Belgium : Travel and accommodation

If you are considering going to Belgium for private hospital surgery or treatment, getting to Brussels couldn’t be easier.  Eurostar, the high speed train service departs from London Waterloo via Ashford and Lille nine times a day so in just over two hours you can be slap bang in the centre of Brussels.  A leisure return costs from as little as £59 bought 21 days in advance.  Visit www.eurostar.com for bookings and information.  From Brussels Gare du Midi you can connect with Belgian Railway for travel to other regions.  If you’re planning on travelling to Belgium by car, contact Le Shuttle on 08705 353535. A short (2-5 days) return costs from £103. Visit www.eurotunnel.com for times and costs.

 

Zaventum is Brussels’ international airport located nine miles north east of the capital with good rail/road connections into the city. See www.brusselsairport.be for more information or call 0032 2 753 77 53.  With a selection of airlines flying into Brussels you can afford to shop around for a great deal.  Fly with British Airways to Zaventum from London, Birmingham, Bristol, Birmingham and Southampton for a £79.30 return fare inclusive.  Eight daily flights leave from London Heathrow, starting at 6.55am until 19.40.   Meanwhile Air France fly to Zaventum via Paris Charles de Gaulle from nine departure points in the UK and Ireland (Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Newcastle, Manchester, Birmingham, London Heathrow, London City, Southampton and Dublin) with inclusive return fares from £157.

 

There is an excellent and cheap public transport system in Belgium, comprising metro, rail, buses and trams and the SNCB is an efficient and cheap rail system. The three mainline stations in Brussels (Gare Centrale, Gare du Nord and Gare du Midi) are all linked and an airport city express train service runs four times an hour from 6am to midnight to all three stations for around €2.60.  Alternatively, bus number 12 leaves the airport three times an hour between 8am and 7pm, costing €3, while taxis from Zaventum to central Brussels cost approximately €30.  Car hire is available in the arrivals hall though the driving experience in Brussels can be somewhat hair-raising with the give-way-on-the-right rule. 

 

If you’re based in Scotland then budget airline, Ryanair, has fantastic deals on its daily flight into Charleroi (a small airport just south of Brussels), from Glasgow Prestwick.  Departing daily at 11.50am, the flight arrives 2.25pm and costs £27 one way (excluding taxes) but watch their web site for even cheaper deals which start from 99pence one way (or £13.49 including tax).  From Charleroi arrivals take bus number 68 to Charleroi Sud train station to connect with central Brussels or hop on the coach provided by the airline into Brussels Midi, costing €10.

 

The high speed ferries now make sailing over to Belgium slightly more appealing - you can now get to Oostende from Dover in two hours; for more information visit Hoverspeed or P&O North Sea ferries which operate from Hull to Zeebrugge. 

As far as accommodation goes the average rate for a double room in a three star hotel in Brussels or the Flanders region is around €75 to €90.  Bear in mind that mid week is more expensive than weekends and July/August are the busiest and most expensive months.  In the Wallonia region a double room in a three star hotel costs from €60 to €95 and a four star hotel between €80 and €160.  The average rate for four star hotels varies from €85 to €400 in Brussels and between €80 and €160 in the Wallonia region. 

 

If you want to stay in a really hip hotel in Brussels then look no further than Hotel Amigo, a flashy contemporary establishment which is currently the talk of the town and popular with pop stars and politicians alike, but pricey at €600 for a double room (3 rue de l’Amigo, Lower Town).  The more moderately priced Arlequin, a modern hotel located off the city’s cobbled streets offers double rooms from €80-125 (17-19 rue de la Fourche).  Alternatively À la Grande Cloche, is a renovated family run hotel in a quiet square with rooms from €70 double (10-12Place Rouppe, 1000 Brussels).

If you want to know more about the options for hospital treatment and private surgery in Belgium, take a look at our featured hospitals and clinics.