Brussels Bruxelles - Amsterdam Bruges and Brussels - page 381

17:00 year-round; three blocks downhill from Central Station,
tel. [phone], www.brusselsinternational.be and www.visit
flanders.com, fun Europe store nearby). There's another TI in the
Town Hall on the Grand Place (summer daily 9:00-18:00, winter
daily 10:00-14:00 except closed Sun Jan-Easter, tel. [phone]).
The TIs have countless fliers. Day-trippers should pick up a
free city map and a public transit map. The €4 Brussels Guide &
Map booklet is worthwhile if you want a series of neighborhood
walks (the Grand Place, plus three others farther afield), a map
of greater Brussels, and a more complete explanation of the city's
many museums. For current listings of concerts and other enter-
tainment options, pick up the €3.50 Bulletin magazine, which has
the monthly “What's On” inside. The Brussels Card, sold at the
TIs, provides unlimited public transportation and free entrance to
nearly all the major museums; it's worthwhile only if you plan to
sightsee like mad (€20/24 hours, €28/48 hours, €33/72 hours, also
sold at museums, public transportation offices, and some hotels,
www.brusselsinternational.be).
Arrival in Brussels
By Train: Brussels can't decide which of its three stations (Central,
Nord, and Midi) is the main one. Most international trains use
the Nord and Midi stations. The Eurostar leaves from the Midi
Station (also called Zuid, or South), getting you to London in less
than three hours. The area around the Midi Station is a rough-
and-tumble immigrant neighborhood (marked by its towering
Ferris wheel); the area around the Nord Station is a seedy red light
district. The Central Station, nearest to the sights and my recom-
mended hotels, has handy services: a small grocery store, fast food,
waiting rooms, and luggage storage (€4/bag—look for the consigne
sign near track 1; or store two bags in a locker around the corner
for half the price). Normally, only Belgian and Amsterdam trains
stop at Central. Don't assume your train stops at more than one
station; ask your conductor.
If you arrive at Nord or Midi, take a connecting train to the
Central Station. Trains zip under the city, connecting all three
stations every two minutes or so. It's an easy three-minute chore to
connect from Nord or Midi to Central. The €1.50 ticket between
the stations is covered by any train ticket into or out of Brussels
(or use your railpass). Scan the departures board for trains leav-
ing in the next few minutes and note which ones stop at Central.
As you wait on the platform for your train, watch the track notice
board that tells which train is approaching. They zip in and out
constantly—so a train with an open door on your train's track—
three minutes before your departure time—may well be the wrong
train. Anxious travelers, who think their train has arrived early,