A Week in Brussels - Access Brussels

The Espace Leopold in the European Quarter — The Espace Leopold — Brussels is a working capital as well as a visited one. Photograph by Edison McCullen, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

A week turns Brussels into a base. Three capitals are inside two hours by train, and one of them is under ninety minutes.

Days one to five

As in the five-day plan.

The portico of the Brussels Bourse — The Bourse steps are where the city assembles when something happens. Photograph by User:Ben2, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

Days six and seven — a second capital

All of these work as long days from Brussels; Amsterdam and London are better with a night.

City	From	Roughly	Operator
Paris	Bruxelles-Midi	about 1½ hours	Eurostar, frequent
Amsterdam	Bruxelles-Midi	about 2 hours	Eurostar / NS-SNCB IC
London	Bruxelles-Midi	about 2 hours	Eurostar — passport and check-in
Cologne	Bruxelles-Midi	about 2 hours	ICE

⚠️ These are published approximate times and services change with the timetable. Check with the operator when you book. Two things specific to these routes: the high-speed trains are reservation-only and get dear close to departure, so book early; and the slower NS-SNCB intercity to Amsterdam costs a fraction of the high-speed fare for about forty minutes more, which is one of the better deals in European rail.

London means a passport and an airport-style check-in at Midi — allow the time.

The guild houses of the Grand-Place — A week is long enough to see the Grand-Place when it is quiet. Photograph by EmDee, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

Or stay put

A week is also enough to stop sightseeing: the communes, the Sunday market at Midi, the Bois de la Cambre, and an afternoon of cafés in Ixelles. Several visitors find that the better week — Brussels rewards living in it far more than it rewards touring it.

The Atomium lit at night — The Atomium at night, from the avenue that leads to it. Photograph by Diego Delso, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Other lengths of trip

Five Days in BrusselsAdds a day out Three Days in BrusselsAdds the thing you book One Day in BrusselsThe centre, and one street off it

Journey times and opening patterns as published for 2026 and checked on 5 September 2026. Timetables, fares and closing days change without much warning — confirm with the operator or the institution before you travel. All the plans are in Itineraries & Day Plans.