TRANSPORT & TRAVEL
By road
Mechelen is furthermore easy to reach from our neighbouring countries. If you are coming from the Netherlands you will be in Mechelen in no time via Antwerp. Coming from Germany the easiest is to drive via Liege and from France the motorway past Brussels takes you right to Mechelen. Mechelen is located along the E19 motoway in the middle of Flanders, half way between Antwerp and Brussels.
This makes Mechelen easy to reach and also the perfect place from which to explore Flanders. On the E19 motorway between Antwerp and Brussels you have a choice of exit 9 (Mechelen-Noord) and exit 10 (Mechelen-Zuid). After that follow the signs to Mechelen Centrum.
Coming from … | Route | Time | Distance (km) |
Antwerp | E19 | 30 mins. | 25 |
Brussels | E19 | 25 mins. | 27 |
Leuven | N26 | 34 mins. | 25 |
Ghent | E17 / E19 | 50 mins. | 78 |
Bruges | A11 / E19 | 1 hour 20 mins. | 110 |
Ostend | E40 / E19 | 1 hour 25 mins. | 139 |
Liege | E40 / E19 | 1 hour 10 mins. | 109 |
Charleroi | E42 / N5 / E19 | 59 mins. | 81 |
By train
Thanks to its central location, Mechelen is easy to reach by train from practically any Belgian or European city. It only takes 20 minutes from Brussels, Leuven and Antwerp. Mechelen has 2 stations: Mechelen Central and Mechelen-Nekkerspoel. Both stations are walking distance from the city centre. From Mechelen Central it is about a fifteen-minute walk to the Grote Markt, whilst it takes barely 10 minutes from Mechelen-Nekkerspoel. You should bear in mind that not all trains stop in Mechelen-Nekkerspoel.
There is also a station in Muizen, that is walking distance from Planckendael zoo.
You will find more information about the timetables of the trains on the website of the nmbs (Belgian Railways) or in the stations.
Station Mechelen-Centraal
Koning Albertplein 2
2800 Mechelen
T +32 15 40 20 40
W www.b-rail.be
W www.railtime.be
Station Mechelen-Nekkerspoel
Ontvoeringsplein
2800 Mechelen
T +32 15 40 26 20
By bus
Thanks to its central location, Mechelen has both an extensive bus network to the surrounding municipalities as well as good connections with the other cities in the centre of Belgium. The bus stations in the centre of Mechelen are on Veemarkt and at the station, from which there are many routes with the city centre.
Mechelen central station is walking distance from the Grote Markt, but there are sufficient buses between the two locations. Buses that leave from platform one drive towards the Grote Markt. If you want to go to the station from the Grote Markt, it's best to catch a bus from Schoenmarkt or Veemarkt.
Consult the network map or De Lijn's website for detailed information about the bus lines in Mechelen.
De Lijn Mechelen
Stationsstraat (NMBS-station)
2800 Mechelen
T +32 15 40 87 11
W www.delijn.be
By taxi
Taxis are expensive. For a short distance of 5 km you will easily pay €10. But if you are planning to have a drink while you're out, a taxi is the perfect solution. A TOV ticket enables you to combine the bus and the taxi. You get €2 discount on the taxi journey on presentation of your bus ticket. But note that not all the taxi companies accept the TOV ticket. www.delijn.be
At Mechelen station you will find one or more taxis at the taxi ranks near the station exit on Koning Albertplein. There are also parking places for taxis in other parts of the city, but you will not necessarily find a taxi there. You might do best to book a taxi with one of Mechelen's taxi companies.