How does the Antwerp tram work, and where do trams 2 and 6 go?

You have arrived at Antwerpen-Centraal with a suitcase, or you want to leave the car and get into town. The tram is the easiest way around Antwerp, but the lines, the underground stops and the payment options can be confusing on day one.

How does the Antwerp tram network work?

The Antwerp tram network is run by De Lijn, the Flemish public transport company. Trams run above ground in most of the city and underground in the centre, where part of the network works like a metro. The same tickets and the same contactless payment work on every De Lijn tram and bus.

For visitors staying south of the centre, two lines matter most: tram 2 and tram 6. Both run through the centre and both stop near the Hoost building in Antwerp South and Middelheim Park, our guide to the area. De Lijn also publishes a tram map of Antwerp as a PDF.

Where do Antwerp trams 2 and 6 go?

Antwerp trams 2 and 6 run from the south of the city, through Antwerpen-Centraal, to the north. De Lijn describes the routes like this on its Antwerp network works page:

Trams 2 and 6 in Antwerp, as described by De Lijn

De Lijn adds that tram 2 is temporarily, but for a long time, limited to Hoboken Zwaantjes. A shuttle bus runs from there to Hoboken Lelieplaats.

Antwerp Expo gives the same advice for its visitors: from Antwerp-Central station, take tram 2 or tram 6. Our Antwerp Expo visitor guide covers the fair centre in detail.

Antwerp tram tickets: how do you pay?

Antwerp tram tickets can be bought before you board, or you can pay on board with a contactless bank card or phone. De Lijn asks you to buy or activate a ticket before boarding, unless you pay contactless on the vehicle.

Paying contactless works like this, according to De Lijn:

• Hold your bank card, phone or watch less than 4 cm from the symbol on the white terminal. A green tick confirms the payment.
• Transfers to another tram or bus are free within 60 minutes. Tap the same card again on the new vehicle.
• One card can pay for up to five people. Tap again within two minutes for each extra traveller.
• At an inspection, the inspector scans the card or phone you paid with.
• Children under six travel free with a paying passenger aged at least 12.

De Lijn ticket types

De Lijn lists the current fares on its tickets overview page. The combined P+R ticket does not cover P+R Olympiade, which is the car park closest to Hoost.

Which Antwerp tram stops are near the accommodation?

Trams 2 and 6 stop near the Hoost building. Search the address, VIIde-Olympiadelaan 19, in the De Lijn app or route planner. It shows the nearest stop and the line that serves it at that hour.

Both lines pass P+R Olympiade, about 0.2 km from the building, and tram 6 ends there. In a straight line, the building is about 0.5 km from the Olympic Stadium. Antwerp Expo is about 1.2 km away and Middelheim Park about 1.9 km.

Tip

Self check-in with a lockbox works from 15:00. Arriving by tram in the evening is no problem, as long as you have the check-in details from us.

From Antwerpen-Centraal and Berchem to Antwerp South by tram

From Antwerpen-Centraal, take tram 2 towards Hoboken or tram 6 towards P+R Olympiade. Both run past P+R Olympiade, close to the building, so the trip needs no change. That makes it the simplest route with luggage. Centraal is about 4.3 km from the building in a straight line.

At metro station Diamant, De Lijn is replacing 12 escalators, with works running until the end of 2026. Allow a little extra time there if you carry heavy bags.

Antwerpen-Berchem station is about 3.5 km away in a straight line. Berchem is not among the places De Lijn lists for lines 2 and 6. During the tunnel works, De Lijn runs tram 11 above ground from Berchem station via Centraal Station and along the Meir to the Melkmarkt. You can change at Centraal, or check the De Lijn app for the best change at that hour. If you arrive by train from Brussels Airport, our guide on Brussels Airport to Antwerp explains the train part.

Antwerp tram works in 2026: what changes?

Antwerp tram works started on 4 May 2026, when the premetro tunnel on the Opera, Meir, Groenplaats and Van Eeden axis closed. De Lijn’s tunnel renovation page says no trams run between P+R Melsele on the Left Bank and the Astrid and Diamant stations. Lines 3, 5, 9 and 15 are affected and partly merged into temporary lines A3 and A9.

De Lijn expected the works to end around late March 2027. On 29 September 2026, VRT NWS reported a delay because more asbestos was found: trams should run through the tunnel again by 10 July 2027. Check De Lijn before you travel, as dates can move again.

Trams 2 and 6 are not on De Lijn’s list of affected lines. For the historic centre, tram 11 now runs above ground along the Meir. If you need the Left Bank, De Lijn lists alternatives such as shuttle buses through the Kennedytunnel, the Sint-Anna pedestrian tunnel and a ferry. For driving and parking instead, see parking and the LEZ in Antwerp.

When Hoost is not the right choice

Hoost is not the right choice if you want to walk out of the door into the historic centre. The building is in Antwerp South, so the centre is a tram ride away. Hoost may also not suit you if:

• you need parking on site;
• you want hotel services such as a reception desk or daily cleaning;
• you plan to stay longer than 6 months in one booking.

If you prefer a quiet base with a tram into town, read more about living near Middelheim Park and the area around the building.