Flights from Birmingham to Brussels

Brussels - trendy "European Village"

Brussels is a cultural centre with parks, museums, walks, bars and restaurants. It is the Belgian capital and is famous for its chocolates and beers.

Top festivals in Brussels

The warmest months in Brussels are May to September. The "Fête de l'Iris" is in May with live music, art and a street-food festival. The first Thursday in July and the previous previous Tuesday is "Ommegang", a medieval pageant. At the end of August until September the "Memorial Van Damme" is held.

Enjoy Brussels

English is widely spoken. Food is slightly less expensive with a basic meal costing around 6€. A restaurant meal costs approximately 13€, a beer 4€ and soft drinks 2€. Try the local waffles and Moules frites (mussels and chips). Waffles cost around 1.50 to 3€.

Shop at "Galeries Saint Hubert - Sint Hubertusgalerijen. Established back in 1847, this was the first shopping centre in the world.

On arrival in Brussels

A train journey to the city centre from the airport costs 8.50€ or so, it takes 15-20 minutes and is the fastest transfer option. The "Airport Line" shuttle bus, line 12 or 21, is operated by STIB/MIVB. It costs roughly 6€ if you pay in the bus. A pre-paid ticket will cost in the region of 4.50€. The journey takes 30 minutes. Taxis cost between around 35-45€ and take about 40 minutes to reach the city centre.

Hostel accommodation should cost around 20€ a night; a 3 Star hotel from 55€ per person per night. Holiday accommodation in an apartment costs from roughly 70€ per night.

Many tourist attractions are easily reached on foot, but there is a public transport system operated by STIB/MIVB. Public transport is composed of the Metro, trams and buses. A rechargeable MOBIB card is available. A single trip "JUMP" card is valid for 60 minutes with changes and costs about 2.10€, a ticket bought on the vehicle costs around 40 cents more. A 5 trip card will cost 8€ or so, a 10-trip card around 14€, a transferable Day Travel card can be purchased for around 7.50€, a 2 day card for approximately 14EUR and a 3 day card costs about 18€. Taxis cost 8-10€ or so for the first 3 km, and 1€ per additional km. Bike sharing should be around 1.60€ per day, the first 30 minutes are free. One week of bike hire costs in the region of 7.60€.