HOW TO GET TO GHENT?
To get to Ghent you can either take a plane and then a train, or the high-speed train and then a train.
IF YOU TRAVEL BY PLANE
You can book a flight to Brussels National Airport ( Zaventem; Belgium) or to Lille Lesquin (France). Then take the train.
1. Arrival at Brussels National Airport: The train station is located at the airport.
To check train times and buy your tickets: http://www.belgianrail.be/jp/sncb-nmbs-routeplanner/query.exe/en
When filling in the form, choose «Brussels Airport» as departure station and « Gand Saint-Pierre » as arrival station.
To Ghent: the trip takes about an hour.
- There is a direct train every hour. Departure from airport at xx:51 – Arrival at Ghent at xx.44.
- There is an indirect train with transfer at Bruxelles Midi station. Departure from airport at xx:36 – Arrival at Gand Saint-Pierre xx:35
Return: There is no direct train Gand Saint-Pierre – Brussels National airport at the weekend. It is necessary therefore to change trains at Bruxelles-Midi station. There are two trains per hour and the journey takes at least an hour.
- Departure from Gand Saint-Pierre xx:04 – Arrival at Brussels National airport xx:10
- Departure from Gand Saint-Pierre xx:25 – Arrival at Brussels National airport xx:31
2. Arrival at Lille Lesquin : There is no train station at the airport
At the airport, take a bus that brings you near Lille Flandres station. Get off at Euralille shopping centre, 5 minutes from Lille Flandres station. The bus trip takes 20 minutes.
At Lille Flandres station, take the train to Gand Saint-Pierre station. The trip takes just over an hour.
To check train times and to buy your tickets: http://www.voyages-sncf.com/
When filling in the form choose: Lille Flandres as departure station and Gand Saint-Pierre as arrival station.
To Ghent: the trip takes just over an hour. Departure from Lille Flandres: xx:08 – Arrival at Gand Saint-Pierre: xx :14
Return: the trip takes just over an hour. Departure from Gand Saint-Pierre: xx :46 – Arrival at Lille Flandres: xx:50
IF YOU TAKE THE HIGH-SPEED TRAIN
1. Thalys www.thalys.com
There are only a few direct Paris-Ghent Thalys daily. The times depend on the day of the week.
Coming from Paris, Cologne or Amsterdam you can take the Thalys to Brussels. These Thalys stops at Bruxelles-Midi station.
From Bruxelles-Midi station, take the train to Gand Saint-Pierre. This trip takes about half an hour.
To check train times and buy your tickets: http://www.belgianrail.be/jp/sncb-nmbs-routeplanner/query.exe/en
2. TGV www.tgv.com
You can take the TGV that stops in Lille. Depending on the time, you will arrive at Lille Europe station or at Lille Flandres station.
All trains towards Ghent depart from Lille Flandres station (which is 5 minutes’ walk from Lille Europe station).
There is a train stopping at Gand Saint-Pierre station every hour. This trip takes just over an hour.
To check train times and buy your tickets: http://www.voyages-sncf.com/
When filling in the form choose: “Lille Flandres” as departure station and “Gand Saint-Pierre” as arrival station.
To Ghent: Departure from Lille Flandres: xx:08 – Arrival at Gand Saint-Pierre: xx :14
Return: Departure from Gand Saint-Pierre: xx :46 – Arrival at Lille Flandres: xx:50
3. Eurostar www.eurostar.com
The Eurostar from London stops at Bruxelles-Midi station.
From Bruxelles-Midi station, take a train to Gand Saint-Pierre. This trip takes about half an hour.
To check train times and buy your tickets: http://www.belgianrail.be/jp/sncb-nmbs-routeplanner/query.exe/en
