Certainly! You can simply print your international train ticket for Thalys, Eurostar, ICE, TGV Brussels-France* or within the Benelux (+Lille) at home!  The confirmation e-mail you receive will contain the link to your PDF ticket, which enables you to print the ticket at home.  Your ticket is then scanned and “punched” digitally on the train – it’s as simple as that!

* Only the Prems-fare and most promotions.

• At the ticket dispenser

When you buy your tickets online (www.sncb-europe.com) or by phone through the Contact Center and you have paid with a credit card, you can collect the tickets at one of the ticket dispensers available at the station, with your booking reference (DNR). You will have to introduce the credit card in the machine. This is possible at the following stations:

Antwerp-Central

Brussels-Midi

Brussels-Central

Liège-Guillemins

• At the ticket desk

Credit card data are always requested when you opt to pick up your tickets at the station. This is done exclusively for security purposes– no payment will be made with your card.  For the same reason, only the owner of the credit card can pick up the tickets at the station.

There are power outlets in first class on the conventional train to Amsterdam .  

In the Eurostar, there are British and European power outlets in all Business Premier and Leisure Select carriages so that you can for instance charge your mobile phone or save the batteries of your laptop.  There are also power outlets in the Standard carriages 5 and 14.  You can reserve in these latter carriages as you choose depending on availability.

The 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. 

If you use conventional trains to e.g. Amsterdam, Luxembourg, Lille, etc.  you are free to take the train you want on the date mentioned on the home-print ticket.  There is no time indicated on your home-print ticket, just as there is no time mentioned on a “normal” ticket. 

In concrete terms, if you do not get the train to Amsterdam, for instance, you can take the following train on that day without the slightest adaptation to your ticket.

If you make the same reservation twice by mistake, you must contact the Internet Support Team immediately. You can reach us by telephone at +32 (0)70 79 79 79 option 5 (€ 0.30 per minute) or by e-mail, indicating the reference number of your reservation.

To change your seats, you must contact your original point of purchase.

If you made your reservation on the website of SNCB Europe, please contact us at +32 (0)70 79 79 79 (€ 0.30/minute). You can of course also go to the train manager who can assign you other seats just before or immediately after departure (depending on availability).

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

Eurostar tickets to and from London are valid from every Belgian station as long as your train trip takes place on the Belgian rail network within 24 hours before or after your Eurostar trip. So you do not need an additional train ticket.  Your tickets are not valid on Thalys or ICE.  But do make sure that you are in the same class as in the Eurostar train.

Depending on the time of your trip, you will receive a second ticketless confirmation e-mail from Thalys.  If you are to travel on the day of the reservation, you will receive this e-mail on that day itself.  If you are to travel at a later time, however, you will receive this confirmation e-mail from Thalys only on the day after the reservation.

It could happen that you do not receive an email from Thalys confirming your reservation.  In such a case, we advise you to check in the “Block sender” or “Spam” folder of your e-mail programme.  If you do not find your reservation in this folder, you can still travel without qualms. You print out the SNCB confirmation e-mail, and show it together with your identity card to the train manager when the tickets are checked.

Because of the wide range of fares, the number of places per fare is limited, especially for lower fares.  Unnecessary seat reservations are avoided by confirming seats immediately with a credit card.  Collecting the tickets is now also a little easier and faster:  you can pick up the tickets immediately or print them out yourself at home, with no further financial transaction involved.

You can pick up your tickets at the international ticket counters in a station near you, where you will be asked to produce your credit card and your identity card or passport before giving you the tickets. You can then just get on the train without any more ado!

You decide how the tickets are to be delivered, right before paying for them. You can pick up your tickets at the counter of 108 SNCB railway stations. If you paid for your tickets by credit card, you pick them up at the automatic ticket machines in Liège Guillemins, Antwerp Central, Brussels Central or Brussels Midi. If you prefer, we can also send your tickets by post (Belgium and Luxembourg) provided you reserve at least 10 days in advance, for a service charge of €10.

You can of course also print your international ticket with Thalys, Eurostar or within the Benelux (+ France) right at your home. Your ticket is then scanned in the train – it’s as simple as that. Or you can simply travel ticketless with Thalys, without having to bother with the stress of picking up your ticket. Your Thalys confirmation e-mail suffices!

The tickets remain the responsibility of the traveller. There is no procedure for duplicate tickets for conventional trains, Thalys, HST or ICE. We advise you to opt for Digital Home print, which is now available for most carriers (This does not apply for ICE and HST). If you opted for “Digital Home print” when reserving for a conventional train (only to Lille), Thalys or Eurostar, simply print out a new set of tickets.

ATTENTION: The following applies only for Eurostar: If you have opted for conventional tickets, then go to the ticket desk in the Eurostar terminal at least one hour before departure with your reservation reference and the credit card you used to pay for the tickets. You will be charged €23 for this service.

The SNCB Europe Contact Centre +32 (0) 70 79 79 79 can send your confirmation yet again to one or more e-mail addresses of your choice. You can also consult your previous bookings in My Train, with all the relevant details.

We advise you to have a look in your 'My Train' account of the reservation application.  It contains an overview of all reservations that you have made up to that time.  If you have opted for Home print, you can even print your PDF ticket immediately!

You can change the travel dates and times if the ticket conditions so authorise and if seats are available on the new train you have selected.  The ticket conditions are set out clearly before you confirm your reservation online and later too in your e-mail confirmation.

Depending on your ticket, there may be costs for changing or cancelling your reservations.  If there are fewer seats available on the train you have selected, there is a difference in price at times between your ticket and the new ticket.  Reservations can also be changed by the SNCB Europe Contact Centre at +32 (0) 70 79 79 79.

Bear in mind that a change or reimbursement is possible only at the place where the reservation was originally made.  If you did not reserve your ticket directly with us, contact the agency that made the reservation for you.

Yes you can! When making a booking on this website, you can also gain Miles, that allow you to travel for free! Thalys TheCard is a package put specially together for you:  free tickets thanks to miles, exclusive offers, services to measure… Advantages that facilitate your travel and enhance your comfort.

• At the ticket dispenser

When you buy your tickets online (www.sncb-europe.com) or by phone through the Contact Center and you have paid with a credit card, you can collect the tickets at one of the ticket dispensers available at the station, with your booking reference (DNR). You will have to introduce the credit card in the machine. This is possible at the following stations:

Antwerp-Central

Brussels-Midi

Brussels-Central

Liège-Guillemins

• At the ticket desk

Credit card data are always requested when you opt to pick up your tickets at the station. This is done exclusively for security purposes– no payment will be made with your card.  For the same reason, only the owner of the credit card can pick up the tickets at the station.

Some travellers reserve a seat but do not show up when the train leaves. Seats considered fully booked by our reservation system thus become available. Some “overbooked” tickets are therefore offered by way of compensation. If you have an “overbooked” ticket, you can get on the train, but are not guaranteed a seat or catering in Comfort 1.

Such a ticket has no carriage number or seat number, and contains the wording “seat if available.” You must contact the train conductor on the platform. He will assign you a seat before departure.

Your Thalys, Eurostar or HST ticket contains the following indications:

In 1st class:

• Solo: A single seat by the window, without other seats next to it.
• Duo: Two seats next to each other, in the same direction.
• Club 2: Seats at a table for two facing each other. 
• Club 4: Seats at a table for four.

In 2nd class:

• Duo: Two seats next to each other, in the same direction.
• Carré: Seats at a table for four.
• Family: Seats at a table for four in the family room.

Please bear in mind that all seats depend on availability, and it is not always possible to satisfy your request. When you book online, you can choose the sort of seat you want; it is not possible, however, to request specific seats, as they are assigned automatically when you reserve. If you wish to make a reservation and request specific seats at the same time, you must contact the sales team at +32 (0)70 79 79 79 who will be pleased to reserve your seats over the telephone.

Eurostar tickets to and from London are valid from every Belgian station as long as your train trip takes place on the Belgian rail network within 24 hours before or after your Eurostar trip. So you do not need an additional train ticket.  Your tickets are not valid on Thalys or ICE.  But do make sure that you are in the same class as in the Eurostar train.

Because of the wide range of fares, the number of places per fare is limited, especially for lower fares.  Unnecessary seat reservations are avoided by confirming seats immediately with a credit card.  Collecting the tickets is now also a little easier and faster:  you can pick up the tickets immediately or print them out yourself at home, with no further financial transaction involved.

Certainly! You can simply print your international train ticket for Thalys, Eurostar, TGV Brussels-France* or within the Benelux (+Lille) at home!  The confirmation e-mail you receive will contain the link to your PDF ticket, which enables you to print the ticket at home.  Your ticket is then scanned and “punched” digitally on the train – it’s as simple as that!

* Only the Prems-fare and most promotions.

Certainly! You can simply print your international train ticket for Thalys, Eurostar, ICE, TGV Brussels-France* or within the Benelux (+Lille) at home!  The confirmation e-mail you receive will contain the link to your PDF ticket, which enables you to print the ticket at home.  Your ticket is then scanned and “punched” digitally on the train – it’s as simple as that!

* Only the Prems-fare and most promotions.

The Lys card is a personal card that can be used to purchase an unlimited number of train tickets at the Lys rate for travel between Belgium and Paris Nord station.  The Lys card entitles holders to a 50% discount on the Hi-life (full) fare.  You can also travel ticketless in combination with The Card number completely free and with no stress. The “Any Belgian Station” (not ticketless) Lys fare is also valid between Brussels, Liège, Antwerp and all stations of the Belgian network to Paris.

You can buy your ticket up to right before departure.  With the Lys fare, you can also take an earlier or later train than the one for which you have reserved.  Only the transfer costs for the reservation (€10) are charged (without guarantee of a seat or catering in Comfort 1).

If you wish to travel with a group of 6-14 people, you can reserve your trip through the SNCB Europe Contact Centre at +32 70 (0) 79 79 79.
As of 15 people, you constitute a group (school group, cultural association, incentive, works council, etc.). You are thus eligible for lower fares and attractive conditions of reservation.

For more information about these group rates you can also contact our group travel department at +32 70 79 79 81. When making a reservation, you can also send your travel request using a form available on the Web.

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 is authorised.  If you want to make sure that your child has a seat, then you must reserve a ticket (child fare).  Remember to bring along an identity card with a photo for the child (for information, contact your municipality).

You can pay by telephone at the SNCB Europe Contact Centre with Visa, Mastercard and American Express. If you wish, you can already give your credit card number before you get an agent on the line, so as to save time. The credit card number is not kept, as an extra precaution against fraud.

The general rule is: the earlier you reserve, the cheaper your ticket will be. Please note: there is a limited number of seats at the lowest fare for high speed trains, so you are advised to purchase your ticket as soon as the ticket counter opens. If you cannot find the desired fare immediately, you can reach your destination in a jiffy at a low price by adapting your departure time or even date!

• Digital Home-print

This enables you to print your tickets at home.  Your ticket has a unique bar code you can scan in at the check-in gates.

• Picking up tickets at the station

When you reserve on line, you are given a reservation code.  You use this code to pick up your tickets at the station from the self-service ticket machines or from the desks in the Eurostar zone. The tickets can be picked up at any time prior to departure.  If you do this on the day of departure, make sure that you pick up your tickets at least 45 minutes before your train leaves.

Important! The cardholder must be present when picking up the tickets with the card used to pay for them, otherwise we may refuse to give the tickets.

• Tickets by post

Tickets can be sent by post, if you reserve at least 8 days in advance.  You will be charged €10 for this service.

Order online and with peace of mind through this website.  The data pertaining to the methods of payment are secured by a coding system.  The payment is therefore fully secure.  The security is indicated by a padlock at the bottom of the page which means that entries of bank data are fully protected.

When you pay for your tickets, the addresses used begin with https:// (where the 's' stands for secure): the data are coded and thus protected before they are transmitted via the Internet.  This protocol is used by most banks and the leading companies that sell online.  It ensures optimal protection of credit card numbers sent via the Internet.  The credit card number is not kept, as an extra precaution against fraud.

The credit card holder must be present when picking up the tickets, so it is not possible to make a reservation for someone else if the card holder will not be available to pick up the tickets.

If the station has an automatic ticket machine (this is the case in Brussels Midi, Brussels Central, Antwerp Central and Liège Guilemins stations), you have to insert your credit card physically in the machine’s card reader.

However, it is now possible to select Digital Home-print during the reservation process (for Thalys, Eurostar and conventional trains in the Benelux) and print the ticket at home or send it to the traveller so that s/he can print the tickets at home.  In such a case, do not forget to enter the name of the traveller on the ticket.

In general, the SNCB is exempted from the obligation of issuing an invoice to travellers for a ticket.  The original tickets can serve as invoices.  If however you want an invoice for the services rendered, a simplified R 376 invoice can be drawn up at the station upon production of the original ticket.

Tickets purchased via SNCB Europe must be paid for immediately by credit card when the reservation is made.  Your card will be charged for the full amount when the reservation is made.

As a general rule: you can reserve Thalys and high-speed train tickets as of 90 days in advance, and Eurostar tickets as of 120 days in advance. Seasonal trains (such as Thalys Snow and Treski in winter and Thalys Sun in the summer) and group reservations constitute an exception to this rule. For more information about the reservation period for these trains, you are advised to contact the SNCB Europe Contact Centre at 070 79 79 79.

You can reserve your tickets on this website, in SNCB authorised travel agencies, in Belgian stations with international ticket counters, or via the SNCB Europe Contact Centre at 070 79 79 79. See here for more information.

Register to enjoy the extra services of MyTrain:

• Your travel options and personal details will be remembered. This means extra comfort and timesaving for every booking.
• Manage your bookings online (viewing, changing or cancelling).
• Personalized service in our stations and at our International Contact Center as well.

The use of Digital Home print and Ticketless is strictly personal.  These tickets may not be transferred to third parties.

If you make the same reservation twice by mistake, you must contact the Internet Support Team immediately. You can reach us by telephone at +32 (0)70 79 79 79 option 5 (€ 0.30 per minute) or by e-mail, indicating the reference number of your reservation.

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

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 is authorised.  If you want to make sure that your child has a seat, then you must reserve a ticket (child fare).  Remember to bring along an identity card with a photo for the child (for information, contact your municipality).

All trains are equipped with a luggage compartment.  For extensive luggage, you can use the luggage room at the end of each carriage.  Three pieces of luggage at most are authorised per traveller (2 suitcases and 1 piece of hand luggage).

Once on board, you can store your luggage free of charge at your own responsibility, in:

• Luggage racks above the seats
• Luggage storage at the end of each carriage
• Free floor space between some seats which are installed back to back

The casing, volume and weight must be such that the traveller can carry the luggage and place them in the space intended for that purpose on the train, without hindering the movements of other travellers or of train personnel.  To comply with the regulations, luggage on board must bear an address card with the traveller’s forename and surname.

Check-in time for the Eurostar is 30 minutes before the scheduled time of departure if you have your tickets, or at least 45 minutes before the scheduled departure if you still have to pick up your tickets. 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 all other trains, although we recommend that you should be there 20 minutes before your train leaves.

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

For check-in and customs, all travellers, including children, need their identity card, passport and/or visa, including if you are travelling only between Brussels and Lille.

There are power outlets in first class on the conventional train to Amsterdam .  

In the Eurostar, there are British and European power outlets in all Business Premier and Leisure Select carriages so that you can for instance charge your mobile phone or save the batteries of your laptop.  There are also power outlets in the Standard carriages 5 and 14.  You can reserve in these latter carriages as you choose depending on availability.

The 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. 

If you use conventional trains to e.g. Amsterdam, Luxembourg, Lille, etc.  you are free to take the train you want on the date mentioned on the home-print ticket.  There is no time indicated on your home-print ticket, just as there is no time mentioned on a “normal” ticket. 

In concrete terms, if you do not get the train to Amsterdam, for instance, you can take the following train on that day without the slightest adaptation to your ticket.

To change your seats, you must contact your original point of purchase.

If you made your reservation on the website of SNCB Europe, please contact us at +32 (0)70 79 79 79 (€ 0.30/minute). You can of course also go to the train manager who can assign you other seats just before or immediately after departure (depending on availability).