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Brussels
,→North towards Antwerp, Breda, Rotterdam, Utrecht, Amsterdam A12 or {{E|19}}
{{Hitchhiking Zine nomination}}
{{Infobox Location|country = Belgium|map = <map lat='50.836'lng='Brussels4.34'zoom='10' />|pop = 1125728|region = Brussels|motorways = [[A1 (Belgium)|A1]], [[FranceA3 (Belgium)|FrenchA3]]: ''Bruxelles'', [[NetherlandsA4 (Belgium)|DutchA4]]: ''Brussel'', [[PolandA7 (Belgium)|PolishA7]]: ''Bruksela'') is the capital of , [[A10 (Belgium)|A10]] and the , [[EuropeA12 (Belgium)|A12]]an capital. Brussels is a very international city. While still walking around in the center you might be able to spot some cars from other countries. For instance, when heading to [[ParisA201 (Belgium)|A201]], check the French numberplates with 75 or 90-something [[R0 (Paris and its suburbsBelgium).|R0]], }}__TOC__
'''Brussels''' is the capital of [[Belgium]]. Brussels is a very international city. == Hitching Out in ==<map latIf you do not encounter a driver that goes inside the city, but takes the Northern Ring around the city, you can ask them to pull off the motorway (E40) at Exit #7a/7b ''(Chaussee Romaine/Parc des Expositions/Tentoonstellingspark)'' (basically, the Atomium and Heysel Stadium area) or at Exit #8 ''(Wemmel)''. At both exits drivers can immediately rejoin the motorway at the sliproad opposite the exit. === East === If you do not encounter a driver that goes inside the city, but instead takes the northern ring road around the city, you can ask them to pull off the motorway (E19) at junction 7a/7b ''(Chaussee Romaine/Parc des Expositions/Tentoonstellingspark)'' (basically, the Atomium and Heysel Stadium area) or at junction 8 ''(Wemmel)''. At both exits, drivers can immediately rejoin the motorway from the slip road opposite the exit. From the exits, you simply have to walk towards the Expo park to take tram 23, 81, or 94; or Metro 6 from stations ''50Koning Boudewijn'' or ''Heysel''. Alternatively, you might also ask to be left at the service station on the E40 in Leuven, before the ring road around Brussels, with the idea of catching a local ride that would get you into town.836082778824434This might be necessary if your driver goes up along the E19 to Antwerp, as there won' lngt be any places for him to drop you off. === Northwest === If you arrive from the northwest (Gent), you can ask to be dropped at the Services in Groot-Bijgaarden which is 2.5km before the ring of Brussels along the E40 from where you can walk to Zellik and catch bus 213 or 214 to the centre, or try to hitch a ride into town. If your ride only takes the western ring road (E19), (from Gent or the south), you can ask to be dropped off at Junction 16 on the E19, from where it is walking distance to the metro 1b stations ''Eddy Merckx'' or ''Ceria''. === South === If you coming in from the south and the driver is heading to the east of Brussels, ask to be dropped off at Delta. If the driver is heading to the west of Brussels, ask to be dropped off at E19 junction at Drogenbos. It comes right after Ruisbroek service station (Total). Walk five minutes and you’ll be at the beginning of tram line 4going to the centre.352989196777344 == Hitchhiking out == === North-West towards [[Gent]], [[Brugge]], [[England]], ([[Lille]]) {{E|40}} === ==== Option 1: Petrol stations at Baselix Shopping Centre ==== Take train S10 from ' zoom'Brussels Noord'' station to ''Berchem Ste-Agathe'' station. Head south towards the Carrefour hypermarket and go through it's car park toward the Baselix Shopping Centre and the main road Keizer Karellaan. Here you will find two petrol stations (Shell and Lukoil). Stay there as people fill up with petrol for going to e.g. Gent]or Bruges. Just ask people. 1O minutes walk Alternative way : take bus 213 or 214 from bus-stop ''Brussel Rogier'' and get off at ''Sint-Agatha-Berchem Marg.v.Oostenrijk'', and then walk 300m west until you reach the petrol stations. Or walk 5 km from Rogier metro heading west on the main road R20. ====Option 2: Start of E40 ==== Take tram 82 from the Gare du Midi in direction of ''Berchem'' until the stop ''Berchem Shopping'12' view. From there turn left and walk up the Av. Charles Quint for about 200 meters and you are at the beginning of the E40 in the direction of Gent. Just hitch after the traffic lights, where there is space for a car to pull over behind you. The circulation is dense but cars can easily pull over and get back on the road quite safely. You can also reach this spot by the following the directions in Option 1 and then continue walking 400m west along the main road R20. ====Option 3: Motorway service station Groot Bijgaarden ==== The cheapest way: from bus-stop ''Brussel Rogier'', take De Lijn bus 213 or 214 (direction Aalst) and get off at bus-stop ''Zellik Drie Koningen''. Cross over the street and walk back 50m in the direction from where the bus came to the roundabout. Turn into the first street to the right (Kerklaan) and walk 200m. Turn left into Theodoor Coppensstraat and walk ≈650m till you come to the junction with Louis De Bondstraat. Take a left here (south) and walk 400m until you reach a road on the right (Dilbeek Noord). Walk ≈300m and you will reach the service station. This spot works extremely well, but it takes some times to get there and it's also quite expensive: 2,40€ to get to Gare du Nord (blackriding the tram is easy but metro is hard) plus 3€ for the De Lijn bus (you enter the bus right at the front so you cannot blackride). Many people also take this route to go to Lille and Paris, and there's probably more traffic on this road than on the option going towards Charleroi and Mons. === South-West towards [[Charleroi]], [[Mons (Bergen)|Mons]], [[Lille]], [[Paris]] {{E|19}} === ==== Option 1: E19 Motorway junction Drogenbos ==== At the Drogenbos motorway junction, there is a [http://maps.google.be/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=nl&geocode=&q=stalle+prolongee&sll=50.792373,4.316597&sspn=0.045358,0.110378&g=drogenbos&ie=UTF8&ll=50.792468,4.304082&spn=0.001329,0.003449&t=h&z=18&iwloc traffic light under the motorway bridge]. As cars need to wait to turn left to get on the highway, its possible to ask drivers to take you south, or to the [http://goo.gl/maps/fBvgQ next petrol station on the motorway], which is 1.5 km further. Take bus 50 (direction Lot) to Gilson leaving from Brussels Gare du Midi/Zuidstation. This takes about 20 minutes. Walk southeast along Paul Gilsonlaan, then follow the road round onto Grote Baan to the junction with Verlengde Stallestraat. Turn right (west) and walk ≈250m to the traffic light under the motorway. Altogether the walk is ≈500m and takes five minutes. Or take tram 4 ([http://m.stib.be/line.php?lang=fr&line=4&iti=1 STIB]) till the terminus ([http://maps.google.be/maps?q=stalle+prolongee&hl=nl&ll=50.795375,4.318566&spn=0.000895,0.001725&sll=50.792373,4.316597&sspn=0.045358,0.110378&t=h&hnear=Verlengde+Stallestraat,+Vlaams-Brabant&z=19 Stalle]), then walk further towards the motorway along Rue Prolongée de Stalle/Verlengde Stallestraat (with some massive shops) till you reach the traffic lights underneath the motorway bridge. You can also leave tram 4 at the stop Egide van Ophem (2 stops before terminus). Here you just need to cross the street and you'll find yourself on a DATS 24 petrol station. Depending on the time of the day (best is around evening rush hour, as people are leaving Brussels), it can be easy or very easy to get a ride to the Ruisbroek service station. Make sure to state very clearly where you want to go (Ruisbroek petrol station is on the “ring”) as many people go through it without knowing, for example if their destination is Waterloo. ==== Option 2: Ruisbroek Petrol Station ==== To get directly on the Ruisbroek Petrol Station (which is located on the western part of the ring), you need to take bus 50 (direction Lot station) from Brussels Midi Station to Ruisbroek Voetbalplein. This takes about half an hour. From here you walk straight and turn the second to the left (into Hemelstraat) and follow this till the end. Go left into Broekweg and follow your way onto the petrol station. Another option is taking the local train from one of Brussels' railway stations (e.g. Centrale or Midi) to Ruisbroeck for 2,40€ (ticket at the machine). From there you can also walk (allow 30 min). EIther way, you biggest obstacle ist the ditch around the rest station which you have to traverse. It usually filled with water and can be a slippery thing. However, there is/was a tree trunk placed in the ditch which you can use to get to the other side. It's close to the petrol station. If you cross here you will also find a hole in the fence where you can pass through. ==== Option 3: Internationalelaan/Boulevard International ==== Internationalelaan/Boulevard International close to the motorway entrance. There is a lot of traffic and much space for cars to stop, even a petrol station where you could ask people directly. To get there, take bus 78 from the Brussels Zuidstation/Gare du Midi in direction of Humanité and get out at the stop Bollinckx. Attention! The bus only runs every hour. [http://www.stib.be/horaires-dienstregeling.html?l=fr Schedule] Keep in mind that you are now in the middle of an industrial zone! ==== Option 4: E19 Motorway junction 17 (Ceria/Coovi) ==== Another option to take metro yellow line 5 (direction Érasme/Erasmus) and get off at CERIA/COOVI. Walk Chaussée de Mons/Bergensesteenweg down south (you can ask people the direction of Ikea). Some 150 meters from the metro station you will see a bridge. Go down across the bridge, there you will see entrance (consisting of 3 lanes from 3' floatdifferent directions) to the motorway in direction of Mons/Paris. 5 km further there will be a big Total petrol station called Ruisbroek, there you will easily find a ride further to the south. ==== Option 5: Delta (South-East) ==== Although Delta is mostly known as the best spot to get to Louvain-la-Neuve then Namur and Luxembourg along the E411 (see below), it can very well be suited to get on the E19 (Nivelles, Charleroi or Mons, then Paris, or even Lille). Using a sign on this spot is mandatory as drivers are used to see hitchhikers going to Louvain-la-Neuve (E411 rather than E19). Unless your driver goes further, which is often the case, ask to be dropped at rest area of Nivelles 30 minutes from Brussels (the one with the Total petrol station and a restaurant that is built across the highway). The spot has direct access from the exit no. 4 of metro station Delta on line 5 (15 minutes ride from the city center). VUB and ULB students or hitchhikers leaving from Ixelles have a reason to prefer this option as it will save them time compared to reaching Stalle stop (Drogenbos) by tram 4. Alternatively, you can ask drivers directly at the petrol station Lukoil (30 minutes on average). On the contrary, Texaco petrol station’s staff, on boulevard du Triomphe, has proven to be very unfriendly to hitchhikers once, threatening to call the cops. === Southeast towards [[Louvain-la-Neuve]], [[Namur]], [[Luxembourg]], [[Lyon]], [[Strasbourg|Strasbourg]], [[Geneve]] {{E|411}} === The E411 to Luxembourg is a recommended direction to head further South. This option should probably also be considered to go the South if you want to avoid Paris. Because petrol is a lot cheaper in Luxembourg you can easily find long rides at the petrol station in Luxembourg before the border. ==== Option 1: Delta ==== One of the historically well-known places by local hitchhikers, 'Delta is on the way towards Louvain-La-Neuve (student town) and is situated rightat the exit no. 4 of metro station Delta (15 minutes from the centre), next to the Delta bus depot. To get there, take metro line 5 direction Herrmann-Debroux, or bus 71 to Delta. It is common to bump into one or two other (student) hitchhikers there. There's a petrol station (Lukoil) next to the metro station where you won't wait more than five minutes on a Sunday morning if you say you're a student. Historical note: as Louvain-la-Neuve is a student town, and Delta is at the entrance of the motorway and next to the VUB/>ULB (Brussels university), many students used to hitchhike that route. ==== Option 2: Station Beaulieu in Ixelles ==== To get to metro station Beaulieu in Ixelles, take line 5 direction Herrmann-Debroux. You will notice many cars stopping at traffic lights just before the station. This road connects with the motorway towards the South. Some hitchhiker got a lift in less than 2 minutes. There is a big service station 10 minutes down the road if needed for further lifts.
=== South towards [[Waterloo]] N5 ===
=== South Northeast or East, towards [[Louvain-la-NeuveLeuven]], [[Antwerpen|Antwerp]], [[CharleroiLiège|Liege]], [[NamurGermany]], [[LuxembourgNetherlands]] (E411) {{E|40}} / {{E|314}} ===
'''The E411 to Luxembourg is a recommended direction to head further towards:Option 2.'''
''(Note: this spot works perfectly during business hours, but the traffic is low on Sundays or during holidays; note that it is also possible to catch a ride in direction North [[Antwerp]] from there too but a sign is required)'Option 4.'''
==== (North towards [[Antwerpen|Antwerp]], [[Breda]], [[Rotterdam]], [[Utrecht]], [[Amsterdam]] A12) =or {{E|19}} ===A good option is to take a train to Brussels International Airport. Here you walk out of the airport terminal, pass a Shell service station, and walk along the side road until it joins with the motorway. Cars are going relatively slow and there is plenty of room for a vehicle to pull over. A lot of these vehicles are going in the direction of Antwerp, at least. There is a big service station before Antwerp for you to be dropped at for other destinations.
'''Option 2.'''
If you don't have any luck with finding a spot to stand you can try your chances at Brussels Airport. You can take bus 21 to the airport and then go to the "Notre Dame Cathedral / LaekenDépart" optionarea. Go outside and you will see a lot of cars drive by and drop off people who are catching a plane. When you walk a bit into the direction where the cars are going to (it's one-way traffic) you will find a good spot where you can stand and where cars can stop for you.Use a sign, because probably most cars will move into Brussels and only a few will go to Antwerpen.This road will lead to the highway and also to the petrol station that is described at the section on Brussels Airport.
The [http://maps.google.com/?q=nato,+brussels&ie=UTF8&hq=nato,&hnear= (E19) Brussels,+Belgium&ll=50.877674,4.42263&spn=0.004008,0.009645&z=17&iwloc={{infoneeded|Find a lyrftr:m,0x47c3dcd1ea2536c7:0xe8a6c0992aa12ff7,50.877511,4.421042 bus stop in front of the NATO] is pretty good spot for hitchhiking further than Antwerp, although there is more traffic at the parallel traffic lights. For hitchhiking to Holland, make a sign for the Antwerp/E19}}and get off at the petrol station just before Antwerp: lots of Dutch cars / people here to ask for a ride. If someone takes you to Mechelen though, make sure they drop you of at Mechelen Noord motorway exit. Buses 12, 21 and 65 go to the Nato stop. You can get the number 65 from the Madou metro stop.
Take an overpriced train or for a more normal price bus 12 or 21 to Brussels International Airport. There are two services along many exits at the E40 between Brussels airport. You can find one and Gent that start hitching from where cars pay their parking-ticket. A bit further down the road towards the motorway you can always manage to reach: # 'Groot Bijgaarden' is about 2ll find a Shell service station.5km from Most cars here stay around the spot airport, but you are standing# 'Wetteren' may have luck. A final suggestion is some 34km from Brussels to keep on walking along the side-road until it joins with the motorway. Cars go relatively slow here and about 15km from the center there is plenty of Gentroom for a vehicle to pull over.
If your ride only takes the Western Ring anyhow (from Gent or driver is not heading to your destination but goes to the south)ring, you can ask to be left at get out where the Exit 16 and gain A12 starts. You will find some small spots around the Metro 1broundabout that should work. [http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=bockstael&sll=50.879901,4.358912&sspn=0.006025,0.013797&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Bockstael,+Fransmanstraat,+Laken+1020+Brussel,+Brussel+Hoofdstedelijk+Gewest,+Belgium&ll=50.894358,4.357474&spn=0.006118, stations 'Eddy Merckx' or 'Ceria' which are at footsteps0.011952&z=16 map]
== Nomadwiki & Trashwiki ==
{{nomadwiki}}
[[Category:Vlaams-Brabant]][[Category:BelgiumE19]]
[[Category:E40]]
[[Category:E19E411]]
[[de:Brüssel]]
[[fr:Bruxelles]]