Brussels goes car-free on 20 September from 9:30 to 19:00: public transport is free all day, normally capped at 8.50 euro

On Sunday 20 September the whole Brussels-Capital Region is closed to motor traffic from 9:30 to 19:00 for Car-Free Sunday (Autoloze zondag), part of Mobility Week from 16 to 22 September. If you planned to drive from the Netherlands to Brussels for a visit that day, the plan needs changing: private cars without a permit may not drive inside the region during those hours, and the city advises parking at a transit car park or taking the train. In return, public transport in Brussels is free all day, whereas a normal day on STIB metros, buses and trams is capped at 8.50 euro. This year the date is also the 50th anniversary of the Brussels metro, and MIVB opens its Jacques Brel depot to the public. Hokimi's view: if you are going to Brussels that day, the train plus free local transport is simpler than the car and easier to budget.

• The rules: the whole region is closed to motor vehicles from 9:30 to 19:00. Only public transport, taxis waiting at official ranks, ambulances and police, and vehicles with a permit may drive, at a maximum of 30 km/h, a limit that also applies to e-bikes and e-scooters. Residents and businesses who need to drive apply for a permit through MyBXL, and MIVB says requests go to your municipality by 16 September at the latest. (source 1, source 2)
• The transport sum: brussel.be states that public transport is free all day. On a normal day a contactless tap on STIB costs 2.40 euro, transfers within 60 minutes are free and the day is capped at 8.50 euro, which you reach on the fourth journey; a Brupass single costs 2.70 euro. (source 1, source 3)
• Metro at 50: Brussels' first metro line opened on 20 September 1976, linking De Brouckère with Tomberg and Beaulieu. For the anniversary Beurs station hosts an exhibition of video montages and winning posters from an imaginary-metro competition, collector cards are issued, and the Jacques Brel depot opens to the public on the day. (source 2, source 5)
• Not only Brussels: the Flemish traffic centre Vlaams Verkeerscentrum lists car-free Sundays in Antwerpen, Leuven and Brugge on 20 September too, but its notice gives no hours or zones, so check each city's own announcement before driving there. (source 4)

Do the sum yourself: public transport money saved per person = the number of journeys you plan × 2.40 euro, up to a maximum of 8.50 euro. Two adults taking four journeys each would normally pay 2 × 8.50 = 17 euro; on this day they pay 0. Drivers face a different sum: the rule bans driving inside the region between 9:30 and 19:00, so a car parked inside the region before 9:30 cannot leave before 19:00; if you want to leave at lunchtime, the car has to stay at a transit car park.

Sources: City of Brussels (brussel.be), MIVB press release, STIB fares page, Vlaams Verkeerscentrum and BRUZZ reporting; checked by Hokimi on 14 September 2026.

Hokimi field note: with children or luggage, plan your return after 19:00 or switch to the train, so you are not stuck in the afternoon next to a car that is not allowed to move.