Antwerp Budget Guide: 5 Belgium Day Trips Antwerp puts Mechelen 17 minutes away, Ghent under an hour, and Brussels a 45-minute hop, all for less than a Bruges dinner costs on its own. Base yourself near Antwerpen-Centraal and five different Belgian day trips run from the same platform block without ever changing hotels: Mechelen (cheapest and shortest), Brussels, Ghent (better value than Bruges), Bruges (worth it, but the longest and priciest), and Ostend on the coast (a seasonal add-on).

Antwerp in 2 Days: Budget Belgium Day Trips Two days is barely enough to settle into Antwerp itself, let alone add a full day trip, so this itinerary only adds one: Mechelen, 17-20 minutes away and cheap enough that the round trip barely dents a day’s budget. Longer stay planned? The 4 day , 5 day , 6 day and 7 day versions all build on this same spine, adding Ghent, Brussels, Bruges, Ostend and Lille one at a time.

Antwerp in 3 Days on a Budget (With Daily Costs) Three days is enough for Antwerp’s free-and-cheap essentials: the old town, the cathedral, the MAS rooftop, and the diamond trade streets, all on foot or a short tram ride. Expect to spend roughly €35-40 a day on food and tickets, hotel not included. Staying longer? Compare this against the 4 day , 5 day , and 7 day versions of this same route.

Antwerp in 4 Days on a Budget (With Daily Costs) Four days stretches the Antwerp classics with a free half-day in Zurenborg’s Art Nouveau streets and a no-cost crossing to Linkeroever, averaging roughly €33 a day on food and tickets, hotel not included. Doing this in less time? See the 3 day version ; got an extra day or two, see the 5 day or 7 day itinerary. Book these before you go:

Antwerp in 4 Days: Budget Belgium Day Trips Four days builds on the 2 day Antwerp base and adds two of Belgium’s best day trips: Ghent, the better-value canal town, and Brussels, the essential half-day capital visit. Both run comfortably as there-and-back days without an overnight. Need more time, see the 5 day , 6 day or 7 day version, each adding one more trip onto this same spine. Book these before you go:

Antwerp in 5 Days on a Budget (With Daily Costs) Five days adds a genuinely free day at Middelheim’s open-air sculpture park and Rivierenhof to the Antwerp classics, which pulls the weekly average down to around €30 a day, hotel not included. Shorter trip planned? See the 3 day or 4 day version; got two more days, see the 7 day itinerary . Book these before you go: Hotel near Centraal or the old town on Booking.

Antwerp in 5 Days: Budget Belgium Day Trips Five days builds on the 4 day Antwerp base and adds Bruges, the longest and priciest of Antwerp’s Belgian day trips, saved for last once the shorter, cheaper trips are already behind you. Only have 4 days? Drop back to that version. Have a 6th or 7th day free? The 6 day and 7 day versions add the coast and Lille onto this same spine.

Antwerp in 6 Days on a Budget (With Daily Costs) Six days is enough to add a genuine day trip on top of the Antwerp classics and the free Middelheim day, without blowing the budget: Mechelen is the shortest, cheapest hop of Antwerp’s day trips, so most days here still land under €40. Shorter trip, see the 4 day or 5 day itinerary; a full week, see the 7 day version .

Antwerp in 6 Days: Budget Belgium Day Trips Six days builds on the 5 day Antwerp base and adds a day at Ostend and the Belgian coast, the second-priciest leg and a genuine change of pace from canals and cathedrals. Only have 5 days? Drop back to that version. Have a 7th day free? The 7 day version adds Lille onto this same spine. Book these before you go: Search Antwerp hotels near Centraal on Booking.

Antwerp in 7 Days on a Budget (With Daily Costs) A full week in Antwerp mixes paid essentials with enough genuinely free days, Middelheim, the Art Nouveau streets, a Mechelen side trip, that the weekly average settles near €30 a day, hotel not included. Shorter stay, see the 5 day or 6 day itinerary ; this is the full version of that same spine. Book these before you go: Hotel near Centraal or the old town on Booking.

Antwerp in 7 Days: Budget Belgium Day Trips Seven days completes the set, adding Lille, France, the pricier optional sixth trip, onto the 6 day Antwerp base . By now Mechelen, Ghent, Brussels, Bruges and Ostend are all behind you; Lille is the one genuine border crossing left, and a budget alternative is included for the final day if the extra fare and passport aren’t worth it this trip. Book these before you go:

Antwerp on a Budget: 13 Cheap and Free Things to Do Antwerp is one of the cheaper big cities in Belgium to sightsee in, if you plan around its free stuff first. The MAS rooftop panorama costs nothing. Grote Markt, the guild houses, and the Sint-Annatunnel under the Scheldt cost nothing. Paid tickets top out around €12 (Cathedral of Our Lady, Plantin-Moretus, MoMu), a De Lijn day pass runs about €9, and a real sit-down dinner with a Bolleke runs €25-35.