GHENT

Ghent has two railway stations: Gent-Sint-Pieters and Gent-Dampoort.

There are train connections to the main station Gent-Sint-Pieters from all Belgian cities. There is also a direct line to this railway station from Brussels Airport-Zaventem.

If you travel to Belgium via the European high-speed train network, you can transfer to a train to Ghent at the station of Bruxelles-Midi, Antwerp or Lille (France).

For passengers arriving at the station of Gent-Sint-Pieters, tourist information is available at a digital 3D information station for visitors.

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Ghent does not have its own airport, but is very easy to reach from the two main airports of Belgium: Brussels Airport and Brussels South Charleroi Airport.
Flights to and from different European destinations also depart from and arrive at the three other Belgian airports (Ostend, Antwerp and Liège).

From Brussels Airport to Ghent
Ghent is approximately 45 minutes away from Brussels Airport-Zaventem. The airport has its own railway station, Brussels-Airport-Zaventem, which offers a direct connection to Ghent. The railway station is situated beneath the airport and can be reached via the lifts and escalators in the arrivals hall.

Flixbus is also an easy way to reach Ghent. It runs daily back and forth between Brussels Airport and the Gent-Dampoort Railway Station. The historical centre is just a 15-minute walk away, or 5 minutes by public transport.

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Ghent is easy to reach by car. The rebellious art city is only 45 minutes away from Bruges and Brussels (both at 53 km) and a little less than an hour away from Antwerp (60 km).

Two European motorways (E17 and E40) intersect in Ghent. If you arrive from the E17, take the exit “Gent Centrum”.

If you arrive at the cloverleaf interchange in Zwijnaarde from the E40, first follow the direction of Antwerp (E17) and then take the exit “Gent Centrum”.

Once you arrive in the city, you can either park your car free of charge at the edge of the city or use one of the paying car parks. If you opt for the latter, the electronic signs on the roads leading to the city centre will guide you to the different car parks.

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Travelling to Ghent by line bus is also possible. International line buses travel to Ghent every day from a lot of different destinations in Europe. National line bus connections are also available. Once you arrive in Ghent, you can use the local bus and tram network to go from one place to another within the city.

International line buses
These companies offer bus connections to over 500 destinations in Europe on a daily basis. Ghent is one of those destinations. You can book your trip on their website.

Bus and tram in Ghent
With a widespread network of trams and buses, you can easily travel in and around Ghent.

Every first Sunday of the month there is Sunday shopping. Many shops in the centre of Ghent are open from noon. On these shopping Sundays you can take the tram and bus of De Lijn for free. If you have a CityCard Ghent, you can take the tram and bus for free for 2 or 3 days.

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Cycling and sightseeing
Cycling is an active and practical way to get to your destination. And if you want to go exploring on your ride to Ghent, you can plan your route thanks to the cycle node network, which will take you to the most beautiful spots along the way. Not only are the routes of the network perfectly signposted, they include quiet and safe cycle paths. You can follow an established route from any place in Flanders using the Iconic Cycle Routes. Departing from a neighbouring country? Then plug in conveniently via the EuroVelo Routes network.

How to best prepare your ride?
Easy: use the online cycling route planner. Enter your starting point in the field “plaats” (place) and then create your route by clicking on nodes. Continue clicking until you reach your destination (in this case Ghent). There are two nodes in the city centre: node no. 4 at Coupure and node no. 31 at Portus Ganda. Ready? Now download the route on your GPS or smartphone or print it.

Cycling to Ghent quickly and safely
Sometimes you can’t afford to lose time. In those cases you don’t necessarily want to see the sights on your way, but just want to get to your destination quickly and safely. Thanks to the Cycle Highways, you will reach the centre of Ghent in no time. With the help of the Ghent city cycling plan, you can then find a safe route for your fast cycling trip within the city itself.

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Group excursions to Ghent by bus
Ghent is easy to reach by bus. The rebellious art city is only 45 minutes away from Bruges and Brussels (both at 53 km) and a little less than an hour away from Antwerp (60 km).

Two European motorways (E17 and E40) intersect in Ghent. If you arrive from the E17, take the exit “Gent Centrum”. If you arrive at the cloverleaf interchange in Zwijnaarde from the E40, first follow the direction of Antwerp (E17) and then take the exit “Gent Centrum”.

Coach drivers who want to drop off their customers at a hotel within the pedestrian zone can request a permit from the hotel.

Ghent has a low emission zone
The Ghent city centre (the area enclosed by the ring road) has been designated as a low emission zone (LEZ) with the purpose of improving the quality of the air. Buses and coaches are to meet the applicable requirements as well. Only buses for transporting people with disabilities are exempt from the entry requirements, provided that they are registered in advance via www.lez.gent.

Stopping and parking in Ghent
Passengers can quickly and easily reach the pedestrian areas of the city centre from the different car parks.

Car parks
Parking area Station Gent Dampoort (B1)
This parking area is situated next to the Gent Dampoort railway station and in the immediate vicinity of the historic St Bavo’s Abbey, at the place where Ghent was first founded in the seventh century.

You can park your car here between 9 am and 7 pm for up to 5 hours, which will cost you 9 euro. Otherwise, you pay 1.80 euro per hour. From 7 pm until 11 pm, you pay 1.50 euro per hour. Between 11 pm and 9 am, and on Sundays and public holidays, you can park your car free of charge. If you are staying longer than 5 hours, make sure you have a parking ticket for the time exceeding those 5 hours.

This parking area can accommodate 24 coaches.

Passengers can reach the historic city centre on foot in less than 15 minutes via the Portus Ganda marina. People who are less mobile can take bus 10, 11, 12a, 12b (Korenmarkt) or 33, 70, 71, 76, 77, 78 (Zuid of Heuvelpoort).

Please note: entrance for coaches via Kasteellaan

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