City often relegated as a day trip destination from Brussels, in reality the historic center of Ghent is one of the most important in Belgium and alone it is worth the trip. City well connected to the main airports of the country, it lends itself to being mainly visited on foot, reserving only the opportunity to try the tram, which connects the main attractions of the city. In the warmer months, cycling through the city is an option to consider.
So let's find out together how to get around Ghent: info, costs and advice!
Index
- Useful Tips
- How to get from the airport to the center of Ghent
- How to get around on foot
- Getting around by bike
- Con i mezzi pubblici
- By car
- User questions and comments
Useful Tips
Despite being the largest pedestrian zone in Belgium, Ghent is a very small city and its historic center it is mostly on foot. For a first approach to the city, the advice is to first take a free guided walking tour, to identify the landmarks and better orient yourself for the rest of the visit.
But the real must in Ghent is the cruise on the canals: an experience that you cannot miss to admire the city from a different perspective!
The only means of transport really recommended for those wishing to try local public transport is the tram, with its widespread network and very frequent opening hours. In addition, the tram also connects the parking lots outside the city with the historic center. The use of cars and taxis is not recommended, given the proximity of the attractions.
- Recommended solutions and means: on foot, tram
- Solutions and means not recommended: car, taxi
- City cards and season tickets recommended: Day Pass (from € 7,50)
How to get from the airport to the center of Ghent
The city of Ghent it is not provided directly by an airport, however, it is well connected with the two Brussels airports, Brussels National (Zavatem) and Charleroi-Brussels South, and Antwerp, Deurne. Let's see specifically the distances and costs to reach Ghent from the different airports:
Brussels National Airport
From the Brussels National it is really easy to reach Ghent, thanks to the direct train which arrives directly from the airport to Ghent St Pierre (€ 17,60, 55 min or 85 min depending on the route). The alternative to the train is the taxi, certainly more comfortable but also more expensive.
- Distance from the center: 67,8 km / travel time: 60 min
- By train: lines 3635 and 2833 / ticket cost: € 17,60
- By taxi: average cost € 70,00 / travel time: 60 min
Charleroi-Brussels South Airport
If you land at Charleroi airport, you should know that there is no direct train. Instead, you will have to take the Flibco bus to Brussels and from Brussels Midi station take the direct train to Ghent (total travel time 3 h 30 min). Alternatively you can simply take the Flibco bus direct from the airport to Ghent (from € 10,00 to € 19,00, 3 h). The faster alternative is the taxi, even more expensive.
- Distance from the center: 112 km / travel time: 1 h 20 min
- By bus + train: Flibco bus + train from Brussels Midi / ticket cost: bus € 14,00 + train € 10,00
- By taxi: average cost € 150,00 / travel time: 1 h 20 min
- By bus: average cost € 10,00 to € 19,00 / company Flibco
Antwerp-Deurne Airport
If you land at Antwerp airport, you will first need to take the bus of lines 51, 52 and 53 that go to the Antwerp station, and from there take the train direct to Ghent (departures every 30 min, travel time 1 h). The only alternative is the taxi.
- Distance from the center: 65,5 km / travel time: 60 min
- By train + bus: lines 51, 52 and 53 + train from Antwerp / ticket cost: € 10,50
- By taxi: average cost € 70,00 / travel time: 60 min
How to get around on foot
Ghent is there perfect city for those who love to travel on foot: its historic center, although it is one of the most renowned in Belgium, has all the main places of interest close to each other. Suffice it to say that the castle of the Counts of Flanders is only 680 meters from the cathedral of Saint Bavo, and that these two attractions represent the extreme north and south of the center of Ghent.
For a first approach to the city, the advice is to first take a free guided walking tour, to identify the landmarks and better orient yourself for the rest of the visit.
The city is perfect as a day trip from Brussels. Furthermore, Belgium is renowned for its excellent beer, and Ghent is no exception, indeed! We therefore recommend a Belgian beer tour, to discover the world of the national drink led by a young local guide!
Getting around by bike
Ghent (and Belgium more generally) is a bike friendly city. In fact, citizens love to move around by bike, if you arrive here by train, as soon as you leave the main station you will really notice lots of bicycles parked! Furthermore, the city is well equipped with long cycling routes, although in the center it is necessary to pay attention to the cobbled streets of the historic center, to the tram tracks and to the many pedestrians, especially in the summer when the tourist turnout is at the highest levels.
The centers of bike rental and they are numerous and will allow you to explore Ghent and its surroundings comfortably: many of the one-way streets for cars allow bicycles in both directions. The main rental points are open 7 am-00pm and the average cost starts from € 19 / day!
Con i mezzi pubblici
Ghent is a city where public transport is rarely used to visit its center, both because they are not necessary, and because people prefer to travel on foot and by bicycle.
In addition, the two stations in Ghent are enough away from the city center, but well served by the urban transport network of tram, which is also the best way if you don't want to walk.
An experience to live absolutely in Ghent is that of the boat ride in the medieval center, which will allow you to relax and admire the city in all its beauty. These panoramic tours they have an average duration of 45 minutes, during which a guide will tell you all the secrets of the city!
Tram
As just mentioned, the tram is the main medium which serves the city, connecting the stations to the historic center, but also to residential and commercial areas. There are four lines for a total of 30 km of route, but the most used by tourists is certainly the line 1, which connects St Pierre station to Korenmarkt square in just 10 min.
- Downloadable map: Ghent tram network
- by 4: 30 23 to: 00
- Ticket / single ride cost: € 2,50
- Cost of ticket booklet / season ticket: 10-ride booklet € 16,00, Day Pass € 7,50, Three Day Pass € 15,00
bus
The buses are numerous and very frequent, more capillary than the tram network, used more by residents rather than tourists. The ticket for both means is unique, and will allow you to take them in combination to reach every corner of Ghent, with 78 lines intersecting each other.
- Downloadable map: Ghent bus network
- by 4: 30 23 to: 00
- Ticket / single ride cost: € 2,50
- Cost of ticket booklet / season ticket: 10-ride booklet € 16,00, Day Pass € 7,50, Three Day Pass € 15,00
By car
As mentioned several times, Ghent is a very small city, which is recommended to be visited on foot or by tram. The historic center, in fact, is forbidden to the circulation of cars, as well as other surrounding areas. Also, in the city it was established the LEZ, the Low Emission Zone, to limit the levels of air pollution. This area is extended to many Flemish cities, so it is important to have the vehicle in order, especially if you are making an on the road in Belgium!
Ghent has an external ring road, which allows traffic to flow out and ensures road access by car. On the edge of the city, numerous parking spaces called P + R they also allow free parking, and are connected to the historic center by the tram stop.
ZTL
Il Old Town Ghent is a restricted traffic area and non-resident cars are not allowed to enter at any time of the day, every day of the week. The fine for those who violate the restriction starts from € 55,00 and foreign cars may also be affected.
LEZ - Low Emission Zone
All Flemish cities, including Ghent, have established an area called LEZ, i.e. Low Emission Zone, vault the reduction of atmospheric pollution. To be able to circulate in these areas, it is therefore necessary to meet certain requirements and register your car: residents in Belgium can count on a database of registrations, while for tourists it is necessary to pay a special permit starting from € 25,00 per week for normal 4-wheeled vehicles. From 1 January 2020, petrol cars Euro 2 or diesel Euro 5 and Euro 4 are allowed to enter the LEZ.
You can stay constantly updated on changes in the rules and vehicles allowed in the city directly on the official website of the city of Ghent.
Stops and parking
In the historic center of Ghent it is not possible to circulate with cars and, therefore, you must park your car in the car parks surrounding the limited traffic areas. The most important and well-known chain of car parks is called P + R (Park + Ride) and allows you to park your car for free and then reach the center by tram (line 1) or by buses (for example lines 38 and 39). The P + R Watersportbaan car park and the P + R Weba / Decathlon provide a free shuttle that takes you to the center in 20 and 10 minutes respectively.
