Bus Hire in Antwerp

Antwerp (Antwerpen/Anvers) is Belgium's largest city by population and the world's second-largest seaport by cargo tonnage (after Rotterdam). The city is the historic centre of the Flemish art world (home of Pieter Paul Rubens and the Antwerp School of painting) and the global capital of the diamond trade (approximately 80 per cent of the world's rough diamonds pass through the Antwerp diamond district, the Diamantkwartier, each year). Antwerp's port (with 12 kilometres of waterfront and one of Europe's largest petrochemical complexes) generates significant corporate coach hire demand year-round.

Antwerp Airport (ANR) at Deurne is 4 kilometres south-east of the city centre (approximately 10 minutes by coach). Brussels Airport (BRU) is 45 kilometres south via the E19 motorway (approximately 40 minutes). The Grote Markt (the central square) is enclosed by the Stadhuis (Town Hall, 1564-1565, a magnificent Flemish Renaissance building) and the guild houses of the principal trades. The Cathedral of Our Lady (the largest Gothic cathedral in the Benelux, under construction from 1352 to 1521, with a 123-metre north tower) is 200 metres from the Grote Markt.

Cathedral of Our Lady and Rubens

The Cathedral of Our Lady (Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekathedraal, on the Groenplaats) is the tallest building in the Benelux at 123 metres (north tower) and was under construction from 1352 to 1521. The interior holds four major works by Rubens: the Descent from the Cross (1611-1614, north transept), the Raising of the Cross (1610-1611, south transept), the Resurrection of Christ (1611-1612, in the Schilder chapel), and the Assumption of the Virgin (1626, above the high altar). Rubens is buried in the Church of St James (Sint-Jacobskerk, 500 metres north of the cathedral), where his tomb chapel (designed by himself before his death in 1640) has his last self-portrait above the altar. The Rubenshuis (Rubens House, Wapper 9, 400 metres east of the Grote Markt) is Rubens' baroque mansion and studio, converted to a museum with period interiors and a formal garden; group visits with advance booking are recommended.

MAS Museum and the Riverfront

The MAS (Museum aan de Stroom, Museum by the River, on Hanzestedenplaats at the north end of the historic centre) is a 60-metre stacked building of red sandstone and glass (2011, designed by Neutelings Riedijk Architects), with permanent collections covering the city's mercantile and colonial history, world cultures (the ethnographic collections), and the Antwerp harbour. The rooftop terrace is free to access and gives panoramic views over the port, the Scheldt, and the city. The Eilandje quarter (around the MAS) is Antwerp's redeveloped dock district, now a mixed residential and cultural area with restaurants, galleries, and the Red Star Line Museum (in the former emigration halls of the Red Star Line shipping company, through which 2 million European emigrants passed to the United States between 1873 and 1934).

Diamond District and Fashion Quarter

The Antwerp Diamond District (Diamantkwartier, in the Seefhoek quarter around the Central Station, between the Van Wesenbekestraat and the Pelikaanstraat) is the world's largest diamond trading and cutting centre. Approximately 1,500 diamond companies are based in four diamond bourses within a square kilometre. The Diamond Museum (Diamantmuseum, in the Kouter, near the cathedral) gives an overview of diamond trade and cutting history with group tours. Antwerp is also one of Europe's leading fashion cities: the Antwerp Six group of designers (including Dries Van Noten, Ann Demeulemeester, and Walter Van Beirendonck) graduated from the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in the 1980s and defined Antwerp's fashion identity. The MoMu (Mode Museum, fashion museum, in the Nationalestraat) is the main fashion museum. The Nationalestraat and the Kammenstraat are the main shopping streets for independent fashion.

What Bus Hire Costs in Antwerp

As a rough guide, a minibus (up to 19 seats) in Antwerp runs around 420 to 820 EUR per day, a midi-coach (around 35 seats) around 560 to 1,090 EUR per day, and a full-size coach (49 to 55 seats) around 690 to 1,300 EUR per day. Antwerp is a premium market with high year-round demand from the port industry, diamond sector corporate events, and major museums. Port area employee shuttles and cruise terminal transfers are a significant segment. The final figure depends on your route, the date, and how long you need the vehicle and driver. We confirm a fixed price with no hidden charges, so send your details for a free quote.

Services Available in Antwerp