Multi-Day Trips From Antwerp: A One-Hotel Plan
Multi-Day Trips From Antwerp: A One-Hotel Plan
Unpack once and the rest of Flanders comes to you. Antwerpen-Centraal is on the Brussels to Amsterdam rail corridor, so five nights in one hotel can include Ghent, Mechelen, Bruges and the coast with no luggage hauling. This plan sets out days in order, with train times and costs in euros. Check live times on belgiantrain.be .
Day 1: Antwerp’s core
Start at the Cathedral of Our Lady (€12, Saturday 10:00 to 15:00, Sunday 13:00 to 17:00), then walk to the Grote Markt and Het Steen, where the rooftop is free. Finish at the MAS rooftop, open Tuesday to Sunday until 22:00, and until midnight from April to October.
Day 2: Ghent
Trains take 46 to 55 minutes and leave every 20 to 30 minutes. See the Van Eyck altarpiece in Saint Bavo’s, walk the Graslei and Korenlei quays, and look in at the Gravensteen. Visit Ghent has current hours.
Day 3: Mechelen and museums
Mechelen is 17 to 20 minutes away, so go in the morning, climb the 538 steps of Saint Rumbold’s Tower, then return for KMSKA in the afternoon (€20, under 26 €10, timed slot required).
Day 4: Bruges
Leave before 08:30. The direct train takes 1 hour 25 to 1 hour 35 minutes, and it is worth being on the Markt before the coaches arrive between 11:00 and 15:00. Climb the 366-step Belfry and find Michelangelo’s Madonna and Child in the Church of Our Lady. See Visit Bruges .
Day 5: the coast, or Antwerp’s fashion and port
Ostend is 1 hour 34 minutes away by direct train, with a promenade, shrimp croquettes and the 67-kilometre Kusttram. If you prefer to stay, spend the day at MoMu, the Red Star Line Museum (Tuesday to Sunday, €10) and the docklands. The Plantin-Moretus printing museum reopens on 5 December 2026 for visitors travelling then.
Option: Rotterdam or Amsterdam
Trains reach Rotterdam in about 32 to 48 minutes and Amsterdam in about 1 hour 15 minutes.
Where to stay and what to carry
A hotel within walking distance of Centraal is the practical choice. You can check Antwerp hotels on Booking.com and compare locations. A De Lijn day ticket costs €9 and a single €3, which covers Antwerp itself. Belgian rail strikes are occasionally called, so a day with some flexibility helps. The fuller day-by-day versions are on the Antwerp 5-day plan .
Tip: put the museum day between two train days so that a strike or rain affects only one.