Getting around Anderlecht
Anderlecht is one of the municipalities of the Brussels-Capital Region, sitting in the south-western part of the city, and like the rest of Brussels it is officially bilingual in French and Dutch. That matters for a visitor because place names, signs and announcements often appear in both languages: the municipality itself is Anderlecht in both, but you will see pairs such as Chaussée de Mons/Bergensesteenweg or Place de la Vaillance/Dapperheidsplein. For getting around, the practical upshot is simple: Anderlecht is not a separate town with its own transport system, but a district woven into the wider Brussels network of metro, tram, bus and mainline rail.
How visitors move around
Public transport is the backbone of getting around Anderlecht and the rest of Brussels. The municipality is served by bus, metro, tram (light rail) and mainline train, and these modes connect with each other at shared stops and stations. The single most useful anchor for a visitor is Brussels South, also known as Gare du Midi, which sits right by the north-eastern edge of Anderlecht and acts as the main interchange hub for the area, bringing together bus, tram, metro and national and international rail.
Because the municipality is large and varied, the best approach is to pick the stop or station nearest your destination and treat the network as a set of connected lines rather than a single system. The historical centre, the canal-side districts and the greener upper town are all reachable, but the routes and the nearest stops differ from one part of Anderlecht to another.
Rail, metro and tram
Mainline trains stop at Brussels South, the railway station serving the area, with intercity, local and night services calling there. From a visitor's point of view, this is the rail gateway to Anderlecht and the natural place to arrive if you are coming from elsewhere in Belgium or from further afield.
The metro reaches Anderlecht too. Clemenceau is the nearest metro station to the central part of the municipality, and the area is served by metro lines running towards King Baudouin among other destinations. Metro service starts in the early morning and runs until around midnight.
Trams, described in the network as light rail, also serve Anderlecht, with routes including line 82 and line 81, the latter running between Montgomery and Marius Renard. Tram services begin early in the morning and on some lines run past midnight. If you are staying near the centre of Anderlecht, the nearest tram stop is around the Brussels South area, a short walk away.
Buses and other public transport
Buses fill in the gaps that metro and tram leave, and in Anderlecht they are often the closest option to your door. The nearest bus stop to central Anderlecht is Conseil, essentially on the doorstep, with further stops such as Anderlecht Old Depot a few minutes' walk away.
Local Brussels bus routes serving the area include numbers 46, 73 and 78, along with a night bus, N13, which links towards Central Station. Alongside these, a set of regional routes, including R16, R18, R36, R42, R70, R71 and R72, connect Brussels South with places beyond the city, such as Itterbeek, Ternat, Schepdaal, Alsemberg, Groot-Bijgaarden, Vlezenbeek, Lennik, Leerbeek, Sint-Pieters-Leeuw and Halle. These regional buses are useful if your plans stretch into the Flemish countryside around Brussels.
Bus services start early, with the first regional departures around dawn, and some routes run until around one in the morning. Different operators run different parts of this network, including the Brussels operator MIVB/STIB and the regional operators De Lijn and TEC, so it is worth checking the relevant operator for fares and tickets rather than assuming one ticket covers everything.
Tickets and passes
Fares and ticketing are not uniform across the whole network: the Brussels operator, the Flemish and Walloon regional operators, and the national rail company each handle their own tickets. The practical advice for a visitor is to check the operator's own information for the service you intend to use, and to buy your ticket or pass before boarding where that is required. If you plan to combine metro, tram and bus within Brussels, look into the Brussels operator's own tickets and passes; if you are heading out on a regional bus or a train, expect to deal with that operator separately.
Taxis and ride-hailing
Taxis are available in Anderlecht as they are across Brussels, and the main rail and interchange points, particularly Brussels South, are the most reliable places to find one. Ride-hailing apps also operate in the city. For a visitor, taxis and ride-hailing are most useful for late-night journeys, for reaching parts of the municipality that are further from a metro or tram line, or for trips with luggage. As with any city, agree or confirm the fare arrangement before you set off if you are hailing on the street.
Walking
Anderlecht rewards walking, but how much you walk depends on where you are. The historical centre is compact and centred on the Place de la Vaillance/Dapperheidsplein and the Rue Wayez/Wayezstraat, the municipality's main shopping street, with the Church of St. Guido and the Place de Linde/De Lindeplein close by. The smaller Aumale district, with the Erasmus House museum and the old beguinage, sits just to the north and is easily explored on foot.
Beyond the centre, the municipality becomes more spread out. Cureghem/Kuregem, in the north-east along the Brussels–Charleroi Canal, is one of the largest and most populated districts, while the upper part of Anderlecht is greener and less densely populated, with residential neighbourhoods laid out along broad avenues. Distances between districts are real, so it is worth pairing a walk through one neighbourhood with public transport to reach the next. The canal cuts the municipality in two from the west, which is a useful orientation point when you are on foot.
Getting from the airport into the city
Brussels Airport is the main airport for the city, and the most straightforward way into Brussels is by train: the airport has its own station on the mainline network, with services running to Brussels South and other central stations. Brussels South is the key arrival point for Anderlecht, so if your destination is in the municipality, aim for a train that stops there and change onto metro, tram or bus for the final leg.
If you prefer not to take the train, taxis and ride-hailing are available at the airport and will take you directly to your address in Anderlecht, which is the simplest option if you have heavy luggage or are arriving late. Airport buses also connect the airport with parts of the city, but they are less direct for Anderlecht specifically. Whichever option you choose, allow extra time at peak periods, and check the operator's own information for current timetables and tickets before you travel.