Hop-on Hop-off Brussels: 2024 Guide

LOOKING FOR THE BEST HOP-ON HOP-OFF BUS TOURS IN BRUSSELS?

For first-time travellers to any city, one of the best methods of touring around is onboard a hop-on hop-off bus.

If you’re a potential visitor to Brussels who is seeking a convenient, flexible, and educational way to experience the wonders of a fabulous city, then this blog post is definitely for you!

Sitting onboard an open-top double-decker bus, wind in your hair, is often a nostalgic feeling for many visitors, having used the method of transport in many other cities.

But, if this is going to be your first-ever experience of a hop-on hop-off service then never fear! I’ll run you through exactly what the tours are like and give you all the best tips.

In this blog post, I’ll break down the advantages, insider tips, and characteristics of the tours that make hop-on-hop-off bus tours an excellent choice for both seasoned travellers and new, enthusiastic ones.

What is a hop on hop off bus tour?

Hop on hop off bus tours are a convenient method of touring a city’s attractions and landmarks.

The buses often run in a loop, stopping at the most-visited sights. The routes have been meticulously planned so that visitors will find it easy to enjoy all of the best attractions, without the hassle of having to navigate the city too much.

Passengers holding a ticket can board the bus at any stop that they wish and disembark at must-see sights. Because of this, hop on hop off buses are one of the most flexible methods for visiting Brussels.

There is no pressured time limit at each attraction, you can stay for as long as you wish. Equally, you can stay on the bus for as many stops as you like, just enjoying the ride.

These services are great for visitors that like to take their time and absorb the atmosphere of a city, or take plenty of photos.

While onboard the bus you’ll hear informative commentary from either the driver or a company tour guide. Some buses have a built-in audio guide, which can be listened to through headphones, in multiple languages.

With comfortable seating, fresh air and the city’s most iconic scenery passing you by, what’s not to love about a hop-on hop-off bus tour around Brussels?

Brussels: Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour

The best hop-on hop-off bus tour in Brussels belongs to the global company Tootbus. If you’ve ever taken a hop-on hop-off tour in other cities, chances are it was likely run by Tootbus.

With their distinctive blue and white buses, Tootbus offers travellers an excellent way to explore popular destinations at their own pace.

Tootbus provides excellent routes that cover major attractions, ensuring that passengers don’t miss out on any highlights.

Another great fact about the Tootbus company is that their tour buses in Brussels are clean-energy and eco-friendly! What better way to explore the city than on a non-polluting bus?

Hop on to Tootbus and enjoy a sightseeing tour around beautiful Brussels for a great price. With unlimited hop-on and hop-off usage, you can explore the entire city in style.

Ticket type

This Brussels: Hop-on Hop-off Bus Tour is a great option for visitors to the capital city of Belgium. When booking you have the choice of a 24 or 48-hour ticket, making it very flexible.

There’s no rush to cram all the sights in one day and you can really take your time to explore. Though if you do only have one day in Brussels, taking the hop-on hop-off buses is a really efficient way to see what Brussels has to offer in a short period of time.

Whatever ticket you choose, you’re free to get on and off whenever you’d like and as many times as you’d like!

Audio guides available

The audio guide onboard the Tootbus is available in many languages, making it perfect for visitors from all over Europe. They are English, French, Dutch, Spanish, German and Italian.

The audio guide can be accessed by the headphones that are attached to the bus or you can bring your own to enjoy the commentary.

You can also listen to the audio guide on your phone via the Tootbus app.

Accessibility and additional facilities

Tootbus’s double-decker sightseeing buses are wheelchair accessible making it the perfect choice for everyone! They also have kids’ audio guides onboard that are more suited to the younger tourists – filled with educational facts and figures!

On the listing, it says that there is complimentary Wi-Fi available – allowing passengers to keep updated with their social media posts or research the sights that they’re passing by.

Stops along the way

Let’s take a look at all the sights that are available for exploring via the best Brussels: Hop-on Hop-off Bus Tour.

While you’re free to board the bus at any point you’d like along the route, the stops are numbered and often people like to follow the order on the map.

The tour has different coloured routes, suitable for stopping in different areas. The Blue route starts at Rue de Loxum and the Red route at Bd. De l’Impératrice.

Blue Route

The Blue Route takes you to the Botanical Gardens, Place Charles Rogier, the Koekelberg Basilica, the Church of Our Lady of Laeken, the Royal Castle of Laeken and the Royal Greenhouses, the Atomium, the Magritte Museum, Place Sainte-Catherine, Manneken-Pis and the magnificent Grand Place.

My top 3 must-see stops on the blue route, if you only have a short time in Brussels, would most definitely be the Atomium, Manneken-Pis and Grand Place.

Red Route

The Red Route takes you past the Palais des Beaux-Arts de Bruxelles, the Sablons district, the Parc du Cinquantenaire, the Abbaye de la Cambre and the European Palace.

I loved my visit to Parc du Cinquantenaire and I’d highly recommend that you get off at this stop. The giant arches are a great sight to look at and the intricate painting on the inside of each deserves to be admired.

This stop is the perfect place for photo opportunities and is very close to the Museum of Urban Transport – one of the top museums in Brussels.

Tour bus operating times

According to the Tootbus website, the Brussels Blue and Red routes operate at the following:

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Conclusion

Hop-on hop-off bus tours are fantastic for seeing the city. They are flexible, convenient and very interesting.

The best sightseeing tour in Brussels is Brussels: Hop-on Hop-off Bus Tour. It has two different routes covering the entire city and outside main attractions. The buses run regularly and have onboard commentary to enhance your journey.