Practical guide
Private transfer or train to the airport?
We run private transfers, and we are not going to pretend it is always the right answer. For many journeys to Brussels Airport, the train is faster and cheaper. Here is where the line actually falls.
When the train is the better choice
For one traveller leaving during the day from a commune well connected to Brussels-Midi, Central or Nord, with cabin luggage, the train to Brussels Airport is hard to beat: frequent, fast and clearly cheaper.
If that describes your journey, take the train. The question does not really arise.
When the calculation tips
The hour
This is the most decisive factor. Before 5 a.m. and after midnight, the network no longer covers every journey. An early flight often forces a choice between a hotel night near the airport and a private transfer.
The number of passengers
A train ticket is priced per person, a private transfer per vehicle. With three or four, the gap narrows sharply; with five or more, it frequently reverses.
The luggage
Two large cases, a cabin bag and a pushchair turn a train journey with a connection into an ordeal. The number of staircases, out-of-order lifts and platform changes does not show up on a timetable.
Which airport
Charleroi, Eindhoven, Lille, Roissy and Schiphol do not have the direct rail link Zaventem enjoys. For those destinations the comparison is a different exercise altogether.
A quick test
Count how many times you have to lift your luggage between your front door and the check-in desk. Zero or once: the train will do. Three times or more, with an early flight or with children: a private transfer earns its place.
Our airport pages Each airport page sets out the alternatives for that specific journey. See all our airport transfers.
A journey to organise?
Send us the details of your transfer: pick-up address, destination, date, time and number of passengers. You receive a price for that exact journey.