By car, by train and bus or by bike: below you can read how to get to Nieuwpoort and what to keep in mind.
Train station near Nieuwpoort:Nieuwpoort has no train station of its own; the most convenient is Ostend station in Ostend, about 17 kilometres away, with the Coast Tram into the centre.
Airports near Nieuwpoort: The nearest airport is Ostend-Bruges Airport near Ostend, about 15 kilometres from Nieuwpoort; for more flights choose Lille or Brussels Airport.
Traffic on the way to Nieuwpoort: Traffic to Nieuwpoort is heaviest on sunny weekends and during the school holidays, when the E40 to the coast fills up, and on Saturdays, when many holiday homes change over.
Getting around Nieuwpoort: No, you can easily get around Nieuwpoort without a car: the tram links Nieuwpoort town with Nieuwpoort-Bad, and the promenade and harbour channel are ideal for walking and cycling.
Nieuwpoort has no train station of its own; the most convenient is Ostend station in Ostend, about 17 kilometres away, with the Coast Tram into the centre.
Ostend station: from the station the Coast Tram reaches Nieuwpoort in about 35 to 45 minutes; bus 60a also leaves from here.
Trains: direct intercity trains run from Brussels via Ghent and Bruges (about 1 hour 15 minutes), from Antwerp (about 1.5 hours) and from Brussels Airport, among others.
Diksmuide station: about 14 kilometres away, Diksmuide station is on the line from Ghent to De Panne; on weekdays bus 32 runs from there to Nieuwpoort, but not often.
De Panne station: from De Panne station in Adinkerke the Coast Tram takes about 40 minutes to Nieuwpoort; see by public transport.
How do you travel to Nieuwpoort by public transport?
Take the train to Ostend and then the Coast Tram towards De Panne, which reaches Nieuwpoort in about 35 to 45 minutes; coming from Ghent, you can also take the train to De Panne and the tram back.
Coast Tram: it runs every 10 to 20 minutes during the day depending on the season, and about every 30 minutes in the evening. The tram stops in Nieuwpoort town and at several places in Nieuwpoort-Bad, and continues to Oostduinkerke and De Panne.
Bus 60a: runs from Ostend station via the airport, Middelkerke, Westende, Nieuwpoort, Oostduinkerke and Koksijde to Veurne; the bus stops at the King Albert I Monument and in the centre, among other places.
Bus 32: runs a few times a day on weekdays between Diksmuide station and Nieuwpoort.
De Lijn Flex: parts of Nieuwpoort are served by De Lijn's on-demand flex bus; book in advance with De Lijn. delijn.be shows which stops are included.
Tickets: buy a ticket or day pass in advance in the De Lijn app, at a Lijnwinkel (De Lijn shop) or at a ticket machine; with a day pass you can hop on and off along the whole coast.
Works: De Lijn is renewing the Coast Tram tracks in phases over the coming years. During works some stops may be closed temporarily or replacement buses may run; check delijn.be before you travel.
You reach Nieuwpoort via the E40 to the coast and then the A18 towards Veurne and Dunkirk; take exit 3 Nieuwpoort.
From Brussels and Ghent: follow the E40 via Ghent and at Jabbeke stay on the E40 (A18) towards Veurne and Dunkirk; straight on, the A10 goes to Ostend.
From Antwerp and the Netherlands: take the E17 to Ghent and then the E40. From Zeeland, drive through the Westerscheldetunnel, toll free for cars, motorhomes and motorcycles since 30 December 2024, and via Bruges to the E40.
From France: from Lille take the A25 to Dunkirk and then the A16, which becomes the A18 at the border; from Paris take the A1 and the A25.
From Germany: from Cologne and the Ruhr via Aachen, Liège and Brussels (E40) or via Antwerp.
Driving time without traffic: Ghent about 1 hour 5 minutes, Brussels and Antwerp about 1 hour 35 minutes, Lille about 1 hour 5 minutes, Rotterdam about 2.5 hours, Paris about 3 hours and Cologne about 3 hours 50 minutes.
On arrival: between the resorts you drive along the Koninklijke Baan (N34); parking near the promenade is usually paid, see parking for car parks.
Yes, from Ostend station you can cycle along the coast to Nieuwpoort in about an hour.
Route: from Ostend you ride via Middelkerke, Westende and Lombardsijde on the coastal cycle path; from Diksmuide station follow the cycle junctions along the IJzer, about 14 kilometres.
Along the coast: the cycle route along the Belgian coast links Nieuwpoort with every resort from Knokke-Heist to De Panne; the stretch past the IJzermonding nature reserve is lovely.
Bikes on the train: on NMBS/SNCB trains you buy a bike supplement in advance; folding bikes travel free. Bike spaces are limited, especially on summer days towards the coast.
Bikes on the tram: you can take your bike on the Coast Tram if there is room, with a separate bike ticket; on regular De Lijn buses only folding bikes are allowed.
The nearest airport is Ostend-Bruges Airport near Ostend, about 15 kilometres from Nieuwpoort; for more flights choose Lille or Brussels Airport.
Ostend-Bruges Airport: about 15 kilometres, a small airport with mainly holiday flights. Bus 60a runs from the airport via Middelkerke and Westende to Nieuwpoort.
Lille:Aéroport de Lille in Lesquin, about 105 kilometres and 1 hour 5 minutes by car via the A25, A16 and A18.
Brussels Airport: about 145 kilometres and 1 hour 35 minutes by car; by train directly to Ostend and on from there by Coast Tram.
Brussels South Charleroi Airport: about 195 kilometres and 2 hours 5 minutes by car; take the shuttle bus to Brussels-South (Midi) and the train to the coast from there.
Traffic to Nieuwpoort is heaviest on sunny weekends and during the school holidays, when the E40 to the coast fills up, and on Saturdays, when many holiday homes change over.
Sunny beach days: on sunny weekends there are often queues on the E40 towards the coast in the morning, especially around Ghent and the Brussels ring road, and in the other direction from late afternoon. Leave early or take the train.
Holidays: it is extra busy during the Belgian summer holidays (July and August), the Easter holidays, around Ascension Day and Whitsun and on 21 July and 15 August; French, Dutch and German school holidays are also noticeable on the coast.
Changeover day: many holiday homes and apartments change over on Saturday, so the roads to the coast are busy from late morning into the afternoon.
Locally: around the bridges over the IJzer (Yser) and between Nieuwpoort town and Nieuwpoort-Bad traffic often comes to a standstill on busy days; park on the edge and take the tram, see parking.
No, you can easily get around Nieuwpoort without a car: the tram links Nieuwpoort town with Nieuwpoort-Bad, and the promenade and harbour channel are ideal for walking and cycling.
Walking: walk along the harbour channel from the marinas to the promenade and the beach; the centre of Nieuwpoort town lies a little inland.
