Eurostar booking is now open for the dates that TICTeC is running (10 -11 June), so it’s a great time to benefit from the best travel prices.
Even if you’re not coming from the UK, read on for advice on how to join us in Mechelen, easily, cheaply or sustainably — and ideally, all three!
From the UK
If you’re within reach of London, Eurostar is a great option: comfortable, speedy and above all, climate-friendly.
You can book a return ticket from London St Pancras, all the way to Mechelen: select the ‘Brussels-Midi/Zuid + Any Belgian Station’ ticket, including Antwerp, Bruges, Ghent and Liege.
It’s a two-hour journey by Eurostar to Brussels, where you’ll transfer to the train to Mechelen, just another 20 minutes.
Top tips:
- Before you snaffle up that super-cheap 08:14 Eurostar option, be aware that you’re advised to arrive 75 minutes before departure, in order to go through security. This slot is for the early birds only!
- On the way back, Eurostar check-in is a more relaxed 45 minutes ahead of departure. Grab a coffee and relax.
- If you have mobility or disability-related needs, check out Eurostar’s accessible travel page.
From Brussels
Brussels Midi/Zuid station
- Get the branch line train to Mechelen. These run every 15 minutes throughout the day, and many of them go on to Antwerp.
- If you’ve come on the Eurostar with a ‘+ any Belgian station’ ticket, no need to pay for this leg of the journey — it’s included.
- But if you’ve come from elsewhere, a standard ticket costs €5.50, and you can buy them either:
- on the SNCB app (we recommend downloading the app in advance, either for Apple or Google Play, and setting up your account/payment method before you travel). The app is in English and gives you platform numbers, delay notifications etc.
- or via a ticket machine at the station (they take cards and cash).
- Advice for those with accessibility needs is on the SNCB website.
Brussels airport
- Look for trains to Rotterdam or Antwerp – Mechelen is a stop on the way.
- A standard ticket costs €10.60.
- Check that you get a direct train: avoid those that require changing at Brussels North.
Top tips:
- Make sure you travel to Mechelen in Belgium — there’s also a town 113 km away in the Netherlands with the same name, and we don’t want anyone ending up there!
- Mechelen is also known as Malines, and you might see both names (“Malines/Mechelen”) on station announcements, when buying tickets etc.
- Get off at the main Mechelen/Malines station, not Mechelen-Nekkerspoel which is a suburban station.
When you arrive in Mechelen
- The Lamot Congress and Heritage Centre, where TICTeC is taking place, is at Van Beethovenstraat 8/10, 2800 Mechelen, Belgium — about a 15 minute walk from the station, 9 minutes by bus or 6-8 minutes by taxi.
- There is a taxi rank near the station exit on Koning Albertplein, or this page has phone numbers for taxi services.
- Details of travelling by bus in Mechelen are on this page, and you can plan your route here. The best option for the city centre and/or the conference centre is the number 1 bus, which runs as a shuttle — catch it by platform 9. You can pay with contactless ‘tap on’ (no need to tap off: all bus tickets last 60 minutes).
- Head to one of our recommended hotels: see the Accommodation section on this page for discount codes that will give you a special delegate rate. Mechelen is walkable and all these hotels are very close to the venue.
- Had the foresight to give yourself a bit of extra time in Mechelen? Great! See our post on things to do.
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Banner image: Frederic Köberl; Eurostar trains: Kitmasterbloke; train going through Amsterdam: Rob Dammers(CC by-sa/2.0); Mechelen station: Smiley Toerist (CC by-sa/4.0)
