Overview

With Whim, you can now purchase tickets from Belgium’s rail services provider Belgian National Rail Service/ Nationale Maatschappij der Belgische Spoorwegen. 

In this article, you can find the following:

• Buying NMBS Tickets through Whim
• Questions and Answers
  • What NMBS tickets can I purchase via Whim?
  • Where is my ticket valid?
  • What do I need to show the ticket inspector?
  • What do I do if my train is cancelled?
  • What if my battery runs out?
  • What are the possible Penalty Fees?
  • Can I cancel my ticket?

Buying NMBS Tickets through Whim

1. Tap on “Where to?” from your Whim home view (Fig. 1). This will direct you to the Journey Planner.

Fig. 1. Whim Home view

2. Type in your destination to the Journey Planner (Fig. 2). In the Plan Journey view, you can also edit your departure location, choose locations on the map and edit your departure and arrival times. For more information on how to use the Journey Planner, please see here.

Fig. 2. Journey planner view

3. Whim will then show you different journey options (Fig. 2). See the details of the journey options by tapping the options (Fig. 3).

4. Choose the journey plan that suits you and proceed to book the trip (Fig. 3).

5. If you haven’t yet added your date of birth to your profile, you need to type that in as that is needed for buying the ticket. You only need to do this when buying the ticket for the first time as the information will be updated to your Whim profile.

6. Whim offers you a second class single ticket as a default, if you wish to buy another kind of ticket, you can choose that by clicking the ticket type.

Fig. 3. Ticket type

7. Confirm the purchase (Fig. 4). The price will be charged from the payment card you have linked to your Whim account.

Fig. 4. Confirm Payment

8. You can find all your active tickets under the Active Tickets section in the Home View (Fig. 5). Open up the ticket and show the QR code to the train conductor when asked and they will scan the code to verify the validity of the ticket.

Fig. 5. Active Tickets in the Home View

Questions and Answers

• What NMBS tickets can I purchase via Whim?
• Where is my ticket valid?
• What do I need to show the ticket inspector?
• What do I do if my train is cancelled?
• What if my battery runs out?
• What are the possible Penalty Fees?
• Can I cancel my ticket?

What NMBS tickets can I purchase via Whim?

Standard tickets

• Single one-way tickets 
• you can choose 1st or 2d class

Weekend tickets

• Weekend ticket entitles you to a return trip to any destination in Belgium, when traveling from 7 p.m. Friday until Sunday end of day
• you can choose 1st or 2d class
• With weekend ticket you get a 50% discount from standard ticket pricing

Senior tickets

• Senior ticket is for over 65-year-olds (you need to have your ID with you in the train to be able to verify your age)
• These tickets are valid during the week, from 9 a.m. and anytime at weekends
• you can choose 1st or 2d class

Go Pass 1 tickets

• Go Pass 1 tickets are for under 26 year olds (you need to have your ID with you in the train to be able to verify your age)
• Go Pass 1 tickets are available for 2nd class only

Diabolo supplement

• If you are traveling to Brussels Airport-Zaventem,  you need to pay a supplement on your rail fare (per single journey).  In addition to this, you also need a valid train ticket.
• You need to choose the supplement to the same class as your train ticket.
• You can only buy the supplement either From or To the airport, no return supplement available.
• In Brussels Airport-Zaventem you will find gates, so make sure you keep your ticket on you! Gates can be opened with the mobile ticket by scanning the ticket at the gate.
• The Diabolo Fee is automatically included in most tickets to or from Brussels Airport - Zaventem

Where is my ticket valid?

With your ticket, you can travel anywhere in Belgium.

Type of trains/lines available via Whim:

• Train tickets to all NMBS operated trains for internal traveling in Belgium. 

Please note that HST High-Speed Trains (Thalys, Eurostar, ICE and TGV) / international trains to BE, DE, NL, FR, UK are not included in Whim yet.

What do I need to show the ticket inspector?

You need to show the mobile ticket with the QR-code to the conductor/ticket inspector when requested. 

If you travel with a special ticket (for example with a discount), you must always be able to identify yourself (with a valid form of ID) and prove that you have the right to use this ticket.

What do I do if my train is cancelled?

You may contact NMBS to request for a refund, you can send a request by filling up the reimbursement form here the form is in French in the case you wish to request for reimbursement another way please fill in this PDF form and either go to the ticket counter where you can hand this in free of charge or with sufficient postage via the Post.

Address Customer Service Department:

NMBS/SNCB Marketing & Sales

Customer Service

10-14 B-MS.143

Avenue de la Porte de Hal 40

1060 Brussels

What if my battery runs out?

You are responsible for ensuring that you have a valid ticket throughout the whole journey and for ensuring that you have sufficiently charged and properly working smartphone. Failure to present a valid ticket may result in a fine.

What are the possible Penalty Fees?

The following are additional fees that may be applied on top of the ticket price:

• If for some reason your ticket is not valid or legible, or if you do not comply with the conditions of use, you will be asked to buy a ticket on the train at the On-board Fare (normal ticket price + € 7) and you can continue your journey as planned.
• If you fail to buy a ticket at the On-board Fare for whichever reason, the train conductor will be required to issue a Penalty Fare Notice (€ 75). You are entitled to contact NMBS Customer Services if you can justify travelling without a valid train ticket or being unable to buy a ticket at the On-board Fare. More information here. 

Can I cancel my ticket?

If you buy a ticket for example for the next day and your plans change, you can cancel it and the price of the ticket will be refunded to your payment card. Please note that the cancellation needs to be done on the previous day before 00:00 as the ticket will be activated at 00.01 on the day of the planned journey. Unfortunately, it is not possible to cancel tickets after they have been activated.