Brussels Train to Libramont, then bus to Bastogne

MisterSteve
Traveller
896 comments

The answer to the question is that the Libramont bus stop is right outside the railway station and you can buy tickets from the driver (it costs a few cents more but for an odd journey it's not worth bothering with other options).

BUT you are not taking a high speed train by European standards, it's an ordinary service. And unless you have a reason to be in Libramont this is not the fastest way to Bastogne. The same trains (33 minutes past the hour from Midi) stop earlier at Marloie from where the express bus route E78 goes to Bastogne, will save around 40 minutes compared to via Libramont. If this is a day trip buy a day ticket for the bus, saves €3 per person.

schumach1wvi-com
Traveller
4 comments

Is it possible to take a direct train from Brussels Midi Station to Bastogne without having to take a bus? I just want to make the travel as simple as possible. Thank You very much for for help so far.

MisterSteve
Traveller
896 comments

The final section of passenger railway to Bastogne was closed in 1993. The two railway stations in town are both now converted to bus hubs.

There are two points to note from what I wrote earlier.

The E78 bus does not run on Sundays or holidays, on those days you must take the longer route via Libramont and then bus 6 to Bastogne. This route is less than two years old and may not appear in guide books (or old websites).

If you are travelling to see the military sights the terminus of the E78 is Bastogne Sud which is at the end of the same street as the 101st Airborne Museum and then a little further to the Patton memorial. However, the large Mardasson memorial is the terminus of most 6's from Libramont which call at Bastonge Sud a few minutes earlier. To go from Brussels to Mardasson without visiting anywhere in town you may as well go the long way round via Libramont because the time you save in reaching Bastogne Sud earlier will be spent waiting for the 6 from Libramont to catch up with you!

Do not be tempted by the bus stop called Bastogne Station which is way outside of town at an industrial area.

MisterSteve
Traveller
896 comments

... "This route is less than two years old" means the E78

schumach1wvi-com
Traveller
4 comments

I like your suggestion of taking the train from Brussels Midi Station (our hotei is a 2 minute walk to there), to Marlole, then taking the Express Bus Route E-78 to Bastogne. We are staying the Hotel Melba which they said is 300 meters from the Bastogne- Gare du Sud.
Is that where the Express Bus E-78 stops in Bastogne? Again, thanks for all you advise.

nltrainer
Traveller
1333 comments

The buses in the french/wallon part of BE are all as TEC-yellow with red blocks. In such smaller towns the stops are ALWays just outside the trains and very clearly marked. In the villages they will do more as 1 stop-on the www timetable you can find which ones, with route maps too.
There is (was?) also an even faster express (yes, hi-speed for bus) TEC from Namen=Namur direct to Bastenaken=Bastogne (also very famous for its brown sugary/spicy cookies), but onle 2 or 3/day mo-fr only. AND here is-if you do not want to come back same way-an upgraded new express bus now hourly, nr 1011, Luik=Liëge-Bastogne-Arlon=Aarlen.
TEC offers very, very cheap yearly seasons for seniors>65 (used even to be free some yrs ago), but for just a single visit its not worth all that trouble.
BE is very much bi-lingual to the extreme, so I also used both names.
B also has an hourly bus to LUXembourg,country, to WILTZ-then Esch/Alzette, its free in LUX but cost 2 or 3€ for the part inside BE.

MisterSteve
Traveller
896 comments

The Hotel Melba is very close to the Bastogne Sud bus hub, in fact the rooms at the back may be able to see the buses! Although the E78 journey I chekced to see how efficient the train-bus connection was terminated at Sud the route actually goes to on to the next stop at the old Nord railway station which is also known as Bastogne Pépinière. It would be really difficult to miss the stop at Sud, I'm not sure which road the E78 uses for access but either your hotel or the 101st Museum will be on the right just before you arrive - and the bus hub building does look like an old railway station building.

TECs network had some major changes during the last two years and even their own website has network maps which are out of date and show routes that no longer exist and the new Express routes are missing. But they do at least have updated schedules to refer to the E78 is here https://www.letec.be/Planning/DownloadDocument/13007?DocName=Valable-à-partir-du-1-septembre-2022
pages with SCOLAIRE in the heading are schooldays, VACANCES are school holidays and SAMEDIS are Saturdays. There is no viable service on Sundays or public holidays

schumach1wvi-com
Traveller
4 comments

To get to Luxembourg City from Bastogne, it looks like there is a direct bus, without going to Arlon and having to switch to a train to get there?

MisterSteve
Traveller
896 comments

Flixbus do run from Bastogne to Luxembourg but only once or twice a day, if you find a schedule that works for you then go for it! The good news is that their stop is once again the Bastogne Sud bus hub (look for the green sign for the actual waiting place) so you won't have far to walk. It's good you used the name Luxembourg City, because Luxembourg is not only used as the name of a city and a country but also a province of Belgium (which Bastogne is in) so things can get a bit confusing. The Flixbus stop in Luxembourg city is not central but a Park & Ride terminal on the southern fringe. The good news is that all local public transport WITHIN Luxembourg (country) is free (bus, tram, 2nd class train) -does not include Flixbus or trains that do not stop between Luxembourg city and the border.

schumach1wvi-com
Traveller
4 comments

Thank you very much for all your help…it is very much appreciated!

MisterSteve
Traveller
896 comments

I forgot to mention, Flixbus should be booked on line and early bookings get cheaper prices. www.flixbus.com

MisterSteve
Traveller
896 comments

servicepharmaceutique is a spammer and probably a liar who had never made this journey.