3,631
edits
Changes
Brussels
,→Trashwiki & Nomadwiki
{{Hitchhiking Zine nomination}}
{{Infobox Location
|country = Belgium
== Hitchhiking out ==
__TOC__
=== North-West towards [[Gent]], [[Brugge]], [[England]], ([[Lille]]) {{E|40}} ===
==== Option 1: Petrol stations at Baselix Shopping Centre ====
2. Take tram 82 bus 213 or 214 from the South Station in direction of bus-stop 'Berchem' until the stop Brussel Rogier'Berchem Shopping'. From there turn left and walk up the Avget off at ''Sint-Agatha-Berchem Marg. Charles Quint for about 200 meters and you are at the beginning of the E40 in direction of Gentv. Just hitch after the traffic lightsOostenrijk'', where there is an area for a car to pull aside behind and then walk 300m west until you. The circulation is dense but cars can easily pull aside and get back on reach the road quite safely. This spot was last successfully used on August 22nd, 2010petrol stations.
=== South-West towards [[Charleroi]], [[Mons (Bergen)|Mons]], [[Lille]], [[Paris]] (E19) = Option 3: Motorway service station Groot Bijgaarden ====
2. 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= Ruisbroek Petrol Station 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. [[Dante]] tried this spot a number of times, and often, within less then half an hour, gets to talk directly to drivers with French number plates going towards Paris.
==== Internationalelaan/Boulevard International 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 ====
Another option to go to the 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 hitchhiking|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!
==== CERIAOption 4: E19 Motorway junction 17 (Ceria/COOVI 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 different 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). [[abyssin]] successfully hitchhiked from there 10+ times. If used properly, this option beats Drogenbos in many cases. Using a sign on this spot is mandatory as drivers are used to see hitchhikers going to Louvain-la-Neuve (E411 rather than E19). After several trials, “'''Nivelles'''” proves to be the best thing to write on your sign (this is important). 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).
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.
==== Alternative destinations along the E19 ====
* [[Valenciennes]] at junction with the A23 to [[Lille]].
=== South Southeast towards [[Louvain-la-Neuve]], [[Namur]], [[Luxembourg]], [[Lyon]], [[Strasbourg|Strasbourg]], [[Geneve]] (E411) {{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.
The E411 heads direction South Southeast to [[Namur]], [[Luxembourg]], [[Lorraine]] in [[France]] and in to [[Germany]]. Many junctions, such as the southern ring near Jezus-Eik, connect to the E19 (towards [[Charleroi]], [[Mons (Bergen)|Mons]] and [[Paris]]) or the E42 just north of [[Namur]]. Using a sign would ease the journey but remember that these junctions are on the motorway and are not safe to hitchhike from.
==== 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 right '''at the exit no. 4 of metro station Delta''' (15 minutes from the centercentre), next to the Delta bus depot. To get there, take '''metro line 5''' direction '''Herrmann-Debroux''', or '''bus 71 to Delta'''. It takes a minute or two before a car stops, and 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]] (local hitching) N5 ===
Public transport to the site of [[Waterloo]] battlefield are deficient, so hitchhiking could be a solution for those who wish to do a day excursion to that historic site. The best is to reach 'Ter Cameren Bos' (Bois de la Cambre) at the border between Ixelles and Ukkel [http://maps.google.be/?ie=UTF8&ll=50.811928,4.368154&spn=0.000717,0.001725&t=h&z=19 (Tram 94 - 23 - 24) and find a spot along the Chaussee de Waterloo] or by taking [http://maps.google.be/?ie=UTF8&ll=50.789497,4.374205&spn=0.000717,0.001725&t=h&z=19 Tram 92 till "Fort Jaco" terminus], and then walk to adjacent Chaussee de Waterloo to hh further south.
=== North Northeast or East, towards [[Leuven]], [[Antwerpen|Antwerp]], [[Liège|Liege]], [[Germany]], [[Netherlands]] (E40 - E314) {{E|40}} / {{E|314}} ===
You can easily hitch out of Brussels in direction East from the European / Business Quarter.
'''Option 1.''' Start hitching at the entrance of the Tunnel located at the gate of the Jubelpark/Parc du Cinquentenaire on the Blijde-Inkomstlaan/Avenue de la Joyeuse-Entrée on the side of the 'Rond-Point Schuman' (metro access 1A/1B direction Herrmann-Debroux/Stokkel). There is a street light and a side parking just at the entrance of the tunnel, you may simply stand by the light with a sign and the cars can immediately pull over to pick you. This hitching point is an easy start to go to [[Leuven]] or [[Liège|Liege]] or possibly reach the Heverlee services in Leuven on the E40 or on the E314.
'''Option 2.''' Another, second, good option is to hitch at the red lights on the [http://maps.google.be/maps?f=q&hl=nl&geocode=&q=rue+du+belliard+10+,+bruxelles&sll=50.84508,4.369297&sspn=0.010351,0.026608&ie=UTF8&ll=50.844945,4.368825&spn=0.010704,0.026608&z=15&iwloc=addr Rue du Belliard]. It's a one way street with 4 lanes and most cars enter the Tunnel tunnel at the end of the street that goes onto the motorway towards [[Leuven]], [[Liège|Liege]] and [[Aachen]]. Make sure to ask your driver if they go onto the motorway and go towards [[Leuven]]. The first petrol station on the motorway is right after the exit to [[Leuven]]. If your driver goes to [[Leuven]] he can miss his turn and still go to the town through the petrol station. Nearby public transportation to this second hitch hitching spot are Metro station "Trone/Troon" and also several bus lines.
'''Option 3.''' Get to premetro Station "Diamant". You can get there by taking the metro to Schuman (Direction 1/5 Stockel/Hermann-Debroux) and change then to bus 79 (direction Kraainem) or take tram no. 25 from Rogier in direction of Boondaal Station/Gare Boondael. Cross "Bld. Auguste Reyers" in eastern direction. Then walk to the spot on the small street, just after the traffic lights, that leads to the A3-motorway. There is plenty of space for cars to pull over.
'''Option 4.''' The best way to leave the city fast and in the right direction is going past the ring road. So, if you're ok to pay the public transport, take the [https://www.delijn.be/fr/lijnen/lijn/3/351/2 De Lijn bus 351] from the train station Brussels-North and stop at [http://www.openstreetmap.org/#map=15/50.8744/4.4931 Nossegem - Centrum] (it takes 30 minutes and cost 3 euros). Walk a few metres in the direction of the bus and you reach a big crossroad where the highway is announced. Follow the sign and turn right to find a very comfortable point to hitchhike to [[Leuven]] or [[Liège|Liege]].
'''Option 5.'''
Stand by the roundabout next to the parking lot entrance to the Cora supermarket, in Woluwe. From the Roodebeek metro station, walk 15min or take bus 45 to Gulledelle.
=== North towards [[Antwerpen|Antwerp]], [[Breda]], [[Rotterdam]], [[Utrecht]], [[Amsterdam]] A12 or {{E|19}} ===
==== Antwerpselaan ====
'''Option 1.''' Take tram #3, #19 , or #23 and get off at ''De Wand'' or take tram 4 and get off at ''Esplanade'' (#4and then turn right). Walk along the Avenue de Meysse up to the Antwerpselaan, crossing Romeinsesteenweg. By now you should see the Romeinsesteenwegsigns for Antwerp. Keep following the signs for a couple more roads further on. You can This will increase your chances when you hitch along the on Antwerpselaan and try to catch a car that would get onto the motorway at exit #junction 2 of the A12. De Lijn busstop "Strombeek-Bever Nieuwelaan" is good, cars are going slow and have place to stop.
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 "Départ" area. 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.
If 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 therethe exits, you simply have to walk towards the Expo park to join the Tram (take tram 23 - , 81 - , or 94) ; or Metro (1A) 6 from stations at ''Koning Boudewijn'' or ''Heysel''.
=== West - South Northwest ===If you arrive from the North-West 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 E40from 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 anyhow western ring road (E19), (from Gent or the south), you can ask to be left dropped off at Junction 16 on the Exit 16 and gain E19, from where it is walking distance to the Metro metro 1b, stations ''Eddy Merckx'' or ''Ceria' which are at footsteps'.
=== 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 goes is heading to the East west of Brussels, ask to be dropped off at DeltaE19 junction at Drogenbos. It comes right after Ruisbroek service station (Total). Walk five minutes and you’ll be at the beginning of tram line 4 going to the centre.
If you like to have a chat, free coffee or tea or free computer access, be sure to visit ''Use-it, Tourist Info For Young Travellers''.
They also have a wide variety of free maps and the best tips what to do and where to hang out in Brussels. Check out: [www.use-it.be]
[[Category:E19]]
[[de:Brüssel]]
[[fr:Bruxelles]]