Train wins by 14 min door to door. Fastest train 2h53 (Bruxelles-Midi → Frankfurt (Main) Hbf (many continue to Frankfurt Flughafen Fernbahnhof)), 7-8 direct ICE/day. Checked 2026-11-01.
The comparison
| Fastest train | 2h53Bruxelles-Midi → Frankfurt (Main) Hbf (many continue to Frankfurt Flughafen Fernbahnhof) |
|---|---|
| Trains | 7-8 direct ICE/day (SNCB International); pickthetrain open-data average 7.7/dayDeutsche Bahn ICE |
| Flight | ~1h05 BRU-FRA (pickthetrain typical-for-distance; Brussels Airlines and Lufthansa fly nonstop). Airports add travel, check-in and security time. |
| Door to door | Train wins by 14 min door to door |
| Points | DB BahnBonus: 1 reward point + 1 status point per EUR spent on DB tickets; national free trip from 750 points (2nd class, one-way; 750-2,000 depending on route/date/demand), international free trip from 1,750 points (2nd class one-way). |
Marginal win. pickthetrain.com door-to-door model (its own assumptions: 1h30 airport check-in/security, 20 min to exit, typical-for-distance flight time, public-transport access estimates): train wins by only 14 min (3h13 vs 3h27). SNCB International advertises 2h53; current DB open data shows 3h01-3h04 for most trains (2h48 on some weekend dates). Brussels-Frankfurt is one of the EEA TERM 2020 'Train or plane?' city pairs (rail emission costs lower than air in all 20 pairs studied).
Questions
Is the train faster than flying from Brussels to Frankfurt?
Train wins by 14 min door to door. The fastest train takes 2h53 city centre to city centre; the flight is ~1h05 BRU-FRA (pickthetrain typical-for-distance; Brussels Airlines and Lufthansa fly nonstop). Airports add travel, check-in and security time..
How often do trains run from Brussels to Frankfurt?
7-8 direct ICE/day (SNCB International); pickthetrain open-data average 7.7/day
Can I earn or use points on this train?
DB BahnBonus: 1 reward point + 1 status point per EUR spent on DB tickets; national free trip from 750 points (2nd class, one-way; 750-2,000 depending on route/date/demand), international free trip from 1,750 points (2nd class one-way).
Sources: b-europe.com, pickthetrain.com, pickthetrain.com, int.bahn.de, bahn.de, eea.europa.eu
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