Travel to Antwerp
Flying to Antwerp
There are very few direct flights from the UK to Antwerp, although VLM Airlines occasionally offers routes. Another option is flying to Brussels, which is 40km (25 miles) away from Antwerp.
Flight times
From London - 1 hour; New York - 10 hours (including stopover); Los Angeles - 12 hours 50 (including stopover); Toronto - 11 hours 45 minutes (including stopover); Sydney - 22hours 20 minutes (including stopover).
Travel by road
Traffic in Antwerp drives on the right, and the minimum driving age is 18 years old. Major towns are connected by toll-free motorways. Speed limits are 120kph (75mph) on motorways and major dual carriageways, 90kph (56mph) on roads outside built-up areas and 50kph (31mph) in built-up areas, unless signs indicate otherwise. A valid national driving licence is required. Although not compulsory for travellers within the EU, it is a good idea to obtain a Green Card if you're taking your own car into Belgium.
Emergency breakdown services
Touring Club de Belgique (tel: 070 344 777, in Belgium only).
Routes
Antwerp has good motorway links with Brussels to the south and to major Dutch cities in the north, as well as with the Channel port at Zeebrugge, where ferries from the UK arrive in Belgium.
Coaches
Most coaches/long-distance buses arrive and depart from the station on Franklin Rooseveltplaats, a short distance northwest of Centraal Station. Information is available from a kiosk in Centraal Station. De Lijn (tel: +32 3 218 1411; www.delijn.be) is the main operator and its website is available in English.
Eurolines (tel: +32 2 274 1350; www.eurolines.com) operates a direct daily service from London Victoria coach station to Brussels via the Dover-Calais ferry or the Le Shuttle train, stopping Ghent. Upon arrival, you can then take a train from Brussels to Antwerp. You can also reach Antwerp from other destinations in Europe on the Eurolines network, direct or via Amsterdam.
Time to city
London - 5 hours 35 minutes; Paris - 4 hours 20 minutes; Amsterdam - 2 hour 15 minutes; Bruges - 1 hour 45 minutes; Brussels - 1 hour.
Travel by Rail
Services
The express Thalys service (tel: +32 7 066 7788; www.thalys.com), which runs between Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam, stopping at the Antwerpen-Berchem station, 4km (2.5 miles) from the centre of Antwerp.
Operators
The Belgian train operator is NMBS/SNCB (tel: +32 2 528 2828; www.belgianrail.be). Eurostar (tel: +44 03432 186 186; www.eurostar.com) runs from London to Brussels Midi in 2 hours. If you select 'Any Belgian station' when you book, your Eurostar ticket allows a connection to anywhere in Belgium if you make the journey within 24 hours. Fast frequent services take around 40 minutes from Brussels to Antwerp Centraal.
Journey times
From London – 2 hours 10 minutes; Brussels - 45 minutes; Paris - 2 hours 10 minutes; Amsterdam - 1 hour 15 minutes.
