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It is good keeping in mind that none of the budget airlines (Ryanair or Wizz Air) land in Brussels' International Airport, but at Brussels South Charleroi Airport - which is 55 km (34 miles) away from Brussels center. However, you still have a few options to get into to city:

• Transfer - Probably the quickest, most comfortable but most expensive option.
• Taxi - It has the same attributes as a transfe.
• Bus - It's more affordable option (however the prices are still not low - I'm mentioning this to manage the expectations).
  • Terravision bus - it takes 55 min to get to Brussels, a single fare is € 18.99. You can buy online tickets here, but good luck with that as we tried searching on our dates and there wasn't even a slot to book.
  • Flibco bus - this is a shuttle service between the airport and Gare du Midi, which is the central train station in Brussels. It also takes 55 min getting to the center and it runs in every 30 minutes. A single fare is € 19,95 but if you purchase retour tickets you save € 2 (making it € 37,9)! Online tickets are available here but there are plenty of ticket machins on the spot.

I do genuinely think, that the accommodation is one of the most delicate choice you make when you travel, since we all have a million different aspect based on we are searching for a place to sleep. Our criteria was the following:

• walking distance from Gare du Midi (where the Flibco bus arrives) - 15-20 min
• walking distance from the old town (where the Manneken Pis is) - 5-8 min
• Wizz credits are available - meaning that we reached Booking through the Wizz site so after the booking we could get 5% of the fare back in Wizz points
• bakery and eating facilities (diners, street food or restaurants) are available

Based on this we chose Hotel Barry Brussels. Let me draw your attention on something: the a Bd Maurice Lemonnier is not necessarily the nicest. We felt safe, but indeed it's not what you expect just right next to the historical center.

I'll be honest: we just never go for these type of city cards. I'll always have a comparison 'what if' but at the end we always end up not choosing them. The Brussels Card doesn't include the public transport, the Mini Europe tickets are reduced only by 20%, while neither the Atomium nor the Comic Figurine Museum is included. Below is my comparison:

We've used public transport only once (going to the Atomium) but I collected a few useful things for you:

• The official site is this.
• If you have smart watch, smartphone or contactless bank card, you can pay with these at the stations. More info here.
• For this your bank will temporarily put a daily rate (€ 8,40) on hold in your account but will refund the remaining you haven't used.
• If you pay this way, you cannot buy tickets for others. Just for yourself.
• A single fare is € 2,30 what you have to validate when boarding. Changing is possible within 60 minutes but you'll need to validate the ticket (or tap your phone) every time you board.
• The daily maximum fare is € 8,40. If you travel more, the rest is free of charge.
• Children under 6 years of age can travel for free when they are accompanied by a person older than 12 years of age.
• Google Maps is working just fine.

I share our itinerary in a very compact way. I draw your attention to the minutes in brackets - indicating the time we spent with walking. This is why I genuinely recommend Brussels with small kids as well: the city center is super walkable.

DAY 1

✈️ Charleroi Airport - with Flibco bus to Gare du Midi - walk to the hotel (15 min)

🏰 Pleasant walk to the Royal Palace (20 min) and Mount of Arts (5 min).

🦪🍟 On the way back we had street food dinner at Grand Sablon)  - French fries and oysters. (15-20 min)

You can check out the first vlog here.

DAY 2

👶🏼From Hotel to Manekken Pis (8 min)

🎨 but along the way we passed quite a few murals which are part of the Comic Book Route (completely free)

🍫 Visited the ChocoStory Museum literally 1 min walk from Manekken Pis - prepare for sugar rush!

🏛️ Walked to Grand Place (4 min) and had a small touch on Everard t’Serclaes’s arm.

👧🏼 Checked out Janneke Pis as well (4 min walk)

🐺🍽️ Then headed towards Wolf sharing food market to have a nice lunch (5 min walk)

⛪️🧸 We passed by the Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula (5 min) while we reached the Comic Figurine Museum (5 min)

☕️ We stopped for an afternoon coffee and a quick playground date but headed to the hotel for some rest (15 min)

You can find the second vlog here.

DAY 3

🗼 Hopped on the tram and headed to Atomium (40 min with tram)

🗺️ Also visited Mini Europe which is right next to Atomium

🏫 Since we spent 5 hours here we needed food, but if you are up to you can visit the Design Museum as well next to them

🍴🚶🏼‍➡️Had a late lunch and then we had a cozy walk in the city center letting us the wander around

DAY 4

🧇✈️ Slow waffle breakfast for starters and then headed to the airport

Check out the last vlog here.

The Belgian gastronomy is something to die for. But at least have a tear drop in your eyes. Of course we were already drooling when we planned this trip. I won't lie, for me the oysters had the biggest impact, as a newbie oysters eater. Don't crucify me, but I liked it with hot sauce as well. But what else are on the plate when you're in Brussels? Watch this video for some fun and read the below list.

🧇 Waffles - Did you know that there are Belgian and Brussels waffles? And that they are not the same? Brussels waffles are light, airy, crispy, rectangular, sweet waffles. Belgian waffles are denser, sweeter, with caramelized sugar grains in the dough.

🍬 Couberdon - A hat-shaped Belgian jelly candy, originally dark purple - violet-raspberry flavor - but now available in a million flavors.

🍟 French fries - We ate them several times, they were all very good, but one thing that stood out was their almost buttery flavor. They were crispy on the outside, but not overly browned, and crumbly and flavorful on the inside.

🍫 Chocolate - Belgian chocolate is justly famous, we tasted most of it at the Choco Story museum - it was all divine.

🦪 Oysters - I ate them for the first time in my life, I can't compare whether they were good or not. I liked them, I put hot sauce on them, which made them even better (sorry if I'm a gourmet barbarian), and everyone around us ate/praised them, so I think they were of good quality.

🍺 Belgian beer - I don't drink alcohol, or rather, I don't drink alcohol. I licked some in my husband's beer, it was pretty strong stuff, for sure - but it didn't taste bad. You're not on the right page for beer analytics, though. 🙂

🥪 Brioche burger - We had this at Bros Burger. The hamburg ingredient was sandwiched between two buttered, toasted brioche-like buns. It was divine!

🌯 Mitraillette - We couldn't taste this anymore, if you come across it, definitely give it a chance!

🐚 Clams - Oysters caught my attention on the first day, so my shellfish toothache was much less, so I skipped this - but they are supposedly divine. Especially in the summer when they are fresh in season.

As for food, allow me to make a recommendation - which I already shared in the itinerary. The Wolf Sharing Food Market is a real community place, where we saw a surprising number of locals. Its concept is similar to the recently opened Time Out Market in Budapest: you will find several service providers' stands here, they give you a beeper when you order and there is a communal space to eat the food. French fries, buns, pizza, Asian food, vegan specialties, real Belgian beer - the selection is huge (this is always a great option with children).

• Address: Rue du Fossé aux Loups 50, 1000 Bruxelles, Belgium
• No entrance fee, consumption based
• Opening hours: Monday-Thursday and Sunday 12:00-22:00 / Friday-Saturday 12:00-23:00
• Website / Brussels website

I'd say it's subjective what tickles your child-friendliness meter. As for us, we both cherish those well-curated programs which are dedicated to children from the start, e.g. the chocolate museum, just as much as those which were not marketed for children per se—however, they still give the best experience for families, e.g. hunting down the famous comic book murals on the streets of Brussels. I collected a few of our favorites to show how great Brussels is for families.

 

ChocoStory – How many cocoa beans would you give for a bunny?

When I planned our Brussels trip, I knew I would like to include some chocolate experience for us! I booked this experience through @GetYourGuide and, let’s be honest: it surpassed our expectations. 🤩 (If you haven’t already downloaded the app, you can go ahead through this link and don’t forget to use my code JUSTDIARIESTRAVEL5 for a 5% discount on your first booking!) During the walk, you get a glimpse of the history of chocolate through videos and interactive activities. But the very best part is at the end: the chocolate tasting! 🍫

• Open every day between 10–17:00
• Website
• Tickets: Adult € 14.00 / Kid (3–11) € 8.00 / Baby (0–2) free / Senior (65+) € 12.00
• Reels video – and here the answer is also revealed: how many cocoa beans a bunny is worth

During our 5-day stay, the jolly joker clothing combo for our daughter was the Möbius convertible set. We love it because, besides the fact that it has the softest touch on the inside, the arm part of the cardigan can be removed—leaving us with a perfect vest. In May, the Belgian weather made us try out all the combinations. For my Hungarian followers, I have a code for 10% off: ESZTI10 (valid for all items in the webshop above 10,000 HUF).

 

Comic Figurine Museum

Here, you can truly step into a time-travel experience—not only children, but adults as well can relive the joy of childhood fandom. The museum showcases a unique private collection where the most iconic Belgian heroes—such as Tintin, Spirou, and the Smurfs—share space with American icons like Spider-Man and Batman, as well as characters from Japanese manga.

Alongside the figures displayed in glass cases, there are many life-size statues, and screenings take place in several areas. We enjoyed it even as adults—although Marsupilami was never my favorite cartoon, it was still amusing to be greeted again by the yellow creature from my memories. That said, the Smurfs sparked the greatest interest in our tiny family of three.

• Wednesday–Thursday: closed; Friday to Tuesday: open daily from 10:30 to 18:00
• Website
• Tickets: Adult € 14.90 / Youth € 10.90 / Child (4–12) € 5.00 / Under 3 years free

 

Manekken Pis

Of course, we couldn’t skip the camera-friendly little peeing boy either. But where does the story of this peculiar figure actually come from? In the early 17th century, Manneken Pis wasn’t nearly this popular yet—it was a simple medieval fountain decoration, much like several similar statues that once adorned the city. The statue as we know it today was created by Jérôme Duquesnoy l’Ancien in 1619, and from there its conquering journey began.

Over the years, the little boy has become one of Brussels’ symbols—not only cute, but also cheeky, rebellious, and endearingly impudent, just like the city itself. It’s fascinating how extensive his wardrobe is, despite being a statue. There’s even a separate museum dedicated to his “outfits,” which we skipped this time, but I’m leaving it here as a reminder. The very first outfit was given to him back in 1698 by the Elector of Bavaria.

Fame, however, comes at a price: the statue you see today is no longer the original. The original is now kept safely in the Brussels City Museum, in the royal building on the Grand-Place.

• No opening hours, free to visit

 

Jeanneke Pis

If we’ve already seen the boy, we had to see the girl too! Many people call Jeanneke Pis the sister of Manneken Pis, but the story is far more interesting than that. The small bronze statue—only 50 centimeters tall—sits in the basin of a tiny fountain and was conceived in 1985 by Brussels-based artist Denis-Adrien Debouvrie. Debouvrie was not only a sculptor, but also the owner of several restaurants in the Îlot Sacré district, in the very heart of Brussels’ historic city center. Jeanneke was unveiled in 1987, and not just in any company: the event was attended by Cicciolina, the infamous Italian porn star, who helped cement the statue’s legendary status.

So why was Jeanneke Pis created in the first place? Debouvrie’s goal went beyond adding another tourist attraction. On the one hand, he wanted to bring life to the slightly forgotten, narrow dead-end street where the statue stands; on the other, he aimed to draw attention to gender equality—after all, for centuries it had only been Manneken Pis representing Brussels.

• No opening hours, free to visit

Atomium

It was built for the 1958 Brussels World Expo, positioned somewhere between sculpture and architecture. It represents nine iron atoms enlarged 65 billion times. Some of the spheres are open to visitors, housing a circular panoramic viewpoint, a restaurant, exhibitions, and light installations. We absolutely loved it—especially the observation deck and the unique audiovisual effects.

• Open daily from 10:00 to 18:00
• Tickets: Adult € 16.00 / Child € 8.50 (up to 17 years old, over 115 cm) / Baby free (under 115 cm)
• 20% discount with the Brussels Card
• Website

Mini Europe

If we are to believe the brochure, you can see the most famous buildings of the European Union and England at a 1:25 scale. We watched Mount Vesuvius erupt, chased a robber through Paris, put people in the sauna in Finland, had a clown troll a medieval jousting tournament, and even found the Széchenyi Thermal Bath—much to our surprise, it was featured instead of the Hungarian Parliament.

• Wednesday–Thursday: closed; Friday to Tuesday: open daily from 09:30 to 19:00
• Tickets: Adult € 20.40 / Child € 14.50 / Under 115 cm free
• 20% discount with the Brussels Card
• Web

There is also an option to buy a combined ticket valid for the Atomium and Mini-Europe (+ Design Museum):

• Adult € 34.00 (€ 32.60 online)
• Youth (12–18): € 26.60 (€ 25.40 online)
• Child (over 115 cm, up to 11 years): € 21.90 (€20.70 online)
• Baby (under 115 cm): € 0.35

Comic book route  - murals

Brussels is not only the home of chocolate, waffles, and fries, but also of comics. The Brussels Comic Strip Route is a unique, city-wide outdoor gallery featuring more than 80 murals. These colorful artworks decorate building walls across the city center as well as in the Laeken and Auderghem districts, bringing some of the most beloved comic heroes to life.

As you stroll through the streets, Tintin, Asterix, Lucky Luke, Spike and Suzy, and many more iconic characters greet you—as if the city itself were one giant, open comic book. The initiative started in 1991 and has been steadily growing ever since: every year brings new murals, so there’s always something new to discover.

This walk is free, can be explored at your own pace, and is the perfect way to experience the vibrant atmosphere of Brussels—simultaneously a cultural adventure, an urban exploration, and an outdoor art exhibition. Simply ideal for children!

You can find a list and map of the murals at this link. For more reading, check out this link.

Accommodation: € 470 / 3 nights, central

Flight for 3 people, round trip: € 110

Flibco bus for 3 people, round trip: € 113

BREAKFAST Bakery (4 pastries, 1 coffee): € 8

BREAKFAST Waffles (4 types, 1 coffee): € 31

LUNCH Panini, muffin, coffee, juice: € 24

LUNCH Wolf street food (bun, fries, sushi, beer, lime): € 40

DINNER Baguettes: € 5-6

DINNER (Burger, brioche, chicken schnitzel, fries, drink, shake): € 50

French fries: € 4-8

Oysters: € 10

ENTRANCE Comic figurines for 3 people: € 34,80

ENTRANCE Choco Story for 3 people: € 41

ENTRANCE Atomium + Mini Europe for 3 people: € 70

Public transport: € 2,50 HUF / ticket

True to my profile, in this article I’m also sharing 1–2 money-saving tips so we can enjoy our wallets a bit more. Check out this reels video.

🔸 In the video, you can see the murals of the Comic Book Mural Route. There are over 80 murals across Brussels’ inner and outer districts, many in touristy areas, making them easy to spot.

🔸 Free walking city tours (you can pay/contribute as much as you feel). Here’s the link.

🔸 Free museum days:

First Wednesday of every month:

• Magritte Museum

First Sunday of every month:

• Brussels Museum of the Resistance
• Museum of Contemporary Art (Spontaneous Arts)
• Belgian Museum of Freemasonry
• Jewish Museum of Belgium
• Brussels Industrial and Work Museum

Completely free museums:

• Royal Museum of the Armed Forces
• European Parliament
• Antoine Wiertz Museum
• Meunier Museum (both part of the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium)

🔸 Public transport: A single ticket costs €2.3, but a day pass maxes out at €8.4, after which travel is “free.” Children under 6 travel for free.

🔸 As everywhere, avoiding peak season makes everything much friendlier. March–May and September–October are good choices.

🔸 Food tips:

• Go for street food—one portion of fries starting from €4 can be surprisingly filling.
• Carry a water bottle; there are plenty of fountains in the city centre to refill.
• Prioritize lunch over dinner. Many places offer a daily menu or “plat du jour.”