Can anyone give me an approximate cost of taking a taxi from the airport to a hotel near St. Nicolas church and Grote Market? I had planned to take the train to Bruselles Centrall, but because of the hassle of pick-pockets, I%26#39;m not sure I want to try that.
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A taxi from the airport to the centre will cost €40-45.
However, I%26#39;ve no idea what %26quot;hassle of pick-pockets%26quot; you are talking about, but a better reason for not taking the train is that if your hotel is near St. Nicolas church then it not exactly close to Gare centrale. %26quot;Near St. Nicolas church%26quot; should mean your hotel is near the Bourse so you can get closer to it on public transport by taking the airport bus to either Luxembourg or Trône and changing there (in the square, stop is in front of all the cafés) onto the 95. This is included in the price of the airport bus ticket which is €3 if ticket purchased from the machine at the bus stop, €4 if you have to buy it from the driver: you have to stamp the ticket in the orange machine in both buses.
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Thank you so much for taking the time to reply. If you don%26#39;t mind, I need further information. I had been told to take the train, but if I am understanding you correctly, I should take the bus instead? Is there an express bus that would not make a lot of stops before getting to the square area? Also, can I get detailed information as to the correct bus to take when I am at the airport from the travelers information booth? I am definitely not a %26quot;world traveler%26quot; so I am feeling somewhat lost. I had seen the Belgium countryside from a train about fifteen years ago when I traveled by train from Amsterdam to France. At that time I thought it was a beautiful country and always wanted to go back for a visit. I have that opportunity this year before going to Rotterdam to depart for a cruise. I read in a review about the problem of pick-pockets at the train stations. I did not want to have to worry about handling luggage and having to be concerned about someone trying to steal something. I grew up in a small area that did not have this problem and I don%26#39;t feel comfortable trying to deal with it. If you have any suggestions, I would appreciate them. Thank you.
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I stayed at Scandic Grand Place, this August 6-13, and used Central station for trips outside Brussels and to/from airport.
There is really no problem using the train, very convenient, fast and precise. It will just cost you 3 euros one way. I would spend the 40 euros on beers and mussels :-)
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As I already said, my reason for advising you to take the airport bus - and trasnfer to another bus - was firstly that your hotel is not close to a railway station, but it IS close to the 95 bus stop. If you think railway stations are where you might have a problem keeping hold of your belongings (I personally don%26#39;t, but it%26#39;s up to you), you can avoid these AND the walk to the Bourse area (or underground tram from Gare du Nord) by taking buses.
However, if you also want a direct bus that hardly stops anywhere - take a taxi!
You don%26#39;t need really information on the correct bus to take from the airport as there is only one at any time: the 12 (which stops only twice before Place du Luxembourg) runs during the day on weekdays, and it is replaced by the 21 (which stops everywhere) in the evenings and at weekends. All you would have to do at the airport is follow the %26quot;bus%26quot; signs to level 0, then go outside and bear rightish, you should be able to see the stop, which you can identify from the people waiting. There are 2 machines there for buying the ticket (€3 or you can buy it from the driver for €4, you don%26#39;t have to say anything as the price is the same wherever you are going, just profer your money and hold up 1 finger to indicate 1 person). As I said, you put this in the orange machine and do the same in the 95, if you go for this option. Naturally the 95 is a normal bus and stops everywhere on the way to Bourse, at least if someone asks it to.
It sounds to me as though you would prefer to take a taxi rather than deal with public transport of any sort, at least while you have your luggage with you.
Any review of any city is likely to mention pick-pockets at stations, but perhaps you don%26#39;t realise they also operate at airports, in the metro and indeed anywhere crowded like markets and shops, where people may be distracted (watch out in the crowds around the Mannekin Pis as well..)! The main problem at stations in Brussels - and it is Gare du Midi that has the reputation, rather than Central or Nord - is not so much pickpockets as people making off with luggage either by distracting your attention or simply waiting until you are distracted. Pickpockets is much more likely in the metro. My suggestion is simply that you keep your wits about you.
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