Is Brussels worth a day trip?

Yes: 8.2 hours in Brussels, £193 for the whole day, 18 min into town each way. Enough for the main sights and a proper lunch without rushing.

How long do you actually get in Brussels?

About 8.2 hours in Brussels. Landing to take-off is 12.3 hours; the trip into town and back, passport checks and the time at the airport come off that.

How do you get from Brussels airport into town?

Train 18 min to Brussels-Central. A day ticket on local transport is No day ticket: STIB contactless daily cap €8.50 or 1-day Brupass €9.50 (neither valid on bus 12 from the airport). Cheaper option: STIB Airport Line bus 12 from the airport, contactless €7.90 (paper €8.40).

What does a day in Brussels cost, not counting the flight?

About £62 a person for the day: local transport, lunch, dinner and a drink. Paid attractions are listed separately because most people do one or none, and an average that includes them is a number nobody actually pays.

Is the flight price on this page the one I will pay?

The fare shown is the cheapest recently seen on this route, not a live quote for these exact flights. Check the airline or the booking link for the price you will actually pay.

How early do I need to be back at the airport?

Leave the city by 18:22. That allows 18 min to get back to the airport and 150 min there, including 60 min for passport checks on the way out, before the 21:10 flight home.

Will passport checks eat my day?

We allow 60 min on landing for the EU Entry/Exit System (fingerprints and a photo on your first trip) and 60 min extra on the way out. That is already taken off the 8.2 hours shown. These are estimates; queues run longer on busy days.

Day trip to Brussels.
From London Heathrow, back by 21:20.

Belgium·Sat 21 Nov · 8.2 hours in the city

£193

the whole day

8.2 hours

in the city

21:20

back in London Heathrow

Day Trip Flight Details

Time in the city

8.2 hours

after transfersAfter transfers and airport time

Airport distance

12km

to the centreFrom Brussels centre (BRU)

Daylight

8.7 hours

08:06 to 16:50Sunrise 08:06, sunset 16:50

First EU trip since 2025? Allow 30 min more.

FlightAirport, immigration and transportIn the city

06:50
Leave London Heathrow
Brussels Airlines, direct
10:08
In the city
Lands 08:50, 60min immigration, 18min from the airport
18:22
Leave the city
18min back, 150min at the airport incl. immigration
21:20
Back in London Heathrow
Flies 21:10

Leave London HeathrowBrussels Airlines, direct06:50
Land in Brussels1h08:50
In the city60min immigration, 18min from the airport10:08
Leave the city18min back, 150min at the airport incl. immigration18:22
Fly home1h21:10
Back in London Heathrow21:20

Last bus or train to the airport: about midnight.

Typical weather for this date

8°C

average high

3°C

average low

6 in 10

years it rained

This date is too far out to forecast. These are Brussels's actual figures for the same date across the last 10 years.

Brussels’s Christmas markets open 27 Nov

Things to do in BrusselsShow

AtomiumTickets on TiqetsAffiliate link
Mini-Europe BrusselsTickets on TiqetsAffiliate link
Brussels Hop-on Hop-off ToursTickets on TiqetsAffiliate link

All things to do in Brussels · Tiqets, affiliate link

With kids in BrusselsShow

What a day in Brussels costs

Flights and on-the-ground spend, per person.

£193/ all in, per person

STIB Airport Line bus 12 to the city, there and back£14

Local transport£7

Lunch£17

Dinner£24

Beer calculator× 0£0

Entry fees, on top (optional)

Atomium£15 (€17)

Comics Art Museum£12 (€14)

Belgian Beer World£18 (€21.50)

Grand Place, Mont des Arts, Jeu de Balle, Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert, Church of Our Lady of the SablonFree

On the ground£62

Prices checked 3 Oct 2026

Return flight from£131

Google Flights price. Checked 10 hours ago.

Getting to Heathrowfrom free

All in, per person£193

Book on Google Flights

Compare fares on Aviasales · Affiliate link

Estimated cost. Fares last checked 8 Oct, 22:12. Prices and availability change and are set by the airline or agent when you book.

The main button opens the airline or Google Flights; Compare fares goes to Aviasales, who pay us a small commission.

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Half the price, kept for good, for the first 1,000 members.

£19a year, locked for life

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Try it for 14 days. Full refund if it's not for you.

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Getting to the airportShow

Getting to Heathrow

Per person. Not in the total above. Prices checked 25 Sept 2026.

Free

Free drop-offFree
Park & Ride car parks: first 29 minutes free, then a free shuttle bus to the terminal (7-20 min depending on terminal). Source

Train

From London (Heathrow Express, Paddington)£10 each way15-20 min
Advance single; On the day £26. First train 04:34, last train 23:57 Source
From London (Elizabeth line)Price not published
On the day £13.90. First train 05:21, last train 00:12 Source

Coach

National Express from London£10.50 each way
Cheapest advertised single. Source

Taxi

From London£60-£100 one way~18 miles
Estimate, not a quote.

Parking at the airport

Paid drop-offfrom £7
Terminal Drop-Off Charge: £7 per entry, no time allowance (any dwell counts as one visit), ANPR-enforced 24/7/365, no cash accepted. Source
Terminal Parking (was Short Stay)£98
12-24hr tariff. Source
Park & Ride (was Long Stay)£46.80
Same-day rate. Source
Priority Park & Ride (was Business)£47.90
Same-day rate. Source

More parking

Meet & GreetNo same-day price
From £138.60 (per day). Source
Valet ParkingNo same-day price
Source
Pod Parking (T5 only)No same-day price
From £59.60 (from price). Source

Parking nearby

No same-day price published. See multi-day prices

Purple Parking Park & Ride PLUS (T2/T3/T5)£9.24
Multi-day price, not a same-day quote. Shuttle 8-18 min. Source
Maple Parking Express Park & Ride (T2&3/T5)£12.31
Multi-day price, not a same-day quote. Shuttle 4-10 min. Source
MBW Meet & Greet (T3/T5)£15.86
Multi-day price, not a same-day quote. Shuttle 2 min. Source

Costs people forgetShow

Costs people forget

Not in the total above. Worth a minute before you go.

Phone data. EE, Vodafone and Three charge about £2.75 a day to use your allowance in Europe. O2, Tesco Mobile and giffgaff include it free.
Card fees. Many cards add a foreign-exchange fee to every payment abroad. Check yours before you go, or take one that doesn't charge it.

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Day trip to Brussels.
From London Heathrow, back by 21:20.

Day Trip Flight Details

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Day trip to Brussels.From London Heathrow, back by 21:20.

Day Trip Flight Details

Become a founder

Become a founder

Related reading

Brussels Christmas Market from Manchester: The Day via Charleroi

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Day trip to Brussels.
From London Heathrow, back by 21:20.