The most popular car rental agents in Antwerp:
- Sixt (Tel: +32 70 22 58 00)
- Europcar (Tel: +32 3 206 74 44)
- Hertz (Tel: +32 3 239 29 21)
- Avis (Tel: +32 3 218 94 96)
- Budget (Tel: +32 3 218 94 96)
Antwerp Mini Guide
Antwerp is the hub of the European diamond trade and so is a good place to visit if you are looking to buy an engagement or wedding ring. This Belgian city is situated in the region of Flanders. It used to be one of Europe’s most important financial centres in the 1500s and it is Belgium’s second largest city while also having a well used port. Over the years Antwerp has attracted many artists, actors and intellectuals and is considered to be Belgium’s cultural epicentre.
To get there you will fly into Antwerp Airport from a number of major European cities such as
Jersey,
Manchester,
London and
Liverpool and VLM is the main airline to use Antwerp International. Alternatively you can fly into
Brussels Zaventem Airport, pick up your rental car and continue the journey which will take around two hours.
Enquire about the possibility of having different pick up and drop off points for your vehicle if you wish to do so. Driving in Antwerp is quite easy with plenty of parking spaces usually costing around two Euros per hour. Having a car will save you a fortune on taxis and give you the freedom to explore Belgium and the European countries which border it at your leisure.
You can see Antwerp’s importance reflected in its architecture which is delightful and the central market square of the city is a very pleasant place to take a stroll. Though the origins of Belgium are Flemish Medieval it is today considered a trendy destination and a good place to take a weekend city break.
There are quite a few things to see and do in Antwerp including some good museums, a zoo and various churches and cathedrals. Among the interesting historic buildings to see are the Cathedral of Our Lady which is one of the largest and most impressive in Europe, built in a Gothic style.
If you are interested in architecture and want to see something different try the Carolus Borromeus Church which was built in the Baroque style. More modern is the Boerentoren skyscraper from which you can get amazing panoramas of Antwerp.
Antwerp is a very safe city though it does have its own red light district in which there are occasionally problems. If you are coupled up you may prefer to visit the diamond district to the south of the train station. More then 85% of the world’s rough diamonds are cut in Antwerp.