Practical information

Travel to Leuven

By plane

  • Brussels Airport (28 km from Leuven)

Leuven is approximately a 15 minutes train ride from the Belgian National Airport of Zaventem. The airport has its own train station (Brussels National Airport), with direct trains to Leuven. The station is underneath the airport and is accessed via lifts and escalators in the arrivals hall. Several car hire companies also operate from Brussels Airport.

  • Brussels South Charleroi Airport (90 km from Leuven)

Leuven is a one hour train ride from Brussels South Charleroi Airport. There are busses from the airport to Charleroi railway station and trains from Charleroi to Brussels and then onto Leuven. Several car hire companies also operate from Charleroi Airport.

By train

The train station is situated very close to the town centre. Leuven is a 20-minute train ride from Brussels South, 35 minutes from Liège.
International connections:

  • By Thalys to Brussels South:
    • From Paris Nord: 1.5 hours
    • From Amsterdam: 2 hours
    • From Cologne: 2 hours
  • By Eurostar to Brussels South:
    • From London: 2,5 hours

Interesting websites: 

By car

Leuven is located at the junction of two motorways: the E40 and the E314. The 'P' signposts will guide you to the different car parks.

By bus

Accommodation

Students who wish to stay in the Irish College Leuven during this course, can stay from Sunday 11January to Saturday 31 January 2026. KU Leuven has pre-booked duplex and twin rooms, although there are single rooms available as well. The registration form is available by clicking the button below. 

Reservation form

Leuven has over 1000 rooms in various price ranges. Most accommodation is conveniently located in the vicinity of the center of Leuven. Hotels, B&B's, and youth hostels will all warmly welcome you. 

We advise you not to wait too long to book your accommodation in Leuven.

A list of hotels can be found here.

Youth hostels in Leuven: 

  • De Blauwput Leuven | Martelarenlaan 11a | 3000 Leuven
  • Leuven City Hostel | Ravenstraat 37 | 3000 Leuven
  • Hostel Sint Jacob | Brusselsestraat 125 | 3000 Leuven

University Guesthouses:

B&B's in Leuven:

Visa information

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