Antwerpen

Antwerpen is a nice city in Belgium, close to the Dutch border.

Hitching out
Hitchhiking is pretty common in Belgium, especially in the North, so you won't have a difficult time.



Southwest towards Gent, Paris
Follow Amerikalei to the on ramp for the A14/E17. You have to go under a tunnel before getting out to the ramp. A good place to stand is here. Although it's easy for cars to stop here, it's illegal and dangerous to walk trough the tunnel. A safer and still good stop to start is just before the tunnel here.

A better option is to hitchhike at the "Waaslandtunnel". Often called by locals the "konijnenpijp". There is much room because of the bus stop and cars drive slowly because of the nearby traffic lights. Many drivers go direction Gent, so you shouldn't be standing longer then 15 minutes. here.

Another convenient option is to take a tram in the city centre. Tram 2 direction Hoboken or tram 6 direction Olympiade. Get off at the stop called "De Singel". Right where you get out of the tram you find the ramp for the motorway. There is plenty of space for yourself and cars to pull over. I use this spot frequently and never waited more then 7 minutes for a ride to Gent. A sign could be helpful. Before Gent there are 2 petrol stations coming up if you need longer rides to for example Paris. The first one is Kruibeke and the second is Kalken.

South towards Brussels, Luxembourg
Get a train or some other form of public transport towards "Oost Station". When you leave the station, walk under the train bridge, walk straight down to the signs for Brussels. Here, you should stand after the traffic lights and in a position that you get the attention of cars coming from the two different sections of the junction.

Another option

Take a tram/bus to STENENBURG stop - any of 21, 24, 242, 420, 421, 422, 423, 429. Once you get off there, turn left and go under the bridge. After you cross the bridge, turn right and keep going straight on, until you see signs of Brussels. After a while you will notice a motorway on your left going in direction of Brussels. Go until the traffic lights and cross them twice following the road signs. You will notice a good interstate, with an emergency line, where you get your rides very fast (took me around 2 minutes).

North towards Amsterdam
Take tram 6 direction 'Luchtbal' and get of at 'Merksem Lambrechtshoeken'. Follow the direction of the tram. You will notice McD. Just behind it, the highway to the Netherlands starts. The traffic is quite sparse but the cars go by slowly. There is plenty of space for you and a car to stop.

If you are heading for Utrecht or Amsterdam, make sure your driver isn't going to Bergen op Zoom.

There is a massive service station (Hazeldonk-Oost), before Breda, on the Dutch-Belgian border, where it is easy to hitch-hike for example near the exit from the petrol-station. You just have to write a board, because the highway divides into two directions nearby.

Most directions
Another option is the motorway at the Luitenant Lippenslaan (a continuation of the Plantin en Moretuslei), the on-ramps there are good for heading to Gent, Paris, Brussels, the Netherlands and possibly more directions. Make sure to make a sign as people can go many directions.

Nearby metro stops include 'Draakplaats' and 'De roma'.

The direction from Antwerpen to Netherlands (Eindhoven, Maastricht), also direction to Hasselt: motorway E313. You have to go to the end of the Platin en Moretuslei and on the big crossroad turn left. Then go straight ahead until you will see big sign (Eindhoven, Hasselt), which you have to follow. Near the sign there is good place to hitch hike. Also the motorway exit at Turnhoutsebann is good.

For Hitchhiking towards Eindhoven go to the end of the Platin en Moretuslei, go under the tunnel, cross the big crossroad straight. From then you will see signs towards E34 & E313 and it's a 5 minutes walk. In the curve of the ramp is plenty of space for both you and the driver. Later on this highway splits in two highways, so make sure you find a ride in the right direction. A sign could be very useful. Just before the split is a petrol station. This is in 'Wommelgem/Ranst'.

Sleeping
Hitchhiker Robbel can be contacted through Couchsurfing, max. 2 people for 2 nights, and include your phone number when contacting him.

Other useful info
If you need to charge your mobile phone or other electronic devices, one option to consider is going to the Antwerpen-Berchem station. In the corridor are more than 5 sockets to get your phone charged.

Check out this website for free activities:

A good map with tips and suggestions what to do and where to go in the city center can be found here: www.use-it.travel/cities/map/2013_antwerp/?zoom

Antwerpen isin: Antwerpen (province)

trash:Antwerpen