Getting to Ostend by Train: Routes, Tickets and Tips

Ostend is one of the easiest places on the Belgian coast to reach without a car. The railway runs right to the edge of the old town and the harbour, there is a direct train from Brussels every hour, and from London you can be on the beach in about four hours. Here is everything you need: routes and journey times, how fares work since the 2025 shake-up, and how to get around once you arrive.

At a glance

• From Brussels: a direct train every hour, about 70 minutes from Brussels-Midi.
• From Bruges: about three trains an hour, 13 to 15 minutes.
• From London: Eurostar to Brussels-Midi, then a connecting train; about 3 h 45 to 4 h 15 in total, bookable in one go on eurostar.com.
• Fares: Brussels–Ostend costs €21.30 one way on a weekday and €14.90 at weekends (adult, second class, October 2026). Under-26s and over-65s get 40% off, and children under 12 travel free with an adult.
• The station is about a 10-minute walk from the main square and 15 minutes from the beach, with the coast tram right outside.

Direct trains to Ostend

Three intercity lines serve Ostend, and every one of them stops in Bruges, so there are roughly three trains an hour between the two cities. Typical journey times outside the rush hour:

The first direct train from Ostend to Brussels leaves at about 05:35. The last direct train from Brussels-Midi to Ostend leaves at about 23:00, so a day trip or an evening in the capital is easy.

From London by Eurostar

The old Eurostar ticket to any Belgian station was withdrawn in 2025. Instead, you can now book Ostend as your destination directly on eurostar.com or in the Eurostar app: you get two tickets in one booking, a Eurostar ticket to Brussels-Midi and an SNCB ticket for the connection.

• Journey time: about 3 h 45 to 4 h 15 from London St Pancras, with one change at Brussels-Midi.
• Flexible connection: the SNCB ticket is valid on any SNCB train to Ostend that day, so a delayed Eurostar is not a problem.
• At Brussels-Midi: walk to the end of the platform, go into the main hall and check the departure boards for Oostende. There is no further passport check.
• Price: fares vary with demand. In a sample search for November 2026, London to Ostend started at about £97 one way in Standard.

Coming from Paris, Amsterdam or Cologne works the same way, with a change in Brussels: allow about 3 hours from Paris and about 3 h 40 from Amsterdam or Cologne. You can also buy the Eurostar and the Belgian train ticket separately.

Tickets and fares

Belgian railways (SNCB, or NMBS in Dutch) overhauled their fares in October 2025, so older advice about weekend returns, the Standard Multi or the Senior Ticket no longer applies. This is how it works now:

• Adults (26–64) pay the standard fare on weekdays and 30% less on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays. The weekend discount no longer starts on Friday evening.
• Under-26s and over-65s get 40% off at any time, applied automatically.
• Children under 12 travel free with a ticket-holding passenger aged 12 or over (up to four children each).
• Groups: the Mini Group ticket gives 4 to 14 people travelling together 40% off outside the rush hour and at weekends.
• Train+ is a discount pass (€6 a month or €48 a year for adults) worth considering if you take the train often: it cuts off-peak fares by 40% and caps a second-class single at €14.

Buy your ticket in the SNCB app, on belgiantrain.be, at a ticket machine or at the ticket office before you board. Peak hours, when Train+ discounts do not apply, are 06:01–08:59 and 16:01–17:59 on weekdays.

Bikes and dogs

• Bikes: a bike supplement costs €3 per journey outside the rush hour and at weekends, €5 at peak times. Folded folding bikes travel free. You load the bike yourself, and if the bike spaces are full you have to wait for the next train.
• Dogs: a dog on a lead needs a €3 pet supplement; small pets in a basket or crate travel free, as do assistance dogs.

Ostend station

Ostend station (Natiënkaai 1) is a grand building from the early twentieth century, designed by the Ghent architects Otten and Seulen as the railway’s sea station, with the quays of the old ferry port next door. It stands on the edge of the historic centre, beside the harbour docks and the Mercator sailing ship.

• Opening hours: the station hall is open daily from 04:15 to 23:15; the ticket office from 07:00 to 19:45. There are ticket machines too.
• Luggage lockers: from €5 a day for a small bag to €14.50 for a large suitcase, handy for a day trip or late check-out.
• Accessibility: there is a lift to the platforms and accessible toilets. Free assistance can be booked up to three hours ahead for direct journeys from major stations such as Brussels and Bruges, or 24 hours ahead otherwise, via the SNCB Assist app or on +32 2 607 30 00.
• Also at the station: taxis, paid toilets, bike parking with a bike point, and the coast tram and De Lijn buses right outside.

From the station into town

Coast tram

The Kusttram, the coast tram, runs the full length of the Belgian coast from De Panne to Knokke, and the Oostende Station stop is right next to the railway station. Trams run every 10 to 20 minutes during the day, depending on the season, and every 30 minutes in the evening. Useful Ostend stops include Marie-Joséplein and Koninginnelaan for the beach, Renbaan for the racecourse and Raversijde for the Atlantikwall. Until 18 December 2026 the Oosteroever stop is closed; use the temporary stop on the Dokter Eduard Morauxlaan.

A single ticket costs €3 and is valid for 60 minutes, a day ticket €9 and a three-day ticket €18; children under 6 travel free with a paying passenger. The simplest option is to tap a contactless bank card or phone on the white reader when you board.

Free harbour ferry

To reach the Oosteroever, Fort Napoleon and the quieter beach on the east side of the harbour, take the free ferry from the Visserskaai, about eight minutes’ walk from the station. From 1 October 2026 to 31 March 2027 it runs daily from 07:45, with the last crossing back to the city centre at 18:05; from April the boats run until about 20:50, and later in July and August. It takes bikes and wheelchairs.

Shared bikes

Blue-bike has a station in the underground bike park at Ostend station, with ordinary bikes and e-bikes. Without a membership, a city bike costs €2 per half hour, up to €6 for 12 hours; an e-bike €4 per half hour. You rent through the Blue-bike app and return the bike to the same station.

Official information

• SNCB: Ostend station
• SNCB: adult fares
• Eurostar: connecting trains in Belgium
• De Lijn: the coast tram
• Harbour ferry timetable
• Blue-bike rates