Antwerp, Belgium: Essential Travel Insights & Local Trends

Yes. Antwerp International Airport (ANR), also called Deurne Airport, is the main Antwerp airport in Belgium and is located just 5 kilometers southeast of the city center, a 20-minute drive or tram ride away. It's small and convenient by design, with limited routes on TUI fly and Sky Alps, mostly to Spanish and Italian holiday destinations. For wider connections, most travelers fly into Brussels Airport instead, about 45 kilometers south, then take a direct train to Antwerp Central Station in under an hour. Either airport works – Deurne wins on convenience, Brussels wins on flight choice.

In Antwerp, car hire earns its keep for day trips to Bruges, Ghent, or the breezy Belgian coast – inside the city itself, trams and the pedestrian old town cover everything you need. Car hire at Antwerp Airport puts you behind the wheel within minutes of landing, with Europcar and Sixt both running counters at the small terminal. Car rental at Antwerp Central Station works just as well if you're arriving by train from Brussels, with several agencies a short walk from the platforms. Wherever you pick up your Antwerp car rental, don’t drive into the historic center itself – narrow one-way streets and limited parking make walking or the tram the better call once you're there.

Top Antwerp attractions start at the Cathedral of Our Lady (Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekathedraal), a Gothic masterpiece holding four stunning Rubens paintings under its soaring spire, then continue at the Grote Markt, the medieval square lined with gilded guild houses and the theatrical Brabo Fountain at its center. For city attractions in Antwerp with a real range, the striking, modern MAS museum offers free elevated views over the broad Scheldt river, while the newly opened Rubens Experience lets you dive into the painter's legacy right next to his beautifully redesigned grand gardens. In Antwerp, family attractions include the amazing Antwerp Zoo, one of the oldest in the world, and right next to Central Station itself, one of the most beautiful train stations anywhere. Other fun things to do in Antwerp with kids also include the Chocolate Nation museum, a genuine journey through cocoa with tastings built in. What to see in Antwerp in 2 days: Day one covers the historic core: Cathedral, Grote Markt, Het Steen castle on the river; Day two moves you to Rubens Experience and gardens, the diamond district, and the trendy Zuid neighborhood for its art museums and stylish boutiques. For romantic things to do in Antwerp, walk the Sint-Anna tunnel under the Scheldt to the quiet left bank, then watch the sunset over the water from a scenic rooftop bar back in town. In Antwerp, things to do in a day work too if you're just passing through: stick to the historic center, and you'll see the essentials without rushing. Whether you want to explore Antwerp's top attractions or plan the perfect 2-day itinerary before you arrive, KubikTrip helps you find and compare the right local experiences instantly.

Antwerp food centers on mussels and fries – order moules frites at De Rooden Hoed, a genuine Antwerp’s restaurant near the Grote Markt serving them the traditional way, plump and briny, steamed in white wine with celery and leeks until the shells pop open. For the best food in Antwerp beyond mussels, try Flemish stew (stoverij), rich beef slow-cooked in dark beer until it turns fall-apart tender and deeply savory, or a cone of crispy, double-fried friet with a dollop of tangy mayonnaise – Frituur No. 1, near the Cathedral, has served both since it first opened and remains a local favorite decades later. As a fantastic, halal-friendly option for anyone seeking a halal restaurant, Antwerp’s K-Style BBQ delivers incredible Korean food in Antwerp: locals flock here for smoky, halal-certified bulgogi, crunchy Korean fried chicken, and tabletop grilling in one spot – a genuinely rare combination worth knowing about. Antwerp is also home to some of Belgium's best chocolate – pick up a box of Antwerpse handjes (Antwerp hands), the city's own chocolate specialty shaped after its founding legend, from Elisa Pralines on the Grote Markt, then finish with a Belgian waffle, crisp and golden outside, warm and soft within, from House of Waffles just steps from the Cathedral.

Which hotels are best in Antwerp depends on the kind of stay you want: Elegant boutique hotels in Antwerp: Hotel 't Sandt, a 32-room canal-side stay with a rooftop terrace over the Scheldt. Grand 5-star hotels in Antwerp, Belgium, and lavish luxury hotels in Antwerp: Botanic Sanctuary Antwerp, a former 15th-century monastery with a full spa and four restaurants. Convenient business hotels in Antwerp: Sapphire House Antwerp, Autograph Collection by Marriott, a five-star stay steps from the historic Handelsbeurs (Old Stock Exchange). Affordable, cheap hotels in Antwerp and downtown Antwerp city center hotels: A-STAY Antwerpen, a simple stay right by the Central Station. Roomy family hotels in Antwerp: Hotel Rubens - Grote Markt, spacious enough for families and steps from the main square. Art-adjacent hotels near Royal Museum of Fine Arts, Antwerp: Hotel Pilar, a design hotel sitting directly across from the museum itself. From a former monastery turned 5-star retreat to simple stays by Antwerp Central Station, KubikTrip helps you compare and book the right stay in minutes.

In Antwerp, Belgium, the weather stays mild and temperate most of the year, with no real extremes in either direction. Summer, June through August, brings daytime highs around 21–23°C, warm enough for outdoor cafés without ever feeling too hot. Spring and autumn stay comfortable in the low teens, with occasional rain, you'll want a light jacket regardless of the month. Winter cools to around 5–7°C, is damp more often than cold, and rarely drops far below zero. Antwerp’s weather changes often enough within a single day that a light jacket and a compact umbrella earn their place in your bag, no matter when you visit.