Interspeech 2007 logo
August 27-31, 2007

Antwerp, Belgium
Antwerp Cathedral tower Antwerp main square Antwerp harbour in twilight
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Transportation

HOW TO GET TO ANTWERP

Getting to Antwerp - By Air

It is advised to fly to either Brussels Airport (Belgium), or Amsterdam Schiphol airport (the Netherlands).

From Brussels airport, the most convenient transport to downtown Antwerp is a direct shuttle bus, leaving the airport every hour on the hour (travelling time 50 mins, one-way fare is 8 Euro). The bus stop in Antwerp city (Keyserlei) is next to Antwerp Central Station and within walking distance of most hotels and the conference center.

Participants who can get convenient and inexpensive flights to Amsterdam (Schiphol airport) may prefer this airport. From Schiphol airport a regular train can be taken directly to Antwerp Central Station (travelling time 1h45mins, hourly trains). It is not advised to take the high speed Thalys train, because it requires advanced seat reservation, is usually more expensive, is less frequent and it takes longer to reach Antwerp Central station because you have to change trains at Antwerp Berchem Station (where there are no elevators or escalators, so that you will have to carry your luggage down and up the stairs).

For the regular trains from Schiphol Airport to Antwerp seat reservations are not required (actually, you cannot even make effective seat reservations). Also, you do not need to buy tickets in advance. However, you should be aware that you have to buy a ticket before boarding the train, because you cannot buy a ticket in the train without paying the standard fine for fare dodgers in addition to the regular ticket price. You can buy tickets at the ticket windows at Schiphol Airport. You can also get tickets from the ticket machines in the baggage claim hall and in the hall next to the ticket windows. Please note that the ticket machines, except for the ones in the baggage claim hall, do not accept foreign bank cards, nor credit cards.

The price of a second class return ticket (valid two months) is 53.20 Euro. A first class return ticket costs 80 Euro.

Please note that when looking at transportation by train in the website mentioned above, you have to use

Antwerp(en) Centraal for the conference location
Zaventem Airport for Brussels Airport
Schiphol for Amsterdam Airport

Antwerp has its own airport, but it is rather small and not served by many airlines. Note also that the Brussels South Charleroi Airport is located 46 km from Brussels Central Station. Travelling through this airport needs multiple train and/or bus connections.

Getting to Antwerp - By Train

The high speed Thalys train connects Paris, Köln (Germany) and Aachen (Germany) to Brussels. Some Thalys trains stop in Antwerp Berchem Station, requiring an additional short regular train connection to Antwerp Central Station.

The Eurostar connects London to Brussels. The TGV connects the Paris Charles de Gaulle / Roissy airport to Brussels. Seats must be reserved and tickets must be purchased in advance. Additional (frequently available) regular train connections are required to travel from Brussels to Antwerp.

PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION IN ANTWERP

Antwerp is a rather compact town with short distances between most points of interest that can easily be walked. There is a metro and tram network that also connects to the outer skirts of the town. Bus/tram tickets can be purchased in the vehicles from the driver, but are at least 20% cheaper when bought in advance from newspaper kiosks, supermarkets, or ticket machines at the stops. Metro tickets must be purchased at the Metro stops. Common prices are (advance sale/normal price):
Individal ticket: 1,20 euro/1,50 euro, 60 minutes valid
Ticket valid for 24 hours: 5 euro/6 euro, 24 hours valid
10-ride card: 8 euro/10 euro, 10 x 60 minutes valid (Note that these cards are not personal; therefore, one card can pay for up to 10 persons).

Taxis are in general rather expensive in Belgium.

HOW TO GET TO THE VENUE

The conference venue is located next to Antwerp Central Station. Most hotels are also within walking distance (5 to 10 minutes). A map of the city can be found here.


ISCA logo Universiteit Antwerpen logo Radboud University Nijmegen logo Katholieke Universiteit Leuven logo