Important remark: Leuven is about 25 km east of Brussels. Do not confuse Leuven with Louvain-La-Neuve, where the francophone university UCL is situated. Louvain-la-Neuve is about 30 km away from Leuven!
Leuven is well connected by rail. There are at least two trains per hour that travel from the three main stations in Brussels: Brussels South (= Brussel Zuid = Bruxelles Midi) via Brussels Central (= Brussel Centraal = Bruxelles Central) and Brussels North (= Brussel Noord = Bruxelles Nord) to Leuven; there are also direct trains from Liege, Antwerp and Brussels International Airport. t.
You can fly to Paris Charles de Gaulle airport, and take the Thalys directly at the airport station (some companies, as Air France, may even make the connection for you) to Brussels South (aka Brussel Zuid - Bruxelles Midi) train station. You can find one-way tickets starting at around €50, and the journey takes about 1:30 hours. Here you can buy and print Thalys tickets online.
From Brussels South, you can take a direct train to Leuven. A one-way ticket costs about €5, and the journey takes about 30 minutes. Here you can buy and print tickets online.
If you fly to London, it is possible to reach Leuven using the Eurostar train. This train departs from the London St Pancras train station and arrives in BrusselsSouth (aka Brussel Zuid - Bruxelles Midi) train station. You can find one-way tickets starting at around £44, and the journey takes about 2 hours. Here you can buy and print Eurostar tickets online.
From Brussels South, you can take a direct train to Leuven. A one-way ticket costs about €5, and the journey takes about 30 minutes. Here you can buy and print tickets online.
Note that the city tries to discourage the usage of cars inside the Leuven ring road. There is a network of one-way loops that start and end on the ring road; use a travel planner to find the route to your final Note that the city tries to discourage the usage of cars inside the Leuven ring road. There is a network of one-way loops that start and end on the ring road; use a travel planner to find the route to your final destination; note that it is not possible to leave the loop system. Parking on the streets is restricted to 2 hours (except for Sundays). You will need to use the public parkings; an automated system guides you to free spaces. Expect to pay €15-25 per day. There are also a few parkings outside the ring road, where you can leave your car for 24 hours (for free). A car is not helpful to get around in Leuven: you should plan on walking, biking or using the bus. Taxi tends to be expensive, even for short rides (but if you have luggage this still the recommended option).
Getting Around Leuven
The best way to get around the center of Leuven is on foot or by bike, as the center is very small and driving is a nightmare. If you come by train, you arrive at Leuven train station, which is on the Martelarenplein. From there you can either walk, take a bus or a taxi to your hotel. In order to get to the center, you have to walk along the street in front of you (Bondgenotenlaan) until you reach a pietonal market in the end, the Grote Market the center of Leuven. Most hotels are within walking distance (less than 25 minutes on foot), although Begijnhof Congreshotel might be a bit far if you got heavy luggage. There is also a bus service from the station (stop 'Leuven Station') to the center (stops 'Leuven Fochplein' or 'Leuven Naamsestraat'). Examples of these buses are 1,2,284,285,... You may ask the driver if you have any doubt, most of them speak enough English to be able to help.
A map of Leuven can be found on the Accommodations page.