Transportation
HOW TO GET TO GHENT
!! All recent information regarding the current measures (as they apply to tourists) in the city of Ghent in the battle against corona/covid-19 can be found here:
https://visit.gent.be/en/additional-measures-against-spread-coronavirus-covid-19
Ghent lies at the intersection of the E17 and the E40 motorways and is therefore easily accessible by car or coach. Arrival by train or plane are also easy options, since there are two railway stations in the city and the international Brussels Airport at Zaventem is less than an hour’s drive away.
If you decide to come by car however, please carefully read the information below.
HOW TO GET TO GHENT
Ghent lies at the intersection of the E17 and the E40 motorways and is therefore easily accessible by car or coach. Arrival by train or plane are also easy options, since there are two railway stations in the city and the international Brussels Airport at Zaventem is less than an hour’s drive away.
If you decide to come by car however, please carefully read the information below.
BY TRAIN
The central railway station is Gent-Sint-Pieters. It has a direct line to Brussels Airport. You can join the European high-speed train network with a quick change at Brussel-Zuid or Lille, just over the border in France. A direct daily connection on the high-speed Thalys network will take you to Paris, and the Eurostar will take you to London.
After arrival in the railway station, you can take a bus or tram to the historic center or anywhere you want to go in and around Ghent.
The public transport system is well-organized.
Tram 1 takes you to the historic center in no time.
Tram 2 takes you to the Vooruit (the Congress venue). You must choose the stop ‘Zuid’ and from there it’s a two minutes walk to the Vooruit.
To get around by public transport, you can consult the following route planner: https://www.delijn.be/en/routeplanner/
If you prefer a taxi, you can find one at the railway station, under the bus station.
BY PLANE
The two main airports in Belgium are:
BRUSSELS AIRPORT (ZAVENTEM)
A 45 minutes’ drive away from Ghent, depending on the traffic.
On the lowest level of the airport you will find the railway station, Brussel-Nationaal-Luchthaven, that has several connections to Ghent.
BRUSSELS SOUTH CHARLEROI AIRPORT
A 70 minutes’ drive away from Ghent, depending on the traffic.
There is no railway station there, but you can take a shuttle bus that will take you to Gent-Sint-Pieters-station. It’s important though to book this shuttle bus in advance: https://www.flibco.com/en#/booking
The other Belgian airports (Ostend, Antwerp and Liège) receive flights from various European cities. Ostend and Antwerp are the closest and have easy direct connections to Ghent.
BY CAR
Ghent is easy to reach by car. The city is just a 45-minute drive from Brussels (both 53 km), an hour away from Lille.
However, if you come by car, you must note the following!
LOW EMISSION ZONE
Starting January 2020, a ‘low emission zone’ has been introduced. Only vehicles that meet certain admission requirements are allowed to the inner city of Ghent (the area within the ring road)!
To find out if your vehicle can enter the LEZ, go to https://lez.stad.gent/en/flows/controleertoegang
FOREIGN LICENCE PLATE
If your car has a foreign licence plate, it must be registered! https://visit.gent.be/en/good-know/practical-information/how-get-ghent/car
PARKING YOUR CAR
The historic center is car-free, so you must park your car outside this zone. Follow the P-route to go the various car parks that give access to the city center.
The Congress venue, the Vooruit lies outside this pedestrian zone. The car park ‘Zuid’ is nearby.
However, the car parks are very often full. As an alternative, you can park your car outside Ghent and take a tram to the city center.
PARKING EXPO-THE LOOP, Louis Blériotlaan, 9051 Sint-Denijs-Westrem, and take tram 1 to the railway station and city center.
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON HOW TO GET TO GHENT, VISIT THE WEBSITE OF THE CITY OF GHENT:
https://visit.gent.be/en/good-know/practical-information/how-get-ghent