Should you ever want to travel with your bike on a train in Belgium here are a couple of things to know.

You can take your bike on any non-high speed train in Belgium without booking in advance BUT…

• Most trains do not have dedicated cycle spaces, you will be putting your bike in the entrance gangway blocking access for other passengers – not good if the train is busy or there are many intermediate stops. On the small trains the guard may put them in the driver’s compartment.
• The platforms are often very low and it is a really steep climb up into the carriage. Very difficult if you have heavy touring bags – take them off first – or if you are on your own.
• You must buy a separate bike ticket before you board or you will have to pay a penalty fare. The catch is we couldn’t find the option for bike ticket on the platform ticket machine at an unmanned station. Euan and I got stung for €12 per bike (more than the fare), Ewan managed to sweet talk the guard out of charging but don’t rely on that!

As always check with The Man In Seat 61 for further advice.