eSIM for Brussels
For Brussels, a Belgium eSIM covers the capital and every Belgian day trip, from Ghent to Bruges. Visits are often short, around two days, so a small plan can be enough. Install it at home before you travel and switch it on when you reach Brussels Airport or a train station.
Plans for Belgium cover the whole country, including Brussels.
For a 2-day visit
How much data for 2 days in Brussels
- Light (maps and messages): about 1 GB
- Normal (plus social media and browsing): about 1.5 GB
- Heavy (video and video calls): about 3 GB
An estimate from typical use, not a measurement.
Arriving in Brussels
Brussels Airport is in Zaventem, northeast of the city, with a railway station under the terminal. Trains run from there to Brussels-North, Brussels-Central and Brussels-South, and the NMBS/SNCB timetable shows the connections. Brussels-South, also called Brussels-Midi, is the station for Eurostar and the high-speed trains from Paris, Amsterdam and London. Charleroi Airport, used by some low-cost flights, is farther south and linked to Brussels-South by shuttle bus.
Data on arrival helps with the train times, finding the right exit at a large station and checking your hotel address. Install the eSIM at home on Wi-Fi with its QR code before you leave. At the airport or station, switch the eSIM line on, turn on data roaming for it, and keep your home line's data off.
Getting around
The city's metro, trams and buses are run by STIB-MIVB, and its app plans routes and shows departures. Trains inside the city and out to other towns use the NMBS/SNCB app. The old centre around the Grand-Place is small enough to walk, and the metro helps with longer distances to the European Quarter or the Atomium.
Uber and taxis can be booked from your phone in Brussels, and shared bikes and scooters appear around the centre. Check each operator's site for current ways to pay for transit, as ticket options at the validators have changed in recent years. Keep a map app open for tram stops, and save an offline map of the centre.
Where you'll use data
Most visitors stay around the Grand-Place and the Manneken Pis, the Royal Palace and the Mont des Arts, the Sablon antiques district, the European Quarter and the Cinquantenaire park. Museums such as the Magritte Museum and the Comic Strip Center ask for advance bookings at busy times, so tickets on your phone are handy. Cafes in Saint-Gilles and Ixelles are good for meals.
Day trips inside Belgium stay on your plan: Bruges, Ghent, Antwerp, Leuven and Mechelen are all reached by train from Brussels. Lille is a short train ride away, but it is in France, and a Belgium plan does not cover it there. The same goes for Amsterdam in the Netherlands and Luxembourg. A Europe plan can cover several countries, but check its country list on our Europe page, since regional plans can leave countries out.
For a longer stay
Common questions
- Will the eSIM work as soon as I land at Brussels Airport?
- Yes, if you installed it before the flight. Switch the eSIM line on, turn on data roaming for it, and it connects once you are off the plane. If it does not, turn airplane mode on and off once.
- How much data do I need for two days in Brussels?
- About 1.5 GB for normal use: maps, the transit apps, messages and photos. Lots of video calls or streaming push it towards 3 GB. The plan list on this page shows the estimate beside each plan.
- Can I buy a ticket for the Brussels metro on my phone?
- The STIB-MIVB app is the official source for tickets and routes, and machines in stations are another option. Ways to pay change, so check the STIB-MIVB site before you travel.
- Does a Brussels eSIM give me a Belgian phone number?
- No. These plans are data only. Calls and messages work through apps such as WhatsApp or FaceTime. If your bank sends codes by SMS, keep your home line on for texts with its data switched off.
- Will the plan work on a day trip to Lille or Amsterdam?
- No. Lille is in France and Amsterdam is in the Netherlands, and a Belgium plan covers Belgium only. A Europe plan may include both, so check its country list on our Europe page. Bruges and Ghent stay inside Belgium.