Getting here

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.

Mechelen is easy to reach from neighbouring countries and is located along the E19 motorway in the heart of Flanders, halfway between Antwerp and Brussels.

• From the Netherlands, Mechelen is easily accessible via Antwerp. 
• From Germany, the easiest route is via Liège.
• From France you can reach Mechelen via Brussels.

On the E19 between Antwerp and Brussels, you can take exit 9 (Mechelen-North) or exit 10 (Mechelen-South). From there, follow the signs to Mechelen city centre.

The historic city centre is largely car-free: between 11 a.m. and 6 p.m., motorised traffic is not permitted. Check the low traffic area map to see how to get around in our city, so you can reach your destination without any surprises.

Parking is always close by. There are several car parks both in and around the city centre. Parking facilities on the outskirts are often more affordable and still within easy reach. From some of these car parks, the free shopping Shuttle runs directly to the city centre. View an overview of all parking facilities.

Mechelen lends itself perfectly to short bus rides. De Lijn operates the regional and city buses. On the regional lines, buses depart approximately once an hour; on the urban lines usually every fifteen minutes. There is a reduced service at weekends and during the school holidays.

Consult the online route planner to plan your journey through Mechelen.

Mechelen is compact, traffic-calmed and surrounded by greenery, making cycling one of the finest ways to explore the city and its surroundings. Find all practical information on bike rentals, shared bikes, repairs and charging points.

Looking for the most beautiful cycling routes? We’ve made a list of them for you on this page. 

Mechelen is dedicating more and more space to cyclists, walkers and green spaces. As an example, the city centre has been car-free for several years. On the ring road around the city centre (R12), through-traffic is one-way traffic.The centre remains accessible by coach. 

Would you like to know the easiest way to reach the city centre, the pick-up and drop-off points and the car parks? See the handy map here for more information.

• In the city centre, there are four coach pick-up and drop-off points where your bus can stand for fifteen minutes. 
• Are you taking your visitors to their hotel? Then you may drop off the guests as close to their accommodation as possible.
• There is also a free parking terrain for coaches on Douaneplein. If you come from Frederik de Merodestraat, turn left. Then follow the ring road to the intersection with Leuvensesteenweg. There you turn right and then take the first left to the Tangent. At the end of the Tangent, you can turn right onto the N15 towards Douaneplein.

Brussels Airport

From Brussels Airport, you can get to Mechelen by train, bus or a rental car. The easiest and fastest way is by train.

• By train: Brussels Airport railway station is on level -1. A new, direct express train link will have you in Mechelen Central Station in just eleven minutes!  A ticket costs approx. €11. Find more information on the website www.belgiantrain.be.
• By bus: You'll find the airport bus station on level 0. De Lijn provides a direct bus service to Mechelen station twice an hour, including lines 282, 681, 682, 683 and 686. Bus line 686 only runs on weekdays. The bus journey takes between 45 and 50 minutes. A ticket costs approx. €3. Find more information on the website www.delijn.be
• By (rental) car: At Brussels Airport you will find various car hire companies, including Hertz, Avis and Europcar. On leaving the airport car park, you immediately come to the motorway. Travel towards Antwerp (E19) and take exit 10 (Mechelen-Zuid) or exit 9 (Mechelen-Noord). The journey takes approximately 25 minutes. Find more information on the website www.brusselsairport.be

Brussels South Charleroi Airport

• By bus and train: At Charleroi Airport you can buy a ticket which combines the bus to Charleroi-South with the train to Mechelen Central Station. The two ticket-vending machines are located outside the airport, adjacent to Door 2. Your journey will take approximately one and a half hours. A bus and train combination ticket costs approximately €15. The train to Mechelen leaves twice an hour, as does the bus between Charleroi airport and Charleroi-South station. Find more information on the website www.belgiantrain.be.
• By (rental) car: Several car hire companies have desks at Charleroi Airport, including Avis, Europcar and Hertz. On leaving the airport car park, take the E42 direction Brussels and then the N5 direction Waterloo or the A54 direction Brussels. When you get to Brussels, take the ring road and then the E19 direction Antwerp. You then take exit 10 (Mechelen-Zuid) or exit 9 (Mechelen-Noord). The journey takes approximately one hour. Find more information on the website www.charleroi-airport.com

Antwerp Airport

You can save a lot of time both on arrival and departure by using Antwerp's small airport. Distances between the departure lounge and the planes are short, which means you can check in up to twenty minutes before your flight leaves. On arrival at Antwerp Airport you can expect to leave the airport building some ten minutes after landing. From there you can easily get to Mechelen by bus and train. www.antwerp-airport.com

• By bus and train: Bus 14 will take you from Antwerp airport to Antwerpen-Berchem railway station in ten minutes. A ticket costs approx. €3. From Antwerpen-Berchem station there is a frequent train service to Mechelen, with approximately four trains an hour destined for Central Station. The journey takes between 15 and 20 minutes. A ticket costs approx. €5. Find more information on the website www.belgiantrain.be.
• By (rental)car: Both Avis and Hertz have desks at Antwerp Airport. On leaving the airport, drive straight on into Vosstraat. At the first roundabout turn left into Deurnestraat. At the end turn right into Antwerpsestraat. After approximately 500m turn left into Jozef Hermanslei, and then right into Frans Van Dunlaan. Then get onto the Antwerp ring-road. Take the E19 direction Brussels. Once in Mechelen take exit 10 (Mechelen-Zuid) or exit 9 (Mechelen-Noord). The journey time by car is approximately 25 minutes.

Want to take a drive, but don't have a car at your disposal? In Mechelen and environs you can rent cars in two locations.

Dockx Car & Truck Rental

Antwerpsesteenweg 191
2800 Mechelen
T +32 15 20 23 23
E mechelen@dockx-rental.be
W www.dockx.be

Europcar

Battelsesteenweg 374
2800 Mechelen
T +32 15 27 18 78
W www.europcar.be

Cambio Vlaanderen

Furthermore, you can always rent a car at Cambio. You book the car in advance when you need it, Cambio does the rest. The cars can be found at various locations in Mechelen. You can find more info at their website.

Koningin Maria Hendrikaplein 65B
9000 Gent
T +32 70 22 22 92
E vlaanderen@cambio.be 
W www.cambio.be

At Mechelen station, you will find one or more taxis at the designated stands near the station exit on Koning Albertplein. You will also find designated parking spaces for taxis in other locations throughout the city, but these are not always occupied. In that case, it is best to call one of the Mechelen taxi companies to reserve a taxi.