Departures
Thanks for joining us soon on an Expat Club trip!
If you registered for one of our trips, we will always send you more information in advance, including where and when we expect to meet with you. For daytrips this is normally 3 days before departure, and for longer trips 1 to 2 weeks. For trips that require some additional preparation from your side, such as those towards cold climates, we will send you specific information even further ahead of time. We always get very good feedback about these information emails.
Bus departure points
Our buses normally stop at various locations in Brussels, depending primarily on the trip destination. For almost all trips we meet at Place Schuman, but often we add an extra pick-up point to make it easier for you (e.g. Louise and Midi Station for trips to the Champagne and Paris). Below are the most important pick-up points (click on them for a Google Map street view).
For trips towards the North and East of, we often also stop at Meiser on the way back to Brussels since many live in Schaerbeek. This way you won’t have to walk back or take public transportation back from Schuman. When we come from the Southwest (Lille / Paris) we may also stop at Porte de Halle and Porte de Namur. When getting home is difficult, for instance because public transportation has already stopped, we normally try to organise someone from the group to take you home, to share a cab or Uber (much cheaper, check this for a €20 free credit).
Place Schuman
Place Schuman, or the Schuman roundabout is our standard departure point (next to the KBC Bank). It’s easy to reach by bus, metro and train. By metro, if you are going in the downtown direction, take a seat in the last car. Going to Montgomery, take a seat in the front car. If you leave the platform, you’re already on the right side of the station and just have to follow the exit “Justus Lipsius” and Bus 36. (streetview)
Avenue Tervuren / Montgomery
We usually don’t stop here, but in case Place Schuman is is closed off due to an EU summit, we use Montgomery as a pick-up point. Although the exact “corner” on this huge roundabout may vary per trip, we most often wait for you at the Southeast corner, which is on the side towards Tervuren. Check this well before you go there, because it’s very large and may take a few minutes to get from one side to the other. (streetview)
Louise Rondpoint
Our bus comes from the direction of Arts/Loi and Schuman, so you should wait at the pedestrian crossing right in front of Tiffany’s jewelry store and the Fratelli Rossetti fashion store. We only stop here if we go towards the South / Southwest, such as Paris, Lille and the Champagne. (streetview)
Gare du Midi / Rue de France
Wait at the “Charleroi Airport” bus-stops at the Southwest corner of the station. This is close to the Air France – Charles de Gaulle Airport TGV check-in desks on Rue de France. Note: Gare du Midi is very large and this particular meeting point is about 5 minutes walking from the Metro platform. We stop here if we go towards the Southwest, such as Paris and the Champagne. (streetview)
Ave d'Auderghem / La Chasse
For the many members that live in Etterbeek, we may be able to pick you up whenever we drive towards the E411 (Namur / Luxembourg) or South towards Waterloo, e.g to go to Paris. With the bus coming from Place Schuman, wait on the bus stop right before the La Chasse intersection on Avenue d’Auderghem. (streetview)
Metro Delta / Ave du Beaulieu
This is actually a few minutes walking from the station and in direction of the highway E411 entrance. We only stop here if we drive towards the directions of Namur and Luxembourg or Southbound towards Paris and the Champagne. Please wait at the bus stop on the right side of the street next to the big parking. Note: oftentimes people wait at the wrong side of the street near the other metro exit, so take a few minutes extra. (streetview)
Metro Hermann-Debroux
This is just a stone’s throw from Metro Hermann-Debroux and the stop for tram 8. Wait on the bus stop on Avenue Hermann-Debroux (the one under the bridge), right next to the Loxam Rental company and just before the Esso gas station. We only stop here if we drive towards Namur and Luxembourg, or if we go towards Waterloo and further South. (streetview)
E411 Exit 2 Hoeilaart / Jezus-Eik
Whenever we drive towards Namur or Luxembourg, we can make an exceptional stop along the E411 highway at exit #2 Hoeilaart to pick up those guests living in or near Jezus-Eik, Overijsse and Hoeilaart. We will keep you updated on the estimated arrival time and contact you where exactly you should wait. On our return we drop you on the other side of the highway. (streetview).
Metro Yser / Blv de Bauduin
Take metro exit 6: Avenue de l’Héliport & Place de l’Yser. Advice: if you come from the direction Arts/Loi and Rogier, make sure to sit in the front car so you are immediately at the correct side of the station. Wait at the long bus stop situated on the North side of the Leopold II tunnel entrance. We only stop here if we drive towards the West, such as Ghent and the French Coast. (streetview)
Metro Simonis / Blv Leopold II
On the Boulevard Leopold II, right above the railway tracks. Wait at the long bus stop on the main road that is in direction of the Basilique. From here you can take the metro towards Gare du Midi, Laken / Heisel or Louise. (streetview)
Basilique / Landsroemlaan
Whenever we drive towards the E40 to Ghent, we may make a last quick stop close to the traffic lights behind the Basilique. Make sure to wait on the right side of the street next to the traffic lights. (streetview)
Basilix Shopping Center
When we drive to Ghent and beyond (e.g. for the Opal Coast trips and the trips to England) we can also pick you up at the bus stop on Avenue Charles-Quint right before the intersection with Chaussée de Gand. (streetview)
Leuven E40 Texaco Service Station
When we go towards Liège over the E40, we may pick you up at the Texaco service station on the E40, just south of Leuven. We pick you up at the South station, but drop you off again at the North station (it’s a 10 minute walk over the bridge towards the other side). We will stop at the bus parking spots right before the gas station. (streetview)
Leuven E314 entrance #17
When we go towards Hasselt and beyond we can pick you up at the E314 highway entrance #17 Winksele / Brusselsesteenweg. Wait on the Leuven side of the bridge. We will stop only very shortly to pick you up. Upon our return we drop you on the other side of the highway bridge. NOTE: sometimes the bus stops here first before going to Brussels. In that case you must wait on the other side of the highway at the Brussels entrance! (streetview)
Leuven Tervuursevest
Whenever we drive towards Hasselt, we may stop in Leuven (depending on day/hour) at the Tervuursevest (streetview) or Tervuursepoort (streetview), or Kareelveld (streetview). If we drive towards Liège, we may stop at (streetview), or Naamsepoort (streetview), or Parkpoort (streetview), or Delaunoislaan (streetview). These stops are always upon request because it will take us 15-20 minutes extra each way.
Antwerp Lotto Arena / Sportpaleis
Whenever we drive towards Liège over the E40, we may pick you up at the Texaco service station on the E40, just south of Leuven. We pick you up at the South station, but drop you off again at the North station. We will stop at the bus parking spots right before the gas station. (streetview)
Antwerp Berchem Sint-Willibrordus
If we pass by Antwerp, we can pick you up at the bus stop on the Binnensingel (South-side, direction Berchem Station). This is on the intersection with the Grote Steenweg and very close to the tram stop Berchem Sint-Willibrordus, and on the other side of the street from the Axa Building. (streetview)
E40 Ghent exit #14
Whenever we drive towards the Belgian or French coast, we can pick up guests near the E40 highway at exit #14 on the Kortrijksesteenweg. The bus will “swing around” the KBC office building and stop in front of the Proximus store on the corner. Needless to say, we will keep you informed about the estimated arrival time. (streetview)
Brussels International Airport
For our trips by flight, we of course always try to leave from Brussels Airport itself. Unless there is no other option, we try to depart and arrive at decent times. So with Expat Club trips we are unlikely to leave at 07h00 in the morning, forcing you out of bed at 04h00 so you spend your first day in survival mode. Instead, flights leaving after 09h00 and coming back (well) before midnight will still give us a full day on day 1 and the last day. Sometimes we purposefully schedule flights on Friday evening, so you can simply take a trolley to your office and hop on board afterwork. We always send your ticket information a few days before so you can check-in yourself, or we send you the boarding pass directly. This way you have the freedom you need to start your trip in the most relaxed way possible. If you still have time, we would love to meet you for a quick welcome and possibly a coffee at Starbucks Café in the middle of the departure hall. After that you’re free to go and we’ll meet you again on-board and at the luggage belt upon arrival.
Brussels South - Charleroi Airport
Sometimes Brussels South – Charleroi Airport is the better option for us to fly from, for instance due to better flight times, a significant price difference or simply because that’s the only airport that offers a flight to our destination. In this case we meet at Place Schuman for a private (taxi) transfer to Charleroi Airport. There is no need to arrange transportation yourself with the regular transfer buses. Instead, you can already meet with other travelers. Upon return we of course will also have arranged the same service, with a drop-off at Place Schuman. Since often such flights are with low-cost airlines, we are trying to make the trip as comfortable as possible by offering you the option of the security fast-lane or speedy-boarding.
Gare du Midi
Although most of our trips are carried out by bus and some by flight, nothing is as relaxed as traveling by train. Within Belgium we organise a few trips by train, such as our kayaking trips on the Lesse, our visits to cities like Antwerp, Leuven, Ghent and Bruges, or our sailing trips starting from Oostende. For some longer trips we take the train, such as the ski trips in the French Alps (coming up) and our long weekend trips to Avignon and Arles in the Provence.
Whatever train we take and however long our journey, we always meet for a coffee and croissant before departure at the Pret A Manger café in the main terminal. It’s easy to find, just look out for “Sam the horse-zebra” and you’ll find us. For regular national trains you can also meet us 10 minutes before departure at the right platform (we normally sit in the front section), and for international departures it depends on whether we take the TGV/Thalys/ICE or the Eurostar. More information will be shared with you before departure.
