Bruges

Getting in

• Brussels Airport Zaventem: Use the SNCB/NMBS train to Brugge, generally about 1 hr 25–1 hr 40; depending on the departure it is direct or requires one straightforward change in Brussels or Ghent. Expect roughly €25–30 one way including the airport rail supplement. This is better value and less hassle than a private airport transfer.
• Brussels South Charleroi Airport: This is the budget-airline airport, not Brussels. Take TEC Airport Bus A to Charleroi-Central, then SNCB/NMBS trains to Brugge via Brussels; allow about 2 hr 15–3 hr door to door and roughly €25–35 total. A direct coach can be convenient if its timetable suits, but do not choose Charleroi for Bruges merely because the airfare is cheap.
• Ostend-Bruges International Airport: Useful only for its limited seasonal flights. Take a De Lijn bus into Oostende station, then an SNCB/NMBS train to Brugge; the train leg is under 15 minutes and the full trip is usually about 45–60 minutes, with a low double-digit public-transport cost. A taxi is faster, around 35 minutes, but disproportionately expensive for the distance.
• Brugge railway station: Brugge is the sensible rail arrival point. Brussels-Midi to Brugge takes about an hour, with frequent trains; Ghent is about 30 minutes away. From the station, Markt is a 20–25-minute walk and most central hotels are walkable, but take a De Lijn bus or taxi if you have wheeled luggage—the cobbles are miserable with a suitcase.
• Brussels-Midi / Bruxelles-Midi: Eurostar arrivals should buy a separate SNCB/NMBS onward ticket to Brugge; allow about an hour on a direct intercity service. Do not assume a Eurostar ticket includes the domestic Belgian leg.
• Lille Flandres: Hourly-ish rail itineraries via Kortrijk/Cortrai are possible, normally around 1 hr 30–2 hr and with a change; booking can be awkward because SNCF and SNCB/NMBS are involved. It is viable from northern France, but Brussels is the cleaner international-rail gateway.