Ghent is easy to reach by car. The rebellious art city is only 45 minutes away from Bruges and Brussels (both at 53 km) and a little less than an hour away from Antwerp (60 km).
Two European motorways (E17 and E40) intersect in Ghent. If you arrive from the E17, take the exit “Gent Centrum”.

If you arrive at the cloverleaf interchange in Zwijnaarde from the E40, first follow the direction of Antwerp (E17) and then take the exit “Gent Centrum”.

Once you arrive in the city, you can either park your car free of charge at the edge of the city or use one of the paying car parks. If you opt for the latter, the electronic signs on the roads leading to the city centre will guide you to the different car parks.

Ghent has a low emission zone

The Ghent city centre (the area enclosed by the ring road) has been designated as a low emission zone (LEZ) with the purpose of improving the quality of the air.

Low emission zone: register your vehicle to avoid a fine.

Your vehicle’s Euro standard and fuel type determine whether or not you are allowed to enter the city centre of Ghent. Clean cars can enter the city, polluting cars must pay. If your vehicle is allowed to enter the city centre but you do not have a Belgian or Dutch number plate, you should ALWAYS register it!

Information about the low emission zone can be found here

Electric cars: charging stations

Electric mobility is without a doubt a major element of the mobility system of the future.  Therefore, the City of Ghent has an extensive network of charging stations where you can charge your electric car. The charging stations can be found at car-sharing stations, in underground car parks and in park-and-ride areas.

Charging stations for electric cars

Find charging stations in Belgium here

Car parks and car-free zones