Antwerp Day Trips: Ghent, Mechelen, Bruges

Antwerpen-Centraal sends trains to four very different towns in under an hour and a half, and you can be back for dinner in all of them. Departures are frequent, so there is no need to book a seat; the main decision is how far you want to go. Check fares and live times on belgiantrain.be the evening before.

Mechelen: the 17-minute hop

Mechelen is the nearest option, 17 to 20 minutes away with trains every 10 to 15 minutes. It is compact and easy on foot. The 538 steps of Saint Rumbold’s Tower reward you with a view reaching Antwerp and Brussels, and the Royal Carillon School here is the best-known bell-ringing school in the world. Visit Mechelen lists opening times.

Ghent: canals without the crowds

Direct trains reach Ghent in 46 to 55 minutes, leaving every 20 to 30 minutes. Saint Bavo’s Cathedral holds Van Eyck’s Adoration of the Mystic Lamb of 1432, the Gravensteen is a moated castle of the counts, and the Graslei and Korenlei quays are the classic canal view. See Visit Ghent for tickets and events.

Brussels: the 45-minute capital

Trains to Bruxelles-Central take 45 to 48 minutes, every 15 minutes. The Grand-Place is the postcard, the Magritte Museum sits on the Mont des Arts, and Cantillon brews lambic beer. Brussels is bilingual, so French street signs are normal there, unlike in Dutch-speaking Antwerp.

Bruges: start early

Direct trains take 1 hour 25 minutes to 1 hour 35 minutes and run hourly. Leave before 08:30 to see the Markt before the coach groups arrive between 11:00 and 15:00. Climb the 366-step Belfry, then look for Michelangelo’s marble Madonna and Child in the Church of Our Lady. Find details at Visit Bruges .

Ostend and the coast

The coast is 1 hour 34 minutes by direct train. Walk the North Sea promenade, eat shrimp croquettes, and ride the Kusttram, a 67-kilometre line with 68 stops running from De Panne to Knokke.

Planning tips

Weekend rail discounts exist, and strikes occasionally hit Belgian trains, so check the SNCB site the day before you go. For a train-and-ticket package, you can search Antwerp day tours on GetYourGuide . If you have more than a day, the multi-day trips page strings these towns into one route.

Tip: pick Mechelen when the weather is poor, Ghent for the best mix of canals and art, and Bruges only if you can leave before breakfast.

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