Practical information

Looking for ways to get to Brussels for WCEF2024 and a place to stay during the forum? Have a look at our tips and useful links.

The World Circular Economy Forum 2024 event will be organised on 15–16 April 2024 at the SQUARE Brussels Meeting Centre. Located in Brussels, Belgium the SQUARE very conveniently sits next door to the main transport hub of Brussels – the Central Station – where train, tram, metro and bus lines all meet. The fast train to the international Brussels Airport takes less than half an hour.

The venue’s location provides an excellent opportunity to use more environmentally friendly travel options such as rail or bus. To minimise the event’s emissions, we recommend this to all participants for whom it’s possible. In addition to being environmentally friendly, travelling by land offers a unique experience and a way to inspire others about social change. Read more about the environmental impact of travelling by land compared to flying.

Travel info

From the International Brussels Airport you will find a train station and the bus stops are within walking distance from the terminal. From the airport, you will also find car rental and car sharing services, as well as taxi services.

Read more about required travel documents. Please note that in some countries visa applications may take several weeks to process.

We recommend that all participants compensate the CO₂ emissions of their flights, for example, through the airline or from a separate service provider, such as Atmosfair or Gold Standard Market.

Travelling to and from the airport

There are many ways to get from Brussels Airport to SQUARE and the centre of Brussels. We recommend using public transport.

By train

The easiest and fastest option to travel to SQUARE from the Brussels Airport is by train – in just 17 minutes you can be at Brussels Central. The train station is at the heart of the airport and there are up to 8 trains per hour from and to Brussels.

You will find the train station directly under the Departure and Arrival Halls of the airport (level -1). You need a valid ticket to/from Brussels Airport and when you pay the standard ticket price the airport tax “Diabolo” is included.

Find route options for train and bus travel in Europe, compare prizes and book tickets: Rome to Rio, the Trainline, Omio
Explore train travel options with interrail discounts: Interrail Europe
Buy tickets to German trains: Bahn.de

By bus

The bus station is located one floor down from the Arrivals Hall, at level 0. The escalator or elevator provides easy access to the bus station.

STIB Line 12, also known as the “Airport Line”, takes you from Brussels Airport to the European district in 30 minutes. To travel from the airport to the centre of Brussels, you will need a specific “Go2City” ticket. From Brussels city centre to the airport, you can travel with a ticket at a standard fare. You can buy the ticket for the Airport Line from the bus itself (€7), a paper ticket from the GO vending machines (€7.5) or with MOBIB card (€7).

By taxi

We recommend you do not use unlicensed taxis. You can recognise an official taxi by the T license plate and the blue-yellow symbol at the front of the taxi.

If you have not already booked a taxi, there is a clearly organised taxi queue just in front of the arrivals hall. Here are some of the taxi companies that are partners of the Brussels Airport.

Rental cars and car sharing

Rental cars and car sharing services are within a walking distance from the airport. Here is more information about the rental and car sharing services.

Public transportation in and around Brussels

STIB, or in French “MIVB”, is responsible for all public transport buses, trams and metro lines in the Brussels Region.

You can pay contactless on the whole STIB-MIVB network. A single fare is €2.10. This is cheaper than a paper ticket (which costs €2.60). Every connection within 60 minutes from the first validation is free of charge, and the maximum amount per day is €7.50. It means that the daily limit is reached from your fourth trip on the same day and that every additional trip is free of charge.

One journey ticket is valid on the entire STIB-MIVB network (bus, tram and metro), except on bus line 12 when departing from Brussels Airport and heading to Brussels city centre.

You can purchase your tickets and season tickets from GO vending machines. All the metro stations and the main bus and tram stops have been fitted with these machines. The Red GO machines offer every purchase and reload option (and accept cash payment), while you can use the Blue GO machines to load tickets (on a MOBIB basic and personal card) and season tickets (on a personal MOBIB card).

You can also buy STIB-MIVB tickets or get a MOBIB card from sales outlets (BOOTIK, KIOSK, SHOP).

You can also discover the city by bike with Villo! rental bikes.

Useful timetable sites

Journey planner – A journey planning service provided by STIB-MIVB to the public transportation in Brussels
Train timetables – provided by the National Railway Company of Belgium “NMBS/SNCB”
Long distance bus timetables – provided by De Lijn and FlixBus

Accommodation

We have negotiated special rates on a limited number of rooms at several hotels for conference participants. A dedicated website for hotel bookings at a pre-negotiated price is now available for forum participants. Please note that participants are responsible for all travel and accommodation expenses. See all accommodations listed by Visit Brussels.

All selected hotels are committed to minimising environmental stress and to developing sustainable solutions. More information is available on the hotel websites.

Venue: SQUARE Brussels Meeting Centre

WCEF2024 will be hosted at SQUARE Brussels Meeting Centre (Glass Entrance Mont des Arts/Kunstberg B-1000 Brussels, Brussels), in the historical and cultural heart of the city, very close to the centre of European government.

SQUARE provides free wifi connections to all its visitors.

SQUARE holds the first star of the Ecodynamic label which is awarded by the Brussels Environment agency. In August 2019, SQUARE also achieved ISO 20121 event sustainability certification as recognition by the industry for their continued efforts in creating green events. The venue strives to set an example for good environmental practices by considering climate change and biodiversity loss mitigation in their food and beverage services, waste management, energy and water consumption and transportation.

Brussels – Host city of WCEF2024

Brussels is a city brimming with rich history, stunning architecture, delectable gastronomy and vibrant culture, to name just a few of its enchanting attributes. This bustling city has a warm and welcoming atmosphere and there is always something exciting happening.

Some notable sights to see in Brussels include:

Read more about Brussels, the city’s climate plan and must-see sights.