Frequently Asked Questions

When booking online, select a single or return journey, then your Eurostar departure station and your final Belgian destination. The booking system will then show you fares that include an 'Any Belgian Station' (ABS) supplement, valid for your onward journey on the domestic Belgian train service within 24 hours of your arrival at Brussels Midi Station.

When making your return journey, you can catch a Belgian train back to Brussels from any Belgian station up to 24 hours prior to your Eurostar trip back to London. The supplement costs €6.30 single in 2nd class, or €9.70 single in 1st class and is valid for travel on the Belgian domestic railway service (not on Thalys or ICE trains). You'll receive your Eurostar tickets and those for your onward journey as a PDF, so you can print them before you leave home.

The SNCB Europe website is a one-stop-shop for train travel in Europe. It is a handy new portal for UK customers to book and print tickets for journeys departing from London St Pancras, Ebbsfleet and Ashford International to top destinations in Belgium, Holland, Luxembourg, France and Germany. The booking system emphasises self sufficiency, where customers buy and print out tickets for European train travel with no fuss and no waiting.

Connections: Coming from the UK, you will arrive in one of three Eurostar stations: Brussels, Lille or Paris. Likewise, your trip back to the UK will involve a connection in one of these cities. SNCB Europe's booking system allows you to book train tickets online to/from these destinations (plus any station in Belgium, like Antwerp, Ghent, Bruges etc.) to loads of cities across Europe. However, as SNCB Europe is a Belgian venture, it is not possible to use our booking engine to book and print tickets for travel between other countries (i.e. from Germany to Holland). Nor is it possible to book and print tickets for travel within any other country (i.e. from Berlin to Cologne). It is possible in some cases to book these through SNCB Europe’s Contact Centre. This must be done on the phone during working hours. The same goes for overnight trains.

Tickets can be booked on either regular or high speed services, and there are a number of different fare types. Best of all, SNCB Europe's list of destinations and product range just keep on expanding.

BENELUX (Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg): SNCB Europe's online booking engine station list includes over 300 stations in Belgium, 300 in Holland, and 70 in Luxembourg. 

France: From London, book your Eurostar ticket direct to Lille or Paris through the SNCB site. No messing around with connections.

Germany: Travellers can use the SNCB Europe site to get to over 170 destinations in Germany, served by three different train services: Thalys, ICE and InterCity trains.

Yes. Any ticket booked on the SNCB Europe website can be printed out on your home printer. Once you've selected your route, the fare type and dates, and used your credit card to pay, you will receive a confirmation email with a PDF document attached. This document is your ticket. It contains a barcode that will be scanned on board the train.

Domestic trains:

SNCB Domestic trains have power sockets on board, as to first class carriages on the domestic service to Amsterdam.

Eurostar:

There are British and European power outlets on all Business Premier and Leisure Select carriages. Charge your mobile phone or plug in your laptop to save battery. There are also power outlets on Standard carriages 5 and 14. Seats on these carriages can be reserved. Subject to availability.  

Thalys:

Carriages  2/12/22 and 3/13/23 are fitted with power socekts. Only carriages 1/11/21 do not have power sockets. 

If you make the same reservation twice by mistake, you must contact the Internet Support Team immediately. You can reach us by telephone at 0900 552 0900 (£0.30/minute) or by e-mail. Please have your reservation reference number handy.

Yes. To change seats, contact SNCB Europe on 0900 552 0900 (£0.30/minute). Alternatively, speak to the conductor before or immediately after departure. He or she can assign seats, depending on availability.

An example of a 2D barcode as it appears on a digital Home-print ticket is given below:

It depends when you are due to travel. If you are travelling on the same day as the booking is made, for example, you will receive your Thalys email confirmation on that day. If you are travelling at a later date, you will receive a confirmation email in your inbox one day after making the booking.

No. Seats must be confirmed immediately by credit card payment. Due to the wide range of fares and a limited number of places (particularly for lower fares) it is not possible to make a provisional booking and requested seats must be paid for immediately. Once you’ve booked online and printed out your ticket, you’re paid up and ready to go!

In most cases, yes. You can change the date and/or time of your journey unless the conditions of the ticket state otherwise. These conditions are set out clearly at the time of booking and again in the confirmation email. Again depending on your ticket type, you may incur a cost for changing or cancelling a reservation. For example, should you wish to change your reservation, there may be a difference in price between your existing booking and your new booking. This may occur if there are fewer seats left on the train that you wish to change to.

Reservations can be changed/cancelled online through the MyTrain section of the SNCB Europe website. Alternatively, call SNCB Europe's contact centre on 0900 552 0900 (£0,30/min.).

Yes. If you have purchased tickets from SNCB Europe in the past, you can access an overview of your reservations history through the MyTrain login at the top of the homepage. You can also consult your latest reservation and print out your digital ticket.

Yes.

In order to include this supplement as part of your Eurostar ticket, you must choose it at the time of booking. If you choose a destination in Belgium other than Brussels, (but also Maastricht or Lille) this "Any Belgian Station" option will automatically be included in the displayed ticket price. It is considerably cheaper than buying a domestic ticket at the station. It is also far more convenient.

This automatically added supplement costs 8€ for First Class and 6€ for Second Class. If you do not wish to include this supplement, please change your destination station to Brussels.

But which class?

If your Eurostar ticket was First Class, your domestic journey within Belgium will also be First Class. Likewise, if your Eurostar ticket was Second Class, your domestic journey within Belgium will be Second Class.

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You cannot. SNCB Europe sells home printable tickets only. Only destinations for which tickets can be printed at home are available to book through this website.

If you have deleted your confirmation email, you can call the SNCB Europe contact centre on 0900 552 0900 (£0,30/min.). An agent will be able to resend the confirmation email to one or more email addresses of your choice. Alternatively, if you haven't already done so, create a MyTrain account by clicking on the link on the homepage. By entering the same email address as the one used for your booking, you will be able to access your ticket and print it out.

As with air travel, customers sometimes book a seat on a train and do not turn up at the time of departure. Thus these "booked" seats become available. Overbooked tickets are then sold to other passengers. These tickets allow travel on the train but do not guarantee a seat/catering in Comfort 1 (First Class). They contain no carriage number or seat number, and contain the wording "seat if available". If you are travelling with a ticket like this, please conatct the conductor on the paltform who will assign you a seat before departure.

Tickets for Thalys and Eurostar

1st class:

Solo: A window seat, isolated from other passengers;

Duo: Two seats side by side, facing the same direction;

Club 2: Seats at a table for two facing each other;

• Club 4: Seats at a table for four.

2nd class:

• Duo: Two seats side by side, facing the same direction;
• Carré: Seats at a table for four;
• Family: Seats for four people at a table in the family room.

Seats are subject to availability. Requested seat type may not be available. Online booking allows you to choose your seating type. However it is not possible to request specific seats, as these are automatically assigned at the time of reservation. To book a specific seat number, please call SNCB Europe's contact centre and book your tickets over the phone instead.

If your Eurostar ticket has a “Any Belgian Station” supplement, then the answer is “No”.(This supplement is automatically added at the time of purchase, if your final destination in any Belgian station except Brussels).

Eurostar tickets with this supplement are valid fro travel to any Belgian station. Likewise for the return journey i.e. you can catch a Belgian domestic connection from any Belgian station to Gare du Midi in Brusels for your Eurostar trip back to London. This supplement costs 6€ for second class and 8€ for first class. It is not available on Thalys or ICE trains, and your connecting journey must take place up to 24 hours after you get to Brussels and up to 24 hours before you leave to go back to Brussels.

Yes. Please note that only "home printable" tickets are available on this site, much like with any airline. Once you have made your booking, you will receive a confirmation email with your digital ticket. Just print it out and you're ready to go. This paper ticket is scanned by the conductor on the train.

Yes. Please note that only "home printable" tickets are available on this site, much like with any airline. Once you have made your booking, you will receive a confirmation email with your digital ticket. Just print it out and you're ready to go. This paper ticket is scanned by the conductor on the train.

Yes. Even though SNCB is exempt from any obligation to produce an invoice for your ticket, and despite the fact that the original ticket serves as an invoice itself, we will endeavour to furnish you with a suitable document if needed. A simplified R376 ticket can be arranged at the station upon presentation of the original ticket.

Yes. You may call our contact centre on 0900 552 0900 (£0,30/min.) and pay by Visa, Mastercard or American Express. Please have your credit card ready. Credit card details are not retained by our systems as an extra precaution against fraud.

Yes. Your digital home printed ticket will display your name and may not be used by anyone else. The same goes for Ticketless travel with Thalys.

If you wish to travel in a group of between 6 and 14 people, please contact the SNCB Europe Contact Centre on 0900 552 0900 (£0,30/min.). 

For groups of 15 people or more (whether it be a school group, cultural association, incentive, works council, etc.) you are eligible for lower fares and attractive conditions. For more info on group rates, please contact our group travel department on 0900 552 0900 (£0,30/min.). You can also contact us by using a query form available on the website.

You print them. All tickets booked through the SNCB Europe website are printed at home by the customer. Upon completing your reservation online, you will receive a confirmation email. This email will contain a PDF version of your ticket which you can print yourself at home. You don't have to worry about losing your ticket as it can be reprinted.

Your ticket contains a unique barcode that is scanned by the conductor on the train. 

Very. Please be assured that every measure is taken to protect your confidential data. The information you supply during the payment stage of your online reservation is secured by a coding system. The secure zone is indicated by a padlock displayed at the bottom of the page. Addresses beginning with https:// indicate coded, and therefore safe data (the "s" stands for secure). Before being sent over the internet, your details are completely encrypted using an algorithm. This protocol used by most banks and online shopping sites. Credit card details are not retained by our systems as an extra precaution against fraud.

As all tickets issued by this site are "home-printed" by the customer themsleves, sending a ticket to another party is done by simply forwarding the digital ticket to their email address. Please note that it is your responsibility to enter the other traveller's name on the ticket.

You do not need to reserve a ticket for a child under four years of age.  The child does not get a seat, but travels on the lap of a parent or accompanying adult. Only one child per parent or accompanying adult maximum will be allowed.  If you want to make sure that your child has a seat please reserve a reduced cost child fare ticket. Remember to bring along an identity card with a photo of the child.

It can be used to purchase an unlimited number of reduced rate tickets for travel between Belgium and Paris-Nord. Holders of the LYS card are entitled to a 50% discount on the full fare. It also allows for "Ticketless" travel. The "Toute Gare Belge" or "Any Belgian Station" LYS fare is valid between Brussels, Liége, Antwerp and all stations in Belgium on the route to Paris-Nord.

Holders of an LYS card can buy their tickets up to the last minute before departure. It is also possible to switch to an earlier or later train for a 10€ fee (though travellers are not guaranteed a seat or catering in First Class).

The LYS card contains the name of the person to whom it was issued. It is non-transferable.

The sooner you book, the better your chances of scoring a cheap ticket. Please note that for high speed trains, there is a limited number of seats available at the lowest fares. Therefore you are advised to purchase your low-cost ticket at the earliest possible opportunity. By being flexible with your travel dates, you can also increase your chances of getting a super-low fare.

There are three good reasons to register on MyTrain

• Your travel options and personal details will be remembered. This saves time and hassle;
• You will be able to manage your bookings online (viewing, changing or cancelling);
• You will receive personalized service at our stations and and contact centre.

If you make the same reservation twice by mistake, please call the Internet Support Team immediately. You can reach us by telephone on 0900 552 0900 (£0,30/min.). Please choose option 5. Alternatively you can send us an e-mail indicating the reference number of your reservation.

Here is an example of the 2D barcode that will appear on your digital Home-print ticket:

There are no restrictions for pregnant travellers.  If you are concerned about travelling, please consult your doctor.

Power sockets can be found on First Class carriages of SNCB trains and on the regular train to Amsterdam.

The Eurostar has British and European power sockets in all Business Premier and Leisure Select carriages. This allows you to charge your mobile phone or save your laptop battery. There are also power outlets in regular carriages 5 and 14. Seats on these regular carriages can be booked, subject to availability.  

Thalys carriages are fitted with power outlets in carriage 2/12/22 and 3/13/23 .Carriages 1/11/21 do not have power outlets. 

Check-in for the Eurostar is 30 minutes before the scheduled time of departure for those in posession of their tickets. If you have not yet picked up your tickets, please present yourself at the travel desk at least 45 minutes before the scheduled departure.

Business Premier travellers and holders of a Eurostar Carte Blanche can use the express check-in up to 10 minutes before the train leaves.

There is no check-in time for other trains, although it is recommended to be there 20 at least minutes before the train leaves.

Once on board, you can store your luggage free of charge in the following places. Please note that luggage is stored at the owner's risk.

• Luggage racks above the seats;
• Luggage storage room at the end of each carriage;
• Free floor space between back to back seats.

Your bags should not be so big or so heavy as to be difficult to move or to be placed in the storage spaces on the train . They must not pose a hindrance to other travellers or train personnel.  As is required by regulation, luggauge must be clearly labelled with the full name and address of the owner.

You do not need to reserve a ticket for a child under four years of age.  The child does not get a seat, but travels on the lap of a parent or accompanying adult. Only one child per parent or accompanying adult maximum will be allowed.  If you want to make sure that your child has a seat please reserve a reduced cost child fare ticket. Remember to bring along an identity card with a photo of the child.

For check-in and customs, all travellers, including children, will need to present their passport and visa (if applicable).