From the airport to the city centre Belgium

Brussels National Airport is the main and closest airport to the capital. Brussels Airlines lands here. It is served by train and bus. You can connect the airport's SNCB station with most of the country's train stations, as well as international ones, and you can also take bus lines 12 (express in 30 min in Brussels), 471, 659 and 359 on the Flemish side (and a ton of other smaller lines). More info at www.brusselsairport.be/fr.

Charleroi airport is the country's2nd-largest airport, serving low-cost airlines such as Ryanair (flights to Marseille, Bordeaux, Toulouse, Carcassonne, La Rochelle, Perpignan, Bergerac, Figari, Nîmes and other French cities). A bus service (line A) links the airport to Charleroi-Sud station (€10.80 one-way). A bus + train ticket (bulk ticket) to any Belgian station can be purchased online.

Bus shuttles. The main line runs non-stop from Charleroi airport to Brussels-Midi station. The shuttle leaves from the intersection of rue France and rue de l'Instruction: follow the "Thalys" exit at the station. One-way fare: €18.99. There are also direct shuttle buses to Ghent, Bruges, Mons and Lille. A new line has been inaugurated between Brussels-National airport and Bruges, Ghent and Lille. Buy your bus ticket and check the timetable online, at a fixed price valid for the day, to avoid queuing at the airport ticket office (on www.flibco.com). A QR code to scan on your phone is sent by email.

Arrival by train Belgium

By Eurostar, many departures to Belgium from Paris-Gare du Nord: you can reach Brussels (1h20), Antwerp (2h20), Liège (2h15) (direct trains), and Bruges (3h30), Ostend (3h15), Mons (2h50), Namur (2h50) and Ghent (2h06) (connecting trains). For the best prices, book your journey as early as possible (few good last-minute deals) and use the last trains of the day. https://www.eurostar.com/be-fr

There are also direct TGV services from Lyon, Marseille, Montpellier, Strasbourg, Rennes, Nantes and Bordeaux (in summer) to Brussels.

Arrival by boat Belgium

Many cruise lines, including MSC (https://www.msccroisieres.fr/) and Costa Croisières (costacroisieres.fr), stop off in Flanders, and more specifically in Zeebrugge, which has a large terminal. From here, it's possible to travel anywhere in the country, via a shuttle bus that takes passengers to the terminal exit. The Coast Tram passes close to the terminal (stop Zeebrugge Kerk). To get to Bruges, take the streetcar in the direction of De Panne and stop at Zeeebrugge Stationwijk, where you'll find the train station. In the same direction, you can travel to Blankenberge, Le Coq or Ostend. In the opposite direction, you'll find upmarket Knokke.

Those arriving by liner in Antwerp are in for a treat, disembarking at the new Cruise Terminal at the foot of the Steen. From here, the city center is just a 5-minute walk away. More river cruises with A-Rosa (arosa-cruises.com) or CroisiEurope (croisieurope.com) call at Antwerp, and often dock at the Kattendijkdok or Asiadok, not far from MAS. Streetcar 24 (Londen stop, direction Silsburg) will take you to the city center (Roosevelt stop).

Some companies (mainly Croisieurope, www.croisieurope.com) call at the Brussels Cruise Terminal, on the Willebroek canal. If you haven't booked an excursion with the cruise operator or a local service provider, you can always take bus 57, direction Gare du Nord, and change at the "Van Praet" stop for streetcar 3, direction Churchill, or at the Gare du Nord terminus for streetcar 3 or 4, direction Stalle. Get off at "Bourse" to go to the Grand Place. For timetables, see www.stib-mivb.be.

Public transport Belgium

Buses, streetcars and/or metro systems criss-cross Belgium's cities, their efficiency depending on traffic congestion. Brussels, Antwerp and Charleroi have a metro or pre-metro (a system where streetcars partially use tunnels in the city center). Public transport generally runs from 5.30 a.m. to midnight. You can travel with a single ticket; a card including ten or so journeys valid in certain towns and their conurbations; or a day pass.

In Flanders. De Lijn is the Flemish public transport company. Bus or streetcar passes can be purchased in bookshops or at ticket booths throughout Flanders, at most stops. Tip: you can buy your tickets online (on the website or via the smartphone app), and flash the QR code as you ride. This is considerably cheaper than single tickets, and quicker and more convenient. Tickets are valid for one hour on both streetcars and buses, or between the city's two stations. All streetcars and some buses are equipped with kiosks that allow you to pay for a single ticket directly with a contactless debit or credit card, simply by swiping it against the kiosk. Single ticket valid for 1 hour: €2.50, 10 tickets €17, day ticket €7.50. Agencies open Monday to Friday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.(www.delijn.be)

Coastal tramway. The Kusttram, the tramway that runs along the Belgian coast, is a must. This means you can reach Ostend even from Dunkirk. A good stopover for cyclists too, who can combine their rental with the tramway.

In Wallonia. TEC is the Walloon public transport company. Although convenient in major cities like Liège and Charleroi, its network is less dense than in Flanders. Bus or streetcar tickets can be purchased in TEC stores, at TEC points (bookshops, mini-markets, etc.), at ticket machines near major stations, on the smartphone app or from drivers (€0.30 supplement). Tickets are valid for one hour within defined zones. Next unit ticket (1 or 2 zones): €2.10; Horizon unit ticket: €3. There are also express lines linking urban centers such as Brussels and Louvain-La-Neuve, Namur and Bastogne or Liège and Arlon (€5). One-day packages also available. Agencies open Monday to Friday, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.(www.letec.be)

All-in museum and tourist pass for Brussels, the Brussels Card has further expanded its range. All Brussels in one card, simply scanned at the museum entrance or when taking the bus, streetcar or metro.

STIB fares in Brussels. The ticket sold in the vehicles costs €2.10 (contactless payment at the grey terminals), €2.40 on a MOBIB support card (€5 charge but rechargeable), €2.60 on a paper ticket (bought at the ticket machines). For 10 trips: €16.80. For a trip between the airport and the center: €7 contactless payment, €7.50 at the cash dispenser. Other formulas offer practical and financial advantages: the one-day formula can be used at will for 24 hours for €8.40.

Train

Smart plan. Book your ticket online on the SNCB website, and you'll receive an e-ticket by email. Prices are fixed by distance, and the ticket is valid all day like a TER in France (on www.sncb.be).

Fares. An idea of second-class fares: Brussels-Namur costs around €10.20, Brussels-Antwerp around €8.40 for 50 km, Brussels-Arlon €23.80 for 190 km. Below are the most economical formulas.

Youth Ticket: for travelers under 26 and for occasional trips. Valid for a single journey of €7.10 throughout Belgium. Unbeatable for journeys over 70 km.

Youth Multi: also for travelers under 26. 10-trip card valid for one year, at €57 on the app, €59 at ticket offices and ticket machines (2nd class). Can be used by several passengers.

Standard Multi: for people over 26. 10-trip card valid for one year, at €96 for second class (€93 on the app) and €146 for first class (€143 on the app). Interesting for journeys of 50 km or more. Can be used by several passengers.

Weekend ticket. Gives a 50% discount on the price of a round trip. Valid for the outward journey from Friday evening after 7pm to Sunday evening, ending at midnight; for the return journey from Saturday lunchtime to Sunday evening. Return trips are therefore possible on Saturdays and Sundays.

Other options include Discovery Tickets and Bravo Tickets. The former offer attractive discounts on tickets combining round-trip train travel and admission to certain attractions and museums in various Belgian cities and tourist attractions. The latter are available for certain concerts and festivals. During the vacations, you can also take advantage of these two packages: "A day at the seaside" and "A day in the Ardennes". One-day discount for a return trip to a station on the coast or in the Ardennes, during school vacations only. Same conditions as for weekend tickets. Please note that these packages may not be renewed this year. Keep an eye on www.belgiantrain.be during the vacations, as they are only announced then.

Bike, scooters & co Belgium

Belgium is a cycling capital. Bicycle rental companies, both independent and shared, operate in the main cities, which are equipped with cycle paths and bicycle parking facilities.

In Flanders. Blue Bike is one of the most convenient and inexpensive places to rent bikes. Present throughout Flanders and some of the larger towns in Wallonia (Liège, Namur, Mons), it has key-dispensing terminals (24 hours a day) at all stations. All you have to do is to use your pre-paid key card, and then follow the signs to the bike point in the station. You can use the locker 24 hours a day, or go to the branch during opening hours. A single Blue-bike card allows you to rent two at a time. They are available at all Flemish stations. Monday to Friday 7am-7.30pm, weekends 9am-10pm. Bikes available 24 hours a day. 3.50 € per day, annual subscription 12 €.(www.blue-bike.be)

In Brussels: the pioneering shared bike rental service is Villo! (one-day ticket at €1, 1st half-hour free, €0.50 for the2nd half-hour, €1 for the3rd half-hour, and subsequent half-hours at €2 per half-hour). If you're in the mood for an electric bike, then Billy Bike is for you.

On a scooter. Dott, Bolt and Lime share the electric scooter market in Brussels. In Antwerp, it's Bird, Circ or Poppy. Dott is also present in Aalst, Namur, Liège and Charleroi.

With a driver Belgium

Brussels has been taken over by VTC companies Uber, Heetch and Bolt. Heetch has also set up in Antwerp, Ghent and Leuven, while Uber is present in Ghent, Antwerp, Leuven and Hasselt. They compete with cab app Victor Cab. For the other cities, you'll have to take the good old metered cabs, even in Antwerp. You'll find cab ranks near railway stations, main squares and tourist attractions. Be sure to make a reservation, as cabs take a long time to get, and are often in great demand, so it's not uncommon to wait 15 or 20 minutes for one to arrive. Hotel receptionists are used to this and can take care of it for you.

By car Belgium

To drive your own vehicle or rent one locally, all you need is your national driving license.

Freeways. An exceptional - and toll-free! - of over 1,500 km ensures fast, direct links between all urban centers. Maximum speed: 120 km/h. Beware, many speed cameras have sprung up along Belgian roads and freeways.

Driving on the road. The speed limit is 120 km/h on freeways, 90 km/h in Wallonia and 70 km/h in Flanders on national roads, and 50 km/h in built-up areas. If you're driving, beware of the general right-of-way rule (unless you see a sign indicating that you're on a priority road). Please note that many Belgian towns and cities encourage cyclists. Be courteous: give them the right of way.

Parking. Parking lots in the city center are very expensive and limited in time. Opt for the low-cost peripheral parking lots and buy a public transport ticket.

Low Emission Zones (LEZ). The city centers of Brussels (the entire Brussels-Capital Region), Antwerp (the city center and the Left Bank) and Ghent (the area surrounded by the R40 ring road) are classified as low-emission zones to improve air quality. Only vehicles complying with the access conditions have access to this zone. To avoid being fined, always check your vehicle before coming. Foreign-registered vehicles allowed into the zone must be registered. Always check whether your vehicle is authorized to drive in the zone to avoid a fine. Please note that some commercial companies offer to register your vehicle in the low-emission zone for a fee. Cities have nothing to do with this service. It has no legal value. The check is based on the vehicle registration number and is fully automated.

Register your vehicle for Brussels(https://lez.brussels/mytax/fr/), Ghent(https://stad.gent/fr/zone-de-basses-emissions-gand) and Antwerp(https://www.slimnaarantwerpen.be/fr/LEZ).