: Jul 2, 2026. Prices and timetables change — confirm at the official transport source.