Everything you need to know about the tram in Brussels

Updated October 11, 2023 by pierre

Instructions for the Brussels tram!

Know that even if its official and correct name is "tramway", here everyone calls it " Tram“. Are you going to take the Brussels tram for the first time? Good choice! it is a rather efficient public transport system thanks to its 19 different lines. The total distance exceeds 215km in the Brussels-Capital Region. It was born on May 1, 1869, its first line connected the Porte de Namur to the Bois de la Cambre.

The Brussels tram has evolved a lot, so here is a short summary and instructions. In this article you will learn:

The most interesting trams for getting around Brussels
The different ways to pay for your tram ride in Brussels
How to pay for your tram journey by credit card directly on the tram

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1. The different tram lines in Brussels

In total Brussels has 19 tram lines. You obviously won't take them all. Three lines are interesting and deserve to be known to all tourists because they are very practical:

5 online – If you are thinking of going to Brupark, visit the Heizel, the Atomium ou Mini Europe, this line is an alternative to Metro 6
Lines 92/94 : it crosses the top of Brussels. You can use it to go from the Royal Palace and Brussels Park to the Courthouse and Avenue Louise (passing through the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium, the Notre-Dame du Sablon church)
Lines 81: it will take you from Saint-Gilles and the southern district to Montgommery to see the XNUMXth anniversary park.
tram 44: if you want to go to the African Museum and Tervuren

3. Brussels Tram Map

If you travel by public transport, it is better to look at the network plan in advance. There are great possibilities for getting around with the STIB in Brussels: bus, tram, metro… Here is the map of the STIB network

2. How do I pay for the tram in Brussels?

Now that you know where the trams go and their map, find out how to pay. Be aware that checks are sometimes frequent on certain lines. An oversight can cost you dearly…. It's easy to pay. Inside each vehicle: bus, tram or metro station there is a contactless ticket validator. Thanks to this, you can pay with your contactless card: Bancontact, Mastercard, visa, smartwatch and Smartphone with Google Pay, Apple Pay, Fitbit Pay and Garmin Pay etc… The red validator also reads MOBIB cards. If you do not want to pay “contactless”, the Mobib card can be purchased in advance.

How to pay with your bank card for the tram or bus?

If you want to pay with your contactless card, it's easy. All you need is a bank card (debit or credit). This contactless payment is a quick & easy way to pay. No more queues at the machine to buy a tram ticket.

If, after your journey, you wish to consult the amount paid, all you have to do is go to the website www.stib.be and create an account. You will then be able to see how much your journey cost you.

Where can I buy a Brussels MOBIB tram card?

If you don't have contactless payment or a bank card, to buy a ticket or a mobib card, all you have to do is go to a "GO machine" or STIB point of sale. Also some partner bookstores and supermarkets sell MOBIB cards