LANGUAGE

Dutch

CURRENCY

Euro

BEST TIME TO VISIT

May to September

NEAREST RAILWAY STATION

Antwerpen-Centraal railway station (ANTC)

NEAREST AIRPORT

Antwerp International Airport (ANR)

EMERGENCY HELPLINE NUMBER

112

INTERNET ACCESS

Wi-fi access is widespread; nearly all hotels, as well as many restaurants, cafes and bars, offer free customer access. Internet cafes – often doubling as call-shops – do still exist but are increasingly rare; ask at the local tourist office.

VISA

EU citizens can stay indefinitely; many other nationals can enter visa-free for up to 90 days. A valid passport or EU identity card is required to enter. Most Western nationals don’t need a tourist visa for stays of less than three months. South Africans, Indians and Chinese, however, are among those who need a Schengen visa. Australian and New Zealand citizens aged between 18 and 30 can apply for a 12-month working-holiday visa under a reciprocal agreement. For more information and details of Belgian embassies/consulates see http://diplomatie.belgium.be.

HOTEL

If you’re visiting Antwerp for the first time, the best area to stay is in the old town, near the Grote Markt or the beautiful Cathedral of Our Lady. More affordable hotels tend to cluster around Antwerp Central Station in the Diamond District, about a 20-minute walk away from the old town. This area is especially convenient if you’re arriving or departing by train.

LUXURY

SLH De Witte Lelie Antwerp

Hotel Julien

MID RANGE

Park Inn by Radisson Antwerp

Radisson Blu Astrid Hotel

BUDGET

Hotel Diamonds And Pearls

Postiljon

COST OF LIVING

$112 is the average daily price for traveling in Antwerp. The average price of food for one day is $36. The average price of a hotel for a couple is $130. Public Transportation is a great way to get around Antwerp. The company De Lijn runs the network which includes buses and trams that go throughout the entire city. You can buy a pass for ten rides for 9 euros in several places around town. Without the pass, it’s 2 euros for one hour worth of rides within the city center. As is common throughout Flanders, there are fritkoten throughout the city. These are popular places where you can get famous Belgian fries or other fried food for a cheap price. Other affordable places to grab a bite to eat include Pitta or Shoarma, sandwich places, and supermarkets. These are great places to grab a bite to eat almost any time of day. Lunch in Antwerp often includes a “smos”, or a bread with several layers of garniture in it. They are quite messy to eat and are a something worth trying while you’re in town. You can try them at stores like Panos or Foodmaker, or most famously, at “Jean-Pierre” near the university.

You can get around the city on buses and trams which are run by the De Lijn Company. It’s possible to walk many places and it’s also relatively easy to find a taxi. If you have your own car, driving is relatively pain free as the city is easy to navigate and traffic during off hours is not too bad. The bus and tram system is relatively efficient, and although they are not always on schedule, the buses and trams usually operate at a high enough frequency that this is not a problem.