Europe > Belgium > Liege (LGG)
The Car or no Car advice for Liege can be broken down into three similar questions - do you need a car in Liege ; is it worth it (based on costs), and ultimately - should you rent one? (a balance of the two).🚆 🚌⛴️ Do we need to rent a car in Liege ?
These scores are based on the quality of public transport and other travel options. If these are good enough to see the main points of interest, then you don’t need to rent a car.
💰💶💳 Is it worth hiring a car in Liege?
These scores reflect the practical factors that affect whether renting a car is convenient, good value, and stress-free.
📍 Getting Around Liège — the Reality
Liège is dense, urban, and river-focused.
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The historic centre is compact
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Key districts cluster along the Meuse
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Traffic congestion is common at peak times
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Parking in central areas is limited and regulated
Within the city, a car often slows you down rather than helping.
✈️ Arriving by Air: Rail Does the Heavy Lifting
Liège Airport currently does not operate scheduled passenger flights, so visitors almost never arrive directly by air. The closest international airport is Maastricht Aachen Airport just over the border in the Netherlands, but routes there remain limited and seasonal. In practice, most international visitors who don’t arrive entirely by train will fly into Brussels, which is far better connected and far more flexible.
From Brussels, onward travel to Liège is exceptionally easy by rail. There is an hourly direct train running straight from Brussels to Liège, as well as up to three trains per hour with a single change, depending on departure point and timing. This makes rail not just the easiest option, but often faster and more predictable than driving, especially during peak hours.
🏛️ Liège-Guillemins: A Station That Is the Destination
Liège-Guillemins railway station is not just a transport hub — it’s one of the most striking railway stations in Europe. Designed by Santiago Calatrava, the station is defined by its vast, soaring steel-and-glass arch, which floods the platforms with light and creates a sense of movement even when standing still. The structure is hugely expressive, futuristic, and unmistakable.
Even if you do decide to hire a car in Liège, no visit to the city feels complete without passing through Liège-Guillemins at least once. Many visitors make a point of arriving or departing by train purely to experience the station itself. It’s a reminder that in Liège, rail travel isn’t just practical — it’s part of the city’s identity.
If you’re staying in Liège itself and using it as a base, rail travel makes regional exploration exceptionally easy. There are frequent direct trains to Brussels, including fast services that make the journey quick and reliable, and equally straightforward connections to Antwerp. Heading east, high-speed trains link Liège directly with Cologne, opening up the Rhineland without needing a car, while regional cross-border services run to Maastricht. Taken together, this makes Liège an unusually strong rail-based hub for exploring Belgium and its neighbours while remaining comfortably car-free. 🚆🌍
Spa
The town of Spa makes an easy and rewarding day trip from Liège, thanks to frequent regional train services that reach Spa in well under an hour. Long before it became a picturesque Ardennes resort town, Spa was already famous across Europe for its mineral springs, attracting visitors seeking health and restoration as far back as Roman times. Its reputation became so strong that the town’s name passed into everyday language, giving rise to the generic word “spa” now used worldwide for resorts offering water-based treatments and wellness experiences.
A highlight of any visit is the elegant funicular that climbs from the town up to the Thermes de Spa, the modern thermal bath complex overlooking the valley. The short ride itself is part of the experience, offering views across the wooded hills before delivering you directly to the baths, where indoor and outdoor pools make the most of the spring waters that made the town famous in the first place. It’s an easy, car-free way to combine historic Spa with contemporary relaxation.
Spa also holds a special place in popular culture as the birthplace of Hercule Poirot, the meticulously precise Belgian detective created by Agatha Christie. While Poirot himself is fictional, the connection adds another layer of interest to the town, making Spa a destination that blends literary heritage, wellness history, and easy accessibility — all without needing to get behind the wheel.
🚶♂️ Walkable Centre and Urban Life
Much of Liège works very well on foot.
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The old town, shopping streets, and riverfront are close together
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Cafés, museums, and nightlife cluster centrally
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Walking distances are short
Steep hills exist, but they mainly affect residential areas rather than tourist routes.
🚌 Buses and Urban Transport
Public transport within Liège is bus-based.
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Dense bus network covering the city
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Frequent services on main corridors
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Easy to combine with walking
While buses can be slow in traffic, they remove most need for driving.
🚗 When Renting a Car Makes Sense
A rental car only becomes useful if Liège is your base for the region.
Consider renting if:
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Exploring the Ardennes countryside
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Visiting smaller towns not well served by rail
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Travelling late at night outside bus hours
For city-only itineraries, a car adds cost without convenience.
⚠️ Practical Considerations
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Driving in the centre can be frustrating
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Parking costs add up quickly
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Rail and bus tickets are inexpensive
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The city is well suited to short stays
Many visitors find Liège easier without a car.
Conclusion: should you rent a car in Liège?
No — Liège is best explored without one.
Between its rail connections, walkable centre, and dense bus network, Liège is a city where public transport and walking consistently outperform driving.
💡 Rule of thumb:
Arrive by train, explore on foot, and rent a car only if you’re leaving the city. 🚆🚶♂️🚗
