Buying international rail tickets

You can buy your international train tickets (with or without seat reservation, depending on train type):

• online on www.sncb-international.com
• via the SNCB International app (iPhone or Android)
• by calling the SNCB International Contact Centre*
• at SNCB stations with international ticket sales*
• at travel agencies approved by SNCB International

* You will be asked to pay a handling fee when buying international tickets by telephone and at ticket offices in our stations.

For most high-speed trains (notably Eurostar, TGV INOUI, TGV Lyria and ICE), the cheapest fares are available in limited quantities. So to benefit from the best prices, we suggest you avoid peak times and book your journey as far ahead as possible.

In some circumstances, it can be more cost-effective to travel as a group, as some rail companies offer fares which are exclusively available to small groups of 3-5 passengers, like the "Pack Tribu" fare on TGV INOUI, for example.

Finally, many railway operators regularly run temporary offers on fares, offering passengers good deals on rail travel. To ensure you don't miss out on these offers, we recommend you visit our website or Facebook page regularly, or sign up for our newsletter.

The booking period differs from one type of train to another. The main international trains at a glance:

• Eurostar: booking possible on average from 210 days before travel, i.e. about 7 months in advance (minimum 157 and maximum 277 days in advance, depending on the period of the year).
• ICE and other Deutsche Bahn trains: booking usually possible 180 days (almost 6 months) before travel.
• Nightjet: booking theoretically possible from 180 days in advance. However, due to frequent works on the German rail network, adjusted timetables for Nightjet trains are often announced late, which unfortunately results in late opening of reservations.
• TGV INOUI, TGV Lyria, Nightjet and Trenitalia trains: booking usually possible 4 months before travel.
• EuroCity, Eurocity Direct or regional cross-border trains: buying tickets without booking a seat, particularly to the Netherlands, Lille or Luxembourg, is possible 335 days (11 months) before travel.

Exceptions:

• Eurostar seasonal services: for Eurostar Snow to the French Alps, booking possible from the end of the summer for the whole ski season. For Eurostar Sun to the south of France, booking possible from the end of the winter for the whole summer season (date to be specified each year).
• TGV early bird sale for travel in winter periods (Christmas and ski season) and summer periods (July and August). For these periods, the date of the early bird sale is to be specified each year.
• Every year in mid-December, different European rail companies simultaneously amend their train services, with new timetables taking effect more or less throughout Europe. On certain rail networks (particularly in Germany), the new timetables for mid-December are only confirmed and published at some point during October. When this occurs, bookings for rail travel from mid-December onwards can also only be made after a given date in October.
• In special circumstances (e.g. in case of engineering works), carriers may be forced to adapt their transport plan more frequently. For this reason, booking periods may momentarily differ from the above rules.

When you buy tickets online, you’ll be offered one of the following delivery methods (depending on the train type):

1. e-Ticket

An electronic ticket which can be used in two ways (at your convenience): 

• displayed on the screen of your smartphone or tablet 
• printed out on a sheet of A4 paper 

The e-Ticket is offered for journeys operated by Eurostar, TGV INOUI, SNCB (Belgium), NS (Netherlands), CFL (Luxembourg), Deutsche Bahn (Germany), SBB (Switzerland), ÖBB (Austria), TGV Lyria and on most Intercity and regional connections operated by SNCF (France).

2. Digital Homeprint

A ticket you can print out yourself on a sheet of A4 paper.

Digital Homeprint is offered for Nightjet and for journeys operated by DSB (Denmark) and Trenitalia (Italy).

You can obtain your tickets to our cross-border destinations^* at all our vending machines and at the ticket offices of our 91 stations.

^* our cross-border destinations are: Roosendaal, Maastricht, Maastricht Randwijck, Eijsden, Meersen, Valkenburg, Heerlen, Landgraaf, Eygelshoven Markt, Herzogenrath, Aachen West, Aachen, Luxembourg, Lille, Maubeuge, Baisieux, Ascq, Croix-l'Allumette, Roubaix, Tourcoing, Annapes, Croix-Wasquehal, Hellemmes, Lezennes and Pont de Bois.

In our 12 specialised international Travel Stores you can buy tickets for our full international offer:

Antwerp-Central, Bruges, Brussels Airport-Zaventem, Brussels-Central, Brussels-Midi, Brussels-North, Charleroi-Central, Gent-Sint-Pieters, Leuven, Liège-Guillemins, Mons and Namur.

Please note that we will ask for a handling fee when you buy international tickets at ticket offices at our stations.

Check opening hours of our ticket offices on belgiantrain.be >

Under a European Directive, all restrictions have been lifted on the international transportation of passengers. As a distributor for several international rail companies, SNCB International is no longer regarded as a public service and therefore does not benefit from any State funding. In this context, the commission we get on the sale of train tickets is no longer sufficient to cover the costs associated with all our activities.

Despite this, in order to offer you an optimal service, we would like to carry on investing in our Contact Centre and station information (and not just in our online services). Hence the need to ask you for a handling fee if you want to use the services and advice of our sales staff at our Contact Centre or stations.

This fee (VAT included) is:

• €12 for high-speed trains or overnight train bookings
• €7 for buying "conventional" international train tickets for day travel
• €14 for buying Eurostar tickets to/from London at the stations of Brussels-Midi, Paris Nord and London St.-Pancras.

The above mentioned prices apply for purchases from 11 December 2022. This handling fee applies per purchase (and not per ticket) and cannot be refunded if travel is cancelled.

There is no handling fee for the following exceptions:

• online purchases via our website or app
• tickets for our own cross-border services to Roosendaal,  Maastricht, Maastricht Randwijck, Eijsden, Meersen, Valkenburg, Heerlen, Landgraaf, Eygelshoven Markt, Herzogenrath, Aachen West, Aachen, Luxembourg, Lille, Maubeuge, Baisieux, Ascq, Croix-l’Allumette, Roubaix, Tourcoing, Annapes, Croix-Wasquehal, Hellemmes, Lezennes and Pont de Bois (public service) 
• special tickets for children under 12 years of age
• special tickets for travellers with restricted mobility / sight impaired travellers and their companions.
• special tickets for dogs/small pets
• special tickets for bikes
• reservations on TGV INOUI or Eurostar between Brussels and Lille for holders of a season ticket for this connection
• purchases paid partly or totally by voucher (a service fee will be charged for tickets that are paid in full or in part with a travel cheque purchased at SNCB).

Every rail operator (Eurostar, TGV INOUI, Deutsche Bahn, etc.) has its own range of fares, with conditions of exchange and refund specific to each fare. The option to change your ticket after purchase (date, time, fare, etc.) or to get a refund in the event of cancellation varies from one rail company to another, but also from one fare to another.

To help you compare the offers of the various rail companies, we have grouped together each fare (for all rail companies) into the generic categories "Non Flex", "Mid Flex" and "High Flex".

• "Non Flex" generally means that fares cannot be exchanged (changed) or refunded.
• "Mid Flex" generally means that fares can be exchanged (changed) on a limited basis and are partially refundable.
• "High Flex" generally means that fares allow unlimited exchange and/or a refund in the event of cancellation.

Always check the specific terms and conditions of your fare when making your purchase. If you are booking online, these terms for exchange and refund will appear when you click on the "conditions" link for the fare selected.

Online booking >

Do you have another connection in Belgium before or after your international journey with Eurostar, TGV INOUI, ICE, Nightjet, European Sleeper or OUIGO? If so, you will need a specific ticket for this connection.

We advise you to buy our Connection ticket in addition to your international ticket, which will enable you to take any train on the national SNCB network on the specified date between the Belgian station of your choice and the Belgian departure or arrival station of your international high speed train (Brussels-Midi, Antwerp-Central, Liège-Guillemins or Mons). However, you will need to specify your departure or arrival station in Belgium when you buy your 'Connection' ticket.

The price of the Connection ticket will depend on your travel class and on the flexibility level of your international ticket.

Price of the Connection ticket per single leg:

• Low Flex : €9,10 (2nd class) or €14,10 (1st class) - no refund possible
• Mid Flex : €11,40 (2nd class) or €17,60 (1st class) - unused tickets are 50% refundable up to the travel date.
• High Flex : €13,70 (2nd class) or €21,10 (1st class) - full refund for unused tickets until 1 day after the scheduled travel date. 

The Connection ticket is free for children under 12 accompanied by an adult (max. 4 free children per adult). There is a reduced child fare for unaccompanied children under 12.

To buy your 'Connection' ticket online, simply select your actual station of departure or arrival (e.g. Bruges, Namur or Antwerp instead of Brussels-Midi) when you book your international journey.

Please note: the 'Connection' ticket must be booked together with your international tickets within the same booking file.

Online booking >

Generally speaking and unlike most high-speed trains, InterCity and regional trains in Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands do not require a reservation. For these trains, when choosing a Flex/Standard ticket, you get an open ticket, valid on any train (at any time of the day) on the date and route mentioned on your ticket. Great flexibility!

Exception: if you travel with a cheaper Saver ticket on the EuroCity or Eurocity Direct train between Belgium and the Netherlands, your ticket is only valid at the time and on the specific train selected at the time of your purchase.

Similarly, on IC and ICE trains run by Deutsche Bahn, seat reservation is optional. Consequently, most tickets for journeys in Germany do not necessarily show the time either. Remember though, that the Supersparpreis, Supersparpreis Europa and Sparpreis Europa economy fares do require you to use the specific train you chose when buying your ticket. In this case, the train number and time of departure are shown on your ticket.

Electronic EcoCheques issued by Edenred or Monizze and Eco Passes issued by Pluxee (previously Sodexo) are valid at our stations for the purchase of national train tickets in Belgium, but not for the purchase of international train tickets.

However, you can use your EcoCheques or Eco Passes at Jetair Centres for the purchase of combined train + hotel abroad options.

To guarantee the security of your online transactions, we have opted to use 3D-Secure. In a 3D-Secure system, the issuing banks ask customers to verify their transactions.

Belgian banks generally opt for a system using your banking app or a digicode generated by a card reader. Other banks opt to send an authentication code by text, or a system requiring an answer to a "secret question".

We realise that this measure is one more step (or obstacle) when making your purchase, but this is the most secure way of guaranteeing that your credit card can only be used on our site by its legitimate holder.

Several rail companies (such as Eurostar, TGV INOUI, Deutsche Bahn or Nightjet, for example) apply a yield management system, that is, a system of variable prices depending on train occupancy and how far ahead your booking is made. 

The benefits of this system are twofold:

• it means the rail company can optimise passenger numbers for each train throughout the day, week or year (and therefore not only during peak periods);
• it means that you, the passenger, can get lower prices by travelling at less busy times or by booking as far ahead as possible.

If you're travelling with the EuroCity or Eurocity Direct between Belgium and the Netherlands, buy your tickets in advance! Saver tickets (with 25% to 40% off compared to the Flex fare) are available in limited quantities and are only available for journeys outside of peak hours at the time and on the specific train selected at the time of your purchase. 

If you're travelling between Belgium and Luxembourg, however, it may be cheaper to travel in the weekend: the Weekend fare offers 30% off your return journey from Friday to Sunday. And if you're younger than 26, the Youth fare will offer 30% off for travelling any day of the week.

If you're travelling between Belgium and Northern France with InterCity and TER Hauts-de-France trains, go for a return trip between Friday morning and Sunday evening: with the Weekend fare, you get 40% off. This Weekend fare applies to journeys to and from: Abbeville, Amiens, Annappes, Arras, Ascq, Aulnoye Aymeries, Baisieux, Béthune, Boulogne Ville, Calais Ville, Chantilly Gouvieux, Compiègne, Croix l'Allumette, Croix Wasquehal, Douai, Dunkerque, Etaples Le Touquet, Hellemmes, Le Cateau, Lens, Lezennes, Lille Flandres, Maubeuge, Noyon, Paris Nord (via Maubeuge/Aulnoye), Pont de Bois, Pont Ste Maxence, Roubaix, St Quentin (Aisne), Tourcoing, Valenciennes.

If you're younger than 26, there's a Youth fare for travelling between Belgium and the same destinations in Northern France. This Youth fare offers 30% off and is valid anytime.

This depends on the type of train you intend to take.

If you're travelling on board Eurostar, TGV INOUI, OUIGO, TGV Lyria, overnight trains or trains operated by Trenitalia (Frecciarossa, Frecciargento, Frecciabianca and Intercity), you must have a reservation on the train, but this is automatically included in your ticket free of charge.

If your booking is for an ICE or IC train operated by Deutsche Bahn, reserving a seat is optional. However, you are strongly advised to do so for long journeys. If you have a ticket at Sparpreis or Supersparpreis fare, a surcharge of €6 applies to each seat reserved. However, if you have a ticket at Flexpreis fare, seat reservations are free of charge if made when you purchase the ticket. Handy tip: on ICE trains, the illuminated signs above each seat indicate which places are free and which are occupied between the various stops.

In Benelux countries and on regional trains in other countries, it is not possible to reserve a seat. On these trains, the ticket alone (without a seat reservation) is enough. This ticket is generally valid all day for travel on the date indicated on your ticket (except for any time restrictions applicable to specific offers or reduced fares).

When reserving your seat online, your seat will generally be assigned automatically by your rail carrier's inventory system. However, the main trains we sell tickets for offer several options for choosing a seat. These options can vary from one rail company to another.

If you book your TGV INOUI journey online, go to our site for some basic options for choosing your seat (window/aisle), Solo/Duo/Carré and so on), depending on the number of passengers and travel class.

If you booked a Eurostar journey, you can manage your booking and select your seat after your purchase by entering your Eurostar booking reference in the Eurostar app or www.eurostar.com website.

More options will be available if you book your journey by telephone or at our stations (for a wider range of trains, including ICE and overnight trains): thanks to more advanced features on their sales system, our sales staff are able (subject to availability) to select a specific seat, seat several groups of passengers together or book a specific seat for wheelchair users.

N.B.: Most rail companies do not offer any choice as to which way your seat will face. This criterion produces too many operational constraints (composition of train, configuration of stations, occupancy of maintenance workshops and sidings, etc.) to be guaranteed.

Absolutely!

Since 2 April 2024, the UK Government requires us to collect and submit Advance Passenger Information (API) for you and anyone else on your booking before you travel to/from the UK.

When you have booked a journey from/to London, you will receive your actual Eurostar tickets only after providing the following information for all passengers:

• full name
• date of birth
• gender
• nationality
• passport details (number, issuing country and expiry date).

These details must be entered in the “Manage your Booking” section on the Eurostar website (after entering your PNR booking reference).

More information about Advance Passenger Information >

Seat reservations are mandatory for travel on some trains, in particular on Eurostar, TGV INOUI and TGV Lyria.

When all the seats on a train have been reserved, some of these train companies may offer several more seats in the form of an overbooking to enable last-minute travellers to travel on their desired train despite this.

You will always be informed that your booking is an overbooking when you order your ticket, so you can choose another train or accept the overbooking in possession of all the facts.

In contrast with the form of overbooking practiced by airlines (where the passenger is placed on a waiting list), an overbooked train ticket is an actual ticket that enables the passenger to board and travel on the train in question. The only difference with an overbooked ticket is that it does not include a seat number.  

The fact that the ticket is an overbooking does not alter the terms and conditions of use, exchange or refund (or the price) of your ticket: the conditions of the fare you selected when you purchased the ticket still apply in full.

If you have an overbooking, your ticket will not include an allocated seat number but you will be able to choose any unoccupied seat on the train for part or all of your journey (in the comfort class specified by your ticket). Seats can become free, for example when other passengers miss their train or cancel their journey at the last minute. Your train manager, who will have a seat allocation plan for their train, will be able to help you find the seats that are available. If necessary, you can also travel in the bar carriage or choose a seat or folding seat in the areas between carriages.

Belgian national rail cards (Large Families, Preferential Reimbursement, etc.) are not valid on Eurostar, TGV INOUI or ICE trains, which have their own fare structure.

However, if you are travelling on our regional cross-border trains to/from our neighbouring countries,  you can apply your reduction (usually 50% off the Standard fare) to the Belgian part of your international journey. To get your reduction online, simply select the "50% off in Belgium" rail card for each passenger concerned when submitting your request.

The age from which children must pay to travel varies depending on the railway operator:

• In Belgium, in the Netherlands and in Luxembourg, children under 12 accompanied by an adult can travel for FREE (up to four children with each paying adult). Likewise, on our own trains to Northern France (Lille or Maubeuge), accompanied children under 12 travel free on the Belgian part of the journey. For the French section, they pay a flat rate of €1 per journey.
  
  
• On ICE and other Deutsche Bahn trains in Germany, as well as on the Swiss and Austrian networks, children travelling with a parent or a grandparent travel for FREE up to and including the age of 14. Children aged 6-14 years who are not accompanied by a parent or grandparent must pay a children's ticket. From the age of 15, children pay the adult fare.
  
  
• On Eurostar, TGV Lyria and TGV INOUI trains, as well as on the French SNCF network, children under 4 travel for FREE without a ticket, providing they do not occupy a separate seat. From 4 to and including 11 years old, kids travel at child fares. If you wish to reserve a seat for a small child under 4, he or she must travel with a children's ticket. The child will be considered as aged between 4 and 11 when the reservation is made.
  
  Note: TGV INOUI and other SNCF trains offer a Forfait Bambin, which allows you to reserve a seat for a child under 4 (accompanied by a maximum of 9 other passengers) at the fixed price of €9.

Eurostar has launched the new Club Eurostar loyalty scheme for rewarding frequent travel.

For every journey made with Eurostar, Club Eurostar members collect points, which means they will enjoy a range of benefits: free tickets, gifts, exclusive offers, tailor-made services, etc.

The Club Eurostar scheme has 4 membership levels (Classique, Avantage, Carte Blanche and Étoile), depending on the number of journeys made.

Find out more and sign up on the Club Eurostar web page.

If you are a Club Eurostar member, you can collect points for any Eurostar journey booked with SNCB International.

When booking your journey online via SNCB International, simply enter your Club Eurostar member number at the first stage of booking (in the "reduction and loyalty cards" field for each passenger).

If you are booking your journey at a station or by telephone, simply provide our sales staff with your Club Eurostar member number.

Note: for your journey to be counted, your Club Eurostar number always has to be provided at the time of booking. You cannot allocate a booking to your points balance at a later date. Please also note that your Miles are only awarded after your journey. 

Enter your Club Eurostar number at the first stage of booking >

No. Since 15/12/2024, international tickets from or to Belgium are only valid from or to the specific station you specified when you purchased them. If you want to travel between two stations within the same conurbation in Belgium, you will need to buy a specific ticket via one of our domestic sales channels.

SNCB is, generally, exempt from the obligation to issue an invoice for the sale of tickets. The original ticket is actually an invoice.

Also, when buying your international tickets online, you receive a confirmation email. For journeys operated by SNCB, this confirmation email will include a VAT certificate which details the total deductible VAT, so just attach your tickets and this certificate to your VAT return.

However, if you would like an invoice for services rendered, a simplified R 376 invoice can be drawn up at a station, on presentation of original tickets.

For commuters travelling daily between Brussels and Lille, there is a season ticket valid on all TGV INOUI and Eurostar trains operating on this short route.

This season ticket is made up of three items:

1. A "mother" card

The mother card costs € 6 and is valid for five years on the Brussels-Lille route (in 1st or 2nd class), as well as on any connecting train taken within metropolitan Brussels.

2. A monthly validation ticket

The mother card is only valid when accompanied by a monthly validation ticket. This validation card is valid for a period of one month, starting from your chosen date. It can be purchased maximum 31 days before the validity period begins.

• Cost of a 2nd class validation ticket: € 272/month
• Cost of a 1st class validation ticket: € 401/month

3. A seat reservation for every journey

In addition to your season ticket, you must book every journey. The cost of this is €3 per journey. 

The three items of this season ticket are sold exclusively at SNCB International ticket offices at Brussels (Midi/Zuid) station.

International season tickets are available:

• on the Brussels-Lille connection (season ticket valid on both TGV INOUI and Eurostar).
• on regional cross-border connections to Aachen, Maastricht, Breda, Roosendaal, Lille, Luxembourg and Maubeuge, as well as on domestic connections within Belgium or until the border as part of our domestic rail service. 
  
  They can be combined with a season ticket from another rail company to continue your journey in one of our neighbouring countries (more about NS season tickets from the border further to the Netherlands)

And if you regularly take the same journey between Belgium, France, Germany and the Netherlands with Eurostar, remember that Eurostar offers a Premium Pass and Frequent Pass, which means you benefit from cheaper flexible fares. Check the Eurostar website for more information about the Premium and Frequent Passes. 

The Standard Multi (Rail Pass), Youth Multi (Go Pass 10) and Youth Holidays (Go Unlimited, enjoyed by young people in Belgium) are only valid between two Belgian stations, so you cannot cross the border with this ticket.

But if you are travelling on the EuroCity train or on cross-border regional train between Belgium and a neighbouring country, there is nothing to stop you using your Standard Multi (Rail Pass) or Youth Multi (Go Pass 10) between your station of departure in Belgium and the last Belgian station before the border, provided that you also have a valid international ticket between this Belgian station and your foreign destination.

Youth Holidays (Go Unlimited), however, allows unlimited travel in Belgium and therefore it can't be combined with any other (national or international) ticket. Therefore it's not allowed to use Youth Holidays (Go Unlimited) on a part of an international journey.

Check the SNCB website for more information about the Standard Multi (Rail Pass), Youth Multi (Go Pass 10) or Youth Holidays (Go Unlimited).

In addition to your tickets for your international journeys, SNCB International offers various "products" to help your enjoy your stay, such as:

• your entry tickets to Disneyland^®Paris
• cultural attractions, city tours and discount cards in the whole world in partnership with Ticketbar.

There are no combined "train + attraction" options as such (of the "B-Excursions" type) for your international journeys.

For your excursions within Belgium, SNCB offers various Discovery Tickets (previously B-Excursions) combining your train journey with various theme parks (Walibi, Plopsaland, etc.), zoos (Pairi Daiza, Planckendael, Sea Life, etc.), museums or exhibitions.

More information about Discovery Tickets in Belgium >

Several rail carriers (in particular Eurostar, TGV INOUI, TGV Lyria and overnight trains) offer specific travel options for groups of at least 10 passengers.

In addition, our group booking service offers a tailored service for booking your international group journeys, in particular with regard to invoicing, or the option to book your journey before booking opens to the general public.

More information on booking your group journeys > 

The Brussels Airport Supplement (Diabolo) is a payment designed to fund the new railway line serving the airport which is being developed by Northern Diabolo NV.

Usually, the cost of the Brussels Airport Supplement (Diabolo) is already included in all domestic and international tickets for departures and arrivals at Brussels-Airport Zaventem. Please nevertheless check that the words "Brussels Airport Supplement included" appear on your ticket.

In contrast, the Brussels Airport Supplement (Diabolo) is not included in some set fares, such as the "Any Belgian Station" options offered by Eurostar or Belgian travel passes such as Youth Multi (Go Pass 10) or Standard Multi (Railpass), for example. For these tickets you will still need to pay the Brussels Airport Supplement at a Belgian railway station or other SNCB sales channels.

Find out more about the Brussels Airport Supplement >

Eurostar and ICE offer customised rail fares for companies whose staff make frequent trips abroad on company business. And with Greenpoints, our loyalty scheme for companies, you earn points every time one of your employees travels abroad by train.  

Thalys Corporate Fares (TCF) by Eurostar

Depending on your company’s travel needs, there are 3 different levels within the Thalys Corporate Fares.