Belgium is well connected by plane to many major airports in the world, and also to neighboring countries by train. It is also possible to get to Brussels by train departing directly from Charles de Gaulle Airport (Paris). Depending on the airline of your choosing, the train ticket from Charles de Gaulle Airport to Brussels can be reserved together with your flight reservation.
The easiest and fastest way to get to Leuven after arriving at Brussels National Airport is by train. At the airport, follow the train signs to get to the train station. The train station is located underneath the airport.
For train timetables and tickets please consult: b-rail.be. At the left side of the web page you can plan your journey and buy a ticket. Select a one way ticket to Leuven. Please make sure you do not confuse Leuven (called “Louvain” in French and English) with its French-speaking variant Louvain-la-Neuve. The train towards Leuven has end destination “Hasselt” or “Tienen-Landen”. Leuven is the first stop of the train. The trip takes about 15 minutes.
Taxis with a taximeter are also permanently available in front of the arrivals hall.
Option A: After you pick up your luggage, head to the airport ticket desk and buy a “bulk” ticket. This ticket includes the public shuttle bus from the airport to the train station (bus line A) and the train ticket from the train station of Charleroi Sud to Brussels. The shuttle will take you to the Charleroi Sud train station (18 minutes ride) where you can get the next train to Brussels. Trains leave every half hour, it takes about 45 minutes to get to Brussels Midi. Once you arrive at Brussels Midi take a train to Leuven (see above). It can take up to 2 – 2.5 hours to get you to Brussels (keep in mind that you will spend some time waiting for the next available shuttle and train) plus the extra time you will need to get to Leuven (30 minutes + extra time waiting for corresponding train). For more information and the shuttle timetable please consult: charleroi-airport.com.
Option B: You can get a coach bus that will take you all the way to Brussels. The journey lasts one hour. The bus will drop you at Brussels Midi train station where you can get a train to Leuven (see above). You can buy your ticket on board or via the website Flibco.
In case you arrive in Belgium by train, your final stop will likely be Brussels South (also called Bruxelles Midi or Brussel Zuid). Get to the main hall and head to the tickets area. You can buy a ticket to Leuven (or Louvain in French, but be careful: Louvain and Louvain-La-Neuve are two different places) for around € 5 euros. Ask for the next train to Leuven. The trip takes about 30 minutes.
In case you arrive in one of the other two train stations in Brussels (Centraal or Noord) just follow the same procedure: head to the tickets area, pick up your ticket and ask for a train to Leuven. All trains pass through all three stations in Brussels, it is possible to get a train to Leuven in either one of them.
The conference will take place in the buildings surround the Department of Mathematics at KU Leuven, with address Celestijnenlaan 200B, 3001 Leuven. The building is slight outskirts of the city of Leuven, in the Heverlee neighborhood. It is easily connected to the city center by bus line number 2. We suggest you buy bus tickets in advance via the website or with the bus app.
Participants are requested to make their own reservations directly with the hotels. Below, we give some suggestions, but please take the liberty to choose your hotel. Note that special offers may also be available on other sites on the internet.
Hotels in Leuven:
Pentahotel The Lodge Leuven, La Royale The Lodge Leuven, The Shepherd Guesthouse De Pastorij Park Inn Leuven
Hotels in Heverlee: