Hertz car rental in Ghent

Rent a car in Ghent – Belgium’s buzzing best-kept-secret. Think picturesque Bruges, cosmopolitan Brussels and high-fashion Antwerp rolled into one.

Students and artists have reinvented this traditional Flanders city as a cutting-edge creative hub. But when you explore the cobbled streets and winding canals, you’ll still find plenty of old-world charm.

Beat the crowds to the Gothic St Bavo’s cathedral, before refueling on top-notch coffee and waffles at one of the city’s traditional roasteries. Next, head to the old harbor to find imaginative cultural spaces built on the back of post-industrial decline. As the sun sets, check out Ghent’s hip canal-side scene and squeeze into one of its many forward-thinking restaurants – where local, sustainable ingredients are the order of the day.

If you’re looking to explore this unique city or check out the rest of Belgium, our Ghent car rental is your perfect jumping off point. We’ve got sedans, sportscars and SUVs you need to tour the country your way.

Driving in and around Ghent

Parking in Ghent

• Parking Vrijdagmarkt (P4) (9000) has 632 underground spaces in central Ghent. It’s a great stop for the cathedral, industrial museum and historical center of the city.
• Parking Savaanstraat (P4) (9000) is another great choice for those downtown attractions. Stop here for universities and theatres, with 540 spaces.
• Sint-Michiels (P7) (9000) offers 465 underground spaces, close Graslei and Korenlei quaysides.

Key roads in Ghent

• R40 (Stadsring Gent) is 6.8 miles long and loops around the historic center of Ghent. It’s a useful route for accessing the sites.
• N-70 connects Ghent to Antwerp. You can also take the E-17.
• E-40 is the quickest route to Brussels. It should take you 53 minutes. This road is 4,971 miles in total length and runs from Calais in France, through Ghent and all the way to Almaty in Kazakhstan.

How to get from Ghent to Brussels

It takes 46 minutes to drive from Ghent to Brussels on the E40.

1. Leave our Ghent car rental at Oudenaardse Steenweg.
2. Follow the N60 southbound and join the R4.
3. Take the R4 eastbound.
4. Turn onto the B403.
5. Join the E40 and follow it for around 35 minutes to Brussels.

How to get from Ghent to Antwerp

Ghent is just 50 minutes away from Antwerp. Leave our Ghent car rental and get on the E17 via Corneel Heymanslaan. Drive for 35 minutes. Take exit 5A and join the N113 to Antwerp.

A quick guide to Ghent

Best hotels in Ghent

1898 The Post

Graslei 16, 9000

Perched on the Graslei quayside, 1898 The Post is the perfect spot to explore the city’s medieval center. But this ex-post office offers more than a great location – stylish décor, thoughtful service and plush rooms place this grand hotel a cut above the competition. For breakfast, you can expect refined cakes, pastries and excellent coffee. Get down early to find a space by the open fire, then make a reservation for afternoon tea at the weekend for even more old-time elegance.

Pillows Grand Boutique Hotel Reylof

Hoogstraat 36, 9000

At the Pillows Grand Boutique Hotel Reylof, you’ll find functionality, luxury and style all at once. Expect clean Scandi design alongside ornate French classical fittings. The indoor pool has stunning floor to ceiling windows, which they throw open in the summer. Meanwhile, in the very well-regarded LOF restaurant, you’ll encounter unusual-sounding dishes that somehow make perfect sense on eating. Seabass cheesecake, anyone?

Hotel Onderbergen

Onderbergen 69, 9000

Hotel Onderbergen is perfect for anyone looking for a great-value, comfy room in an excellent location. The quiet rooms, with their impressive vaulted ceilings, beams and fittings, offer the space and tranquility you need after a day or night out on the cobbles. Simple, useful amenities and competitive rates seal the deal for those on a budget.

Best restaurants in Ghent

Volta

Nieuwewandeling 2B, 9000 Gent

Set in an imposing power station turbine hall, Volta shows how creative Ghent gets with its industrial spaces. Think bare brick walls and huge rounded windows, high ceilings and innovative menus. Grab a pre-dinner snack on the mezzanine to get a birds-eye view on the impressive interior and buzz below.

De Suprette

Guldenspoorstraat 29, 9000 Gent

Another prime example of how the periphery is at the center of Ghent’s food scene. Here, a converted suburban corner store serves as an all-day hub for all-things food. Take a seat in this stylish loft for your morning coffee and stick around for lunch, snacks, drinks and dinner. The dishes vary depending on the season – but organic produce cooked in a wood-fired oven are a common factor all year round.

Mokabon

Donkersteeg 35, 9000 Gent

Set in a side-street in the center of Ghent, Mokabon has done a roaring coffee trade since 1937. As a café, it attracts workers, students and creatives looking for one of the best caffeine fixes in the city. Its waffles and cakes are also the stuff of legend – best enjoyed while tucked into a cozy, secluded nook in the cafe. But the real clincher is the roastery, where discerning coffee fans pick up their beans to brew at home.

Best things to do in Ghent

Tour the galleries

At the MSK museum, you’ll find more than 9000 artworks from the Middle Ages to the present day. The museum is currently restoring a Van Eyck tryptic that has pulled in the crowds. To explore the other end of the creative spectrum, check out the SMAK - Municipal Museum of Contemporary Art further towards the suburbs. You’ll also find excellent design and museums and contemporary dotted across the city.

Saint Bavo's Cathedral

Sint-Baafsplein, 9000

Ghent was a powerful presence in medieval Belgium, and Saint Bavo is testament to its riches. This incredibly ornate example of Gothic architecture is a must-see for all visitors. Indeed, you'll probably see it towering above the other spires of the city as you explore. But from the pulpit to the chandeliers, the interior is similarly breathtaking. Don’t forget to climb the nearby belfry to see Ghent from above.

Stroll through Graslei and Korenlei

Set on opposite sides of the canal, Graslei and Korelei are the hangouts of Ghent’s students, artists, tourists and families – anyone looking to soak up a vibrant, friendly atmosphere. Bring a picnic and eat as the locals do; perched on the cobbles, swinging your legs over the edge of the canalside.