Ghent - Transport

Transport

As one of the largest cities in Belgium, Ghent has a highly developed transport system.

  • By car the city is accessible by two of the country's main roads:
    • The E40: connects Ghent with Bruges and Ostend to the west, and with Brussels, Leuven and Liège to the east.
    • The E17: connects Ghent with Sint-Niklaas and Antwerp to the north, and with Kortrijk and Lille to the south.
  • In addition Ghent also has two ringways:
    • The R4: connects the outskirts of Ghent with each other and the surrounding villages, and also leads to the E40 and E17 roads.
    • The R40: connects the different downtown quarters with each other, and provides access to the main avenues.
  • The municipality of Ghent comprises five railway stations:
    • Gent-Sint-Pieters Station: an international railway station with connections to Bruges, Brussels, Antwerp, Kortrijk, other Belgian towns and Lille. The station also offers a direct connection to Brussels Airport.
    • Gent-Dampoort Station: an intercity railway station with connections to Sint-Niklaas, Antwerp, Kortrijk and Eeklo.
    • Gentbrugge Station: a regional railway station in between the two main railway stations, Sint-Pieters and Dampoort.
    • Wondelgem Station: a regional railway station with connections to Eeklo once an hour.
    • Drongen Station: a regional railway station in the village of Drongen with only a limited number of trains a day.
  • Ghent has an extensive web of public transport lines, operated by De Lijn:
    • Ghent Tram (see pictures below):
      • Line 1: Flanders Expo – Sint-Pieters-Station – Korenmarkt (city centre) – Evergem
      • Line 21: Zwijnaardebrug – UZ – Sint-Pieters-Station – Zonnestraat (city centre) – Zuid – Melle Leeuw
      • Line 22: Zwijnaardebrug – UZ – Sint-Pieters-Station – Zonnestraat (city centre) – Zuid – Gentbrugge
      • Line 4: Sint-Pieters-Station – Muide – Korenmarkt (city centre) – Zuid – Moscou
    • City buses (see picture below):
      • Line 3: Mariakerke – Korenmarkt (city centre) – Dampoort-Station – Gentbrugge (former Trolleybus (see picture below))
      • Line 5: Van Beverenplein – Sint-Jacobs (city centre) – Zuid – UZ – Zwijnaarde
      • Line 6: Watersportbaan – Zuid – Dampoort-Station – Wondelgem – Mariakerke
      • Line 8: Zuid – University – Sint-Pieters-Station – Blaarmeersen
      • Line 9: Mariakerke – Malem – Sint-Pieters-Station – Gentbrugge
      • Line 17/18: Drongen – Korenmarkt (city centre) – Dampoort-Station – Oostakker
      • Line 38/39: Blaarmeersen – Korenmarkt (city centre) – Dampoort-Station – Sint-Amandsberg
    • At Sint-Pieters-Station and the Zuid bus station there are several regional buses as well.

When arriving in Ghent, it is best to leave cars in Park & Ride zones next to the road. The actual city centre is a car free area, and parking is difficult and expensive in the city. On weekends, night buses provide free transport through the night.

  • Low floor tram vehicle (type: HermeLijn)

  • Former trolleybus

  • Regional bus

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