Please get in touch with the local organisers if you need a letter of invitation for applying for a visa to enter Belgium.
By air
- From Brussels Zaventem Airport (BRU), you can travel by train to Louvain-la-Neuve station as early as 5:30 am. From Zaventem station, you can board the train for Brussels-North station, where you have to change trains to continue to Louvain-la-Neuve (not to be confused with Louvain, the French translation of Leuven). You can take the S8 train that goes directly to Louvain-la-Neuve. Otherwise, you can board the IC train to Ottignies and then take the connection to Louvain-la-Neuve. The train journey takes around 1 hour to 1.5 hours, depending on the connections.
- From Brussels Charleroi Airport (CRL), take the direct bus (TEC bus) to the Charleroi-South train Station. TEC bus A shuttle between Charleroi Airport and Charleroi-South Station (20 minutes travel time) every 30 minutes. From Charleroi-South Station, take a train to Louvain-la-Neuve, with one change in Ottignies. The train journey takes around 1 hour to 1 hour 40 minutes, depending on the connections. You may be able to buy a combined ticket for your bus and train journey
By train
- Louvain-la-Neuve station is directly linked to the railway junction of Ottignies, on the Brussels-Namur railway line, with two trains per hour in each direction, including the weekend.
- Louvain-la-Neuve is approximately 30 minutes from Brussels Central; change in Ottignies for the train to Louvain-la-Neuve (or take the S8 train that goes directly to Louvain-la-Neuve).
- If you travel from Namur or Charleroi, change in Ottignies for the train to Louvain-la-Neuve.
- If you travel from Luxembourg, change in Ottignies (if you take the EC 96 Iris or EC 90 Vauban train that originates in Switzerland, change in Namur for a train to Ottignies).
- If you travel from any other country, change to Brussels-Nord or Brussels-Midi. From there, you can get the train to Ottignies or Louvain-la-Neuve.
See the SNCB website for all the schedules.
Attention: Do not confuse Louvain-la-Neuve with Louvain (the French translation of the Flemish city of Leuven), which is a different city on a different railway line.
By taxi
- Taxis from Brussels Airport (Zaventem): Taxi details
- There are always taxis with a time meter in front of the arrivals hall. Tip: better to avoid taxis without the yellow-blue license marks!
- If you prefer to pre-book a taxi: Autolux. By choosing the return-trip formula between the airport and the Brussels-Capital Region, you benefit from fixed prices that offer a discount of 20% on average.
- A ride from Brussels Airport to the centre of Brussels costs around 45 euros and lasts approximately 25 minutes.
- The ride from the airport to Louvain-la-Neuve costs around 90 Euros and lasts approximately 30 minutes (from Brussels Zaventem) or 40 minutes (from Charleroi Airport).
By car
Take the E411 Brussels-Namur motorway to Louvain-la-Neuve
- If travelling from Brussels, take exit 8a
- If travelling from Namur, take exit 9.
At the Nationale 4 roundabout, follow the signs to Louvain-la-Neuve.
Limited parking slots are available in Louvain-la-Neuve. Some information is available on the UCLouvain website. If you need a visitor card to park in UCLouvain's reserved slots, please contact Carinne Mertens well in advance.
Participants staying near Brussels
- On weekdays, the train from Brussels Central to Louvain-la-Neuve (with one change in Ottignies) starts from 5.38 am.
- On weekdays, there is a direct train from Brussels Central to Louvain-la-Neuve every hour starting from 5.46 am.
- Given the starting time of the workshop, participants may want to take the 7.15 am S8 train from Brussels Central.