Public Transportation

In Brussels, the metro, trams, and buses operate as part of the same system and are run by the city's transport authority, STIB/MIVB (Société des Transports Intercommunaux de Bruxelles/Maatschappij voor het Intercommunaal Vervoer te Brussel). You can buy the tickets in metro stations, trains, and in some shops. A single "Jump" ticket, which can be used among all three systems in an hour-long time frame, costs €1.70 (or €2 if you buy your ticket on board a tram or bus). The best buy is a 10-trip ticket, which costs €12.30.

Information

STIB/MIVB (070/232-000. www.stib.be.)

The De Lijn bus company provides bus, tram, and trolley service throughout Flanders. In Brugge most buses run every few minutes (less often on Sundays). Several bus lines take you from the station to the city center. In Gent, De Lijn has several trams, and dozens of bus lines. There are stops all over town, and most buses and trams run every 10 to 15 minutes. Note however that the transport system in Gent will be severely disrupted until 2012 due to major construction work in the city center. You can buy a ticket (€1.20) or a day pass (€5) at the bus terminal in Gent or Brugge. You can also pay on board, but the fares rise to €2 and €6 respectively. There are night buses on Friday and Saturday.

If you arrive in Gent by train, take tram 1 for the city center. The fare costs €1.20. You can also buy a pass for a day's worth of tram travel for €5. Buy tickets at the machines in the tram terminus—a tunnel below the rail tracks at the west end of Gent Sint-Pieters train station—they take coins and small bills. You can also buy a ticket from the driver, but as with the buses you will pay more (€2 and €6 respectively).