The recommended option for reaching Geel by public transport is by train from Brussels Zaventem airport. From the arrivals level, head to level -1 (train station, bottom level). There are connections to Geel every hour, with a change in Antwerpen-Berchem. The train schedule from ‘Zaventem (airport)’ to ‘Geel’ can be consulted on the Belgian Railway website.
The cost of a one-way ticket is 18.50€. Tickets can be bought at the ticket machines in the airport baggage claim area or at the train station level. Since tickets are valid for any train on a specific route on the given day, you may also buy them online in advance if you wish.
Please note that the last connection to Geel leaves around 21:30, so plan your flights to arrive well in advance of that time to avoid unpleasant surprises.
On Friday, the bus from the JRC will stop at the Geel train station in time to catch the 16:06 train in direction Brussels airport via Antwerpen-Berchem (scheduled arrival at the airport around 17:20).
Other options
Flying to Amsterdam Schiphol is also possible, but the train journey to Geel takes about double the time. You can consult train connections from Schiphol to Geel on Belgian or Dutch rail.
If you plan to rent a car, Brussels Zaventem is a 1 hour drive and Amsterdam Schiphol a 2 hour drive from Geel. Additional options may be to fly to Eindhoven, Charleroi (Ryanair hub), Düsseldorf or Maastricht (all up to 2 hours’ drive from Geel, but not necessarily practical via public transport).
