Bus Hire in Brussels

Brussels (Bruxelles/Brussel) is the capital and largest city of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union, hosting the European Commission, the Council of the EU, and the European Parliament (with its main plenary sessions in Strasbourg). The city is also home to the NATO headquarters (at Evere, 8 kilometres north-east of the city centre) and more international institutions per capita than any other city in the world. Brussels Airport (BRU) is 14 kilometres north-east of the city centre via the E40 motorway (approximately 25 minutes by coach without traffic).

The city is officially bilingual (French and Dutch/Flemish), with French dominant in daily life. The Grand Place (Grote Markt), the central square of Brussels and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is surrounded by ornate 17th-century guild houses and the Gothic Town Hall. The Atomium (a 102-metre steel model of an iron crystal unit cell, built for the 1958 World Exposition) and Mini-Europe (a miniature park of European monuments) are at Heysel in the north of the city. The Manneken Pis (a small 17th-century bronze statue of a urinating boy, the unofficial symbol of Brussels) is 150 metres from the Grand Place.

EU Quarter and the Institutions

The EU Quarter (in the Ixelles/Etterbeek area east of the city centre, around the Schuman roundabout and Rue de la Loi/Wetstraat) is the home of the European Commission's Berlaymont building (the star-shaped headquarters of the Commission), the Council of the EU (Justus Lipsius and Europa buildings), and the European Parliament's Brussels building. The Parlamentarium (the European Parliament's visitor centre, open to groups free of charge, with advance booking) gives a detailed interactive overview of the EU and its institutions. Coaches drop at the Europa building side entrance or the Parlamentarium entrance on the Wiertz side; coach parking in the EU Quarter is on the Chaussee d'Etterbeek or in the Schuman area car parks. Groups visiting multiple EU institutions on the same day should book minibuses for short transfers between buildings.

Grand Place and the Historic Centre

The Grand Place (Grote Markt) is a 13th-century market square enclosed by the Gothic Town Hall (completed 1459, with a 96-metre tower), the Breadhouse (Maison du Roi/Broodhuis, housing the Museum of the City of Brussels), and 26 guild houses with elaborate Baroque facades rebuilt after the French bombardment of 1695. The square hosts the Flower Carpet (a biennial display of 600,000 begonias in geometric patterns, mid-August in even-numbered years) and the Brussels Christmas Market (late November to early January). Coaches do not enter the Grand Place itself; the nearest coach drop points are on the Boulevard de l'Imperatrice (200 metres) or the Rue de la Montagne (150 metres). The Manneken Pis is on the corner of Rue de l'Etuve, 150 metres south-west of the Grand Place. The Royal Galleries of Saint-Hubert (the first covered shopping arcade in Europe, 1847) are 100 metres north-east of the Grand Place.

Atomium, Heysel, and the Museum District

The Atomium (Laeken, 9 kilometres north of the city centre via the Ring road or the Boulevard du Centenaire, approximately 20 minutes) is a 102-metre structure of nine steel spheres representing an iron crystal enlarged 165 billion times, built as the centrepiece of the 1958 World's Fair. The interior contains an exhibition on the 1958 Expo and panoramic views from the top sphere. Adjacent Mini-Europe (55 miniature replicas of European monuments at 1:25 scale) is popular with school and family groups. The Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium (in the Royale quarter, adjacent to the Royal Palace and the Palace of Justice) contain the Magritte Museum (dedicated to the Belgian Surrealist Rene Magritte, with the world's largest collection of his work) and the Old Masters Museum. Coach parking at Heysel is in the Brussels Expo parking area; for the Royale quarter, coaches use the Parking Poelaert on the Place Poelaert.

What Bus Hire Costs in Brussels

As a rough guide, a minibus (up to 19 seats) in Brussels runs around 260 to 510 EUR per day, a midi-coach (around 35 seats) around 430 to 840 EUR per day, and a full-size coach (49 to 55 seats) around 660 to 1,240 EUR per day. Brussels is a premium market with high year-round demand from EU institutions, NATO, international conferences, and tourism. EU summit weeks (typically March, June, October, December) and major events at Brussels Expo can tighten availability. The final figure depends on your route, the date, and how long you need the vehicle and driver. We confirm a fixed price with no hidden charges, so send your details for a free quote.

Services Available in Brussels