Ghent / The verdict
Brussels airport to Ghent: which way?
The airport train is the pick for most arrivals: a direct service leaves Brussels Airport-Zaventem for Gent-Sint-Pieters in just under an hour, with connections through Brussels Nord as backup. The SNCB fare was last confirmed at about 18 EUR with the airport supplement, while the daily FlixBus to Gent-Dampoort and taxis suit narrower cases.
By The Real Traveler Experiences team. We earn a commission if you book through our links. It never changes a verdict.
The Ghent story
Ghent has Bruges-scale medieval drama with a real city living inside it: students on the Graslei and Korenlei quays, the Gravensteen castle on the high street, the Belfry overhead, and Van Eyck's Adoration of the Mystic Lamb in St Bavo's cathedral. It is the Flanders pick for people who want beauty without the theme-park feel, plus canal boats and food and beer at student-friendly prices.
The verdict in 30 seconds
Our pick: SNCB airport train (runner-up: FlixBus coach)
The airport train is the pick for most arrivals: a direct service leaves Brussels Airport-Zaventem for Gent-Sint-Pieters in just under an hour, with connections through Brussels Nord as backup. The SNCB fare was last confirmed at about 18 EUR with the airport supplement, while the daily FlixBus to Gent-Dampoort and taxis suit narrower cases.
Go if
- You want the fastest straightforward ride into Ghent
- You are one or two people landing in normal service hours
- You can handle a short tram hop from Sint-Pieters to the center
Skip if
- You land late at night: check the last departures in the SNCB planner before relying on the train
- You are three or four people splitting one car door to door
- Your lodging sits closer to Gent-Dampoort than Sint-Pieters and a coach departure lines up with your landing
The options
SNCB airport train Go
Most arrivals: you want the fastest simple ride and can finish with a tram hop at Sint-Pieters.
Good
- A direct train to Gent-Sint-Pieters is described as taking just under an hour at best, with connections via Brussels Nord, Centraal or Midi.
- The single was last confirmed at about 18 EUR including the airport supplement.
- The railway station is within the airport, and the city's visitor site describes a direct line to Sint-Pieters.
- Trams 1 and 3 run from Sint-Pieters to the center every 10 minutes.
Watch out
- The planner needs the airport station as the starting point, which tripped up a forum poster.
- Sint-Pieters is not in the old town, so plan a tram at the end.
- Passes and multi-trip products still owe the 7.10 EUR airport supplement, as last confirmed.
FlixBus coach It depends
You are on a tight budget and a daily departure lines up with your landing time.
Good
- Ghent's visitor site lists a daily FlixBus between Brussels Airport and Gent-Dampoort.
- Dampoort is described as a 15-minute walk or 5 minutes by public transport from the historic center.
- One writer names coaches such as FlixBus as the budget option.
Watch out
- Fares and times are not verified here.
- A fixed departure only helps if it matches your arrival; a delayed flight can break the plan.
Taxi or private transfer It depends
You are three or four splitting one car, carry heavy luggage, or land after the trains are less useful.
Good
- Door to door with no platforms or ticket rules.
- Pre-booking lets you fix the price before you land.
- Split across a group, the cost per person falls.
Watch out
- The Brussels region meter rate does not cover the run to Ghent, so the fare must be agreed first.
- Even at the metered per-kilometer rate, a run of this length costs many times the train fare.
- No traveler report in the log covers this option.
Official taxis and transfers at the airportCompare fixed transfer pricespartner site
Rental car Skip
Only if Ghent is one stop on a longer road trip that needs a car anyway.
Good
- No timetable to watch.
- Handy if other Flanders stops follow.
Watch out
- Rental, fuel and parking add up well beyond a single train ticket.
- Write-ups here used trams and walking in the center, so a car adds little once you arrive.
| Criterion | SNCB airport train | FlixBus coach | Taxi or private transfer | Rental car |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Journey time | Just under an hour on the fastest direct trains | Check the operator's timetable | Traffic dependent | Traffic dependent |
| One-way price | About 18 EUR single incl supplement (last confirmed 2026-10-01) | Not verified; check the operator | Meter rate listed for the Brussels region; agree the Ghent fare first | Rental fee plus fuel and parking |
| Where it lands in Ghent | Gent-Sint-Pieters; tram 1 or 3 to the center | Gent-Dampoort; 15 minutes on foot or 5 by public transport | Your door | City parking |
| Frequency | Direct trains an hour apart in one evening thread, plus connections via Brussels Nord | Daily service per the city's visitor site | On demand | On demand |
| Late-evening arrival | Check the last departures in the SNCB planner | Check the operator; departures are fixed | Works if you agree the fare first | Works if the car is already booked |
| What reports flag | Planner needs the airport station as origin; Sint-Pieters is outside the old town | Only useful if a departure matches your landing | No traveler report in the log | No traveler report in the log |
What it costs
- SNCB standard single, Brussels Airport-Zaventem to Gent-Sint-Pieters: €18 (distance-based fare since the 2025 reform, airport supplement included; the planner or app shows the exact price for your train, typically around 17.50 to 20 EUR; official page could not be loaded on 2026-10-09; price as last confirmed). Official source, checked Oct 2026.
- Brussels Airport Supplement: €7.10 (built into ordinary airport tickets; charged separately to rail passes, multi-trip tickets and international tickets at the access gates; official page could not be loaded on 2026-10-09; price as last confirmed). Official source, checked Oct 2026.
- SNCB discounted same-day return to Ghent: €29.60 (the excursion-style return product the SNCB booking flow offers for a day trip; availability and discount rules vary; official page could not be loaded on 2026-10-09; price as last confirmed). Official source, checked Oct 2026.
- Brussels regulated taxi meter, per kilometer rate: €2.30 (2.60 EUR pickup plus 0.60 EUR per minute and about 2.30 EUR per km inside the region; the run to Ghent leaves the region, so agree the fare first; official page could not be loaded on 2026-10-09; price as last confirmed). Official source, checked Oct 2026.
What travelers report
Based on 5 traveler reports (Apr 2025 to Jul 2026) and the official sources linked on this page. 0 were negative.
What people like
- Travelers describe a direct train from the airport to Ghent, with the fastest trains just under an hour and no Brussels detour.
- A forum thread on an evening arrival lists direct trains an hour apart plus connections through Brussels Nord.
- Write-ups describe an easy tram hop from Gent-Sint-Pieters to the historic center, about 15 minutes by tram 1 in one of them.
- One guide says the airport railway station is within the airport and easy to follow signs to after landing.
What people complain about
- The planner needs Brussels Airport-Zaventem as the starting station; searching from Brussels city stations gave a forum poster trains to other stations.
- Gent-Sint-Pieters does not look like the tourist photos and is not in the old town, so the trip ends with a tram.
- One guide advises a buffer after landing before heading straight to Ghent.
- A forum reply found Gent-Dampoort better placed than the main station for their lodging, so the default station is not always the best one.
How to do it right
- Follow the signs to the railway station inside the airport once you land, and allow a buffer after landing.
- In the SNCB planner search for Brussels Airport-Zaventem as the departure station and Gent-Sint-Pieters as the arrival, and hold a valid ticket before boarding.
- Take the direct train if its timing fits, or a connection through Brussels Nord, Centraal or Midi.
- At Gent-Sint-Pieters, ride tram 1 or 3 to the center (about 15 minutes by tram 1 in one write-up), or choose Gent-Dampoort if it is closer to your lodging.
- Consider the daily FlixBus to Gent-Dampoort only if its departure matches your landing; check the operator for fares and times.
The trap to avoid
Searching from a Brussels city station instead of Brussels Airport-Zaventem. A guide from July 2026 warns the airport is a different starting point, and a forum poster searching the planner saw trains to other Brussels stations rather than the Nord connection. Set the airport station as the origin and compare direct and connecting trains.
Why this verdict
The train is the pick because it is the one option that is direct, simple and priced well below a taxi. Brussels Airport has its own railway station, and Ghent’s official visitor pages describe a direct line from Zaventem to Gent-Sint-Pieters. A June 2026 trip write-up says the fastest trains take just under an hour, and an April 2025 forum thread about an 8 pm arrival lists direct trains at 20:24 and 21:24 plus connections through Brussels Nord. The SNCB fare was last confirmed at about 18 EUR one way, airport supplement included, on 1 October 2026, though the SNCB site could not be loaded on 9 October.
The planning traps are small but real. A July 2026 guide tells airport arrivals to search for Brussels Airport-Zaventem as the departure station rather than Brussels-Central or Midi, and to allow a buffer after landing. The forum poster searching the planner saw trains to other Brussels stations rather than the Nord connection, so compare both direct and connecting options.
The Ghent end matters. Sint-Pieters is not in the old town: a June 2025 itinerary warns that it does not look like the tourist photos and sends you to a tram outside the station, and a June 2026 itinerary took tram 1 into the center in about 15 minutes. A forum reply found Dampoort the better station for their lodging, so choose the station nearest where you sleep.
Coaches stay the backup. The city’s visitor site lists a daily FlixBus between the airport and Gent-Dampoort, and one writer calls FlixBus and similar coaches the budget option. Fares and times are not verified here, and a fixed departure only helps if it matches your landing.
Taxis and cars are for groups, heavy luggage or an awkward landing time. The Brussels region publishes a metered rate, but the run to Ghent is long enough that agreeing a fixed fare first makes sense. A rental car only suits a longer Flanders road trip, since both trip write-ups here used trams and walking once in the center.
Book or check times
SNCB fares and train timesGhent's stations and onward tramsReaching Ghent from Brussels Airport (train and FlixBus)Official taxis and transfers at the airport
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Questions
Is there a direct train from Brussels Airport to Ghent?
Yes. Ghent's official visitor site describes a direct line from Zaventem airport to Gent-Sint-Pieters. One June 2026 write-up puts the fastest trains at just under an hour, and an April 2025 forum thread lists direct trains at 20:24 and 21:24 plus connections through Brussels Nord.
How much is the train from Brussels Airport to Ghent?
About 18 EUR one way including the airport supplement, last confirmed on 2026-10-01. The SNCB pages could not be loaded on 2026-10-09, and fares are distance-based, so check the planner or app for the figure on your train.
Is the bus cheaper than the train?
Ghent's official visitor site lists a daily FlixBus between Brussels Airport and Gent-Dampoort, and one writer calls FlixBus and similar coaches a budget option. Fares and times are not verified here, so check the operator and compare against your landing time.
How much is a taxi from Brussels Airport to Ghent?
No price is verified for this run. The Brussels region lists a metered rate (2.60 EUR pickup, 0.60 EUR per minute, about 2.30 EUR per km, last confirmed 2026-10-01), but Ghent is outside the region, so agree a fixed fare before you get in or pre-book.
Which Ghent station should I get off at?
Gent-Sint-Pieters is the main station, with trams 1 and 3 to the center every 10 minutes according to the city's visitor site. Gent-Dampoort is closer to the old town, and a forum reply found it better for their lodging, so pick the one nearest where you sleep.
What if my flight lands late?
Check the last departures in the SNCB planner before you fly. The April 2025 forum thread covers an 8 pm arrival with direct trains at 20:24 and 21:24 and connections through Brussels Nord, but the log has no report on later landings.
Pack for it
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