Organising a convention, event or incentive in Bruges is easy because the city is so accessible. You can easily get to Bruges by car, train, plane or ferry. Do you require further information about the city's accessibility and transport options in and around Bruges? Do have a look at our list of useful links.
Bruges is situated near the E40 motorway, and is just an hour's drive from Brussels and 90 minutes from Antwerp. Amsterdam is 253 km away, Eindhoven a mere 178 km. When coming from the Netherlands, you drive to Bruges over Antwerp. If you are coming from the region around Maastricht, we recommend you drive via Liège and Brussels.
A speed limit of 30 km is enforced throughout the city centre. This means you may not exceed this speed limit in the city centre.
A number of shopping streets are car-free on Saturdays, on shopping Sundays (the first Sunday of every month), as well as on weekends between 1 June and 30 September 2022 between the hours of 13.00 and 18.00.
Parking aboveground in the city centre is limited in time from 9 a.m. until 8 p.m. (max. 4 hours). You must pay and display (€ 1.80 for the first hour, € 2.40 from the second to the fourth hour, making a total of € 9.00 for 4 hours). You can pay by SMS, with the 4411 app, by bank card or in cash. You must always enter your number plate when paying. You can park for free for max. 4 hours in the zone around the city centre (the so-called blue zone). Always display your parking disc! Attention: this parking scheme applies throughout the year, including Sundays and public holidays. Download the PDF with all the information about parking in Bruges here.
Parking is unlimited in time and cheapest in one of the two central car parks: Centrum-Station (€ 1.10/hr and € 5.50 for 24 hrs) and Centrum-’t Zand (€ 14.40 for 24 hrs). Both car parks are within walking distance of the Market Square, but you can also take one of the buses of De Lijn. The bus transfer (max. 4 persons per car) from the Centrum-Station car park to the city centre and back is included in the parking fee. Take a look at all the available car parks here.
If you choose to spend the night in Bruges, always enquire beforehand about parking with your accommodation.
Information for coaches.
There are several direct trains to Bruges from the provincial capitals (Antwerp, Ghent, Hasselt and Leuven) and Brussels. Take a look at the website of the Belgian national railways (NMBS/SNCB).
The Brussels-South railway station is the Belgian hub for all international train traffic. Brussels-South is served several times a day by high-speed trains from Paris (Thalys/Izy and TGV), Lille (Eurostar, Thalys and TGV), London (Eurostar), Amsterdam (NS InterCity, Thalys and Eurostar) and Cologne (Thalys and ICE). There are three trains every hour from Brussel-South to Bruges on weekdays and two every hour on the weekend. They stop in Bruges, Ostend or Knokke/Blankenberge. The journey from Brussels-South to Bruges takes about an hour.
If you are travelling from Amsterdam or Rotterdam, you can also switch trains at Antwerp Central. A direct train departs from Antwerp Central to Ostend every hour, and also stops in Bruges. The journey takes approximately 90 minutes.
If you are coming from Maastricht, we recommend taking the train to Liège. The journey from Liège to Bruges takes approximately two hours.
You can take the buses of De Lijn (every 5 minutes) or a taxi from the station of Bruges to get to your accommodation. A bus ticket (single journey) is valid for one hour and costs € 3.
Every day, Belgium's national airport welcomes flights from over 200 destinations in 66 countries.
You can easily get to Bruges by train from Brussels Airport. There is a direct train to Bruges every hour (only on weekdays). You can also take the Brussels Airport Express (four trains every hour) to Brussels-North, Central or South. Two trains depart for Bruges every hour from these stations. They are bound for Ostend or Knokke/Blankenberge. Check the website of the Belgian national railways (NMBS/SNCB) for information about prices and timetables.
Flibco.com operates a direct shuttle from and to the station of Bruges, offering 13 (return) journeys every day. The shuttle is more comfortable, cheaper and also often faster than the other travel options (train, combining train and bus). Online reservations are cheaper. If you pay on the bus or in the airport, you will be charged a supplement.
The taxi companies in Bruges can take you to and from Brussels Airport, subject to prior reservation, at the standard price of € 200. These prices may be adapted during the year. The contact details of Bruges taxi companies are listed here.
The popular regional airport welcomes several low-cost flights a day from other European cities and regions.
Flibco.com operates a direct shuttle from and to the station of Bruges, offering 12 (return) journeys every day. The shuttle is more comfortable, cheaper and also often faster than the other travel options (train, combining train and bus). Online reservations are cheaper. If you pay on the bus or in the airport, you will be charged a supplement.
The taxi companies in Bruges can take you to and from Brussels South Charleroi Airport, subject to prior reservation, at the standard price of € 250. These prices may be adapted during the year. The contact details of Bruges taxi companies are listed here.
Ostend-Bruges Airport is developing at a fast pace and is systematically increasing the destinations it serves. The bus journey to the station of Ostend takes just 15 minutes. From here, you can take three trains every hour to Bruges, from 6 a.m. until 10 p.m. The trains run to Eupen, Welkenraedt, Brussels Airport, Antwerp-Central or Kortrijk. The journey to Bruges takes approximately 15 minutes. Check the website of the Belgian national railways (NMBS/SNCB) for information about prices and timetables.
The taxi companies in Bruges and Ostend can take you to and from Brussels Airport, subject to prior reservation, at the standard price of € 70. These prices may be adapted during the year. The contact details of Bruges taxi companies are listed here.
You can take the buses of De Lijn (every 3 minutes) or a taxi from the station of Bruges to get to your accommodation. A bus ticket (single journey) is valid for 1 hour and costs € 3.
Dover (UK) - Dunkerque (F)/Calais (F) : DFDS Seaways.
Dover (UK) - Calais (F) : P&O Ferries.
Various bus companies operate services to Bruges from the main international transport hubs and international cities. The stop for international coaches is at the rear of the station (Spoorwegstraat). Check the timetable with the departure times of all the coach services in Bruges here. Here is a list of all the arrivals.
Flibco.com organizes 12 daily direct connections to/from Brussels Charleroi Airport and 13 daily direct connections to/from Brussels Airport.
For tickets: www.flibco.com
FLiXBUS has connections to/from different destinations with stops in: the HST stations Brussels Midi and Lille Europe; and the airports Frankfurt Airport (terminal 2), Cologne Airport, Brussels Airport and Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, Charles de Gaulle Airport and Orly Airport.
For tickets: https://www.flixbus.fr/voyages-car/paris-bruges
FLiXBUS organises connections to/from Dortmund, Brest, Boulogne-sur-mer, Praha and Paris. FLiXBUS buses stop in several other cities. In this way Bruges is easily accessible from Eindhoven, Maastricht, Rotterdam, The Hague, Aachen, Essen, Bonn, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Würzburg, Nuremberg, Tourcoing, Dunkerque, Calais, Berck, Le Touquet, Rennes, Ploermel, Vannes, Lorient, Concerneau, Quimper and Chateaulin.
For tickets: www.flixbus.com
Regiojet realizes the connection between Prague and London several times a week.
Tickets: www.regiojet.cz
BlaBlaBus realizes the connection between Prague and London several times a week.
Tickets: www.blablacar.co.uk
