If you don’t own a car, you may consider getting around via public transport. Given how it’s a widely available option in the entire Europe, of course, Belgium has it, too. Each country has its public transport system with different routes, prices, and internal working as a whole.
MoBIB card
The most important thing to have in Belgian public transport is a MoBIB card. MoBIB stands for “Mobility in Belgium”, and the card itself makes switching between different modes and companies easier while travelling through the country. The card has a built-in payment system, recognized in 2018, with multiple active tickets at once.
The card has two different types: Basic and personal. While you can load most of the products within a Basic card, some of them require you to own a personal one.
Trams
Currently, five tram systems are operating — in major cities such as Brussels, Antwerp, Ghent, and Charleroi. There is also the tourist tram running along the Belgian coastline.
While the tourist tram is, as the name suggests, mainly for tourists, the four other trams operate for citizens. You can buy a ticket via MoBIB, but that’s far from the only way to get them. They are sold in the ticket stations and the trams themselves, where you have a choice – either to buy them from the driver or the electronic selling system.
Metro
Today, the metro in Belgium exists only in one place — Brussels. Lucky for you, if you live or plan to live there! Currently, the metro in Brussels contains four different lines and three “pre-metro” lines that work basically like a tram.
While technically speaking, Charleroi also has a metro system, it only contains pre-metro lines and therefore is closer to being a tram system, rather than a metro one.
Buses
Buses are the most common form of public transport in Belgium. They are present in almost all major cities and cover most routes. Buses go through both city and rural areas, sometimes even going earlier than scheduled – so don’t forget to check the timetable every time.
The bus routes are handled by three different companies, depending on the region. De Lijn in Flanders, TEC in Wallonia, and STIB in the Brussels metropolitan area.
Trains
The most efficient way to travel through different cities in Belgium is by train. Like every European country, it has an extensive railway network, connecting most of the cities in the country.
Trains also travel from Belgium to different European countries, as all railroads in Europe are connected.
