Travel Documents
Please check that you have a valid passport and if required a visa for the duration of your stay. In case of doubt, check with the Belgian embassy, consulate or representation in your area. According to Belgian law you must always have your passport or identity card with you; other documents are not valid to legitimate yourself. Visa information can be found at the following site: Immigration Office.
Belgium is a member of the Schengen Treaty, an alliance of European countries that have suppressed internal borders between them. That means that the same visa rules apply for any Schengen country and you can travel freely between Belgium and other Schengen countries. Note that Schengen does not exactly match EU: for example, UK and Ireland are out of Schengen whereas Switzerland and Norway are in. Further details can be found on the EUROPA portal.
By Airplane
The biggest airport close to Antwerp is Brussels Airport (Zaventem). Yet, depending on your point of departure, it might be more economical to fly to Charleroi airport (Brussels South, Belgium), Paris airport (Charles De Gaulle, France), or Amsterdam airport (Schiphol, the Netherlands) and then travel by train to Antwerp. When coming from, or via the UK, or using your private airplane, also the smaller Antwerp airport (Deurne) could be an option.
Brussels Airport
Brussels Airport (Zaventem) is the main international airport in Belgium, with a shuttle bus to the south side, i.e. «Antwerpen Crowne Plaza», or city centre of Antwerp, i.e. «Antwerpen Centraal» railway station. The shuttle bus is especially useful for unusual arrival or departure times, as you can see on the time table. You can also take a direct train in Brussels Airport. You can check the train connections, itineraries and prices at the website of the Belgian railways.
Charleroi Airport
Charleroi airport (Brussels South) is a major hub for a number of low cost airlines. From the airport you need to take a shuttle bus to Charleroi railway station (bus A, 20 min), from where there is a direct train to Antwerpen (2 trains per hour; 90-100min). You can get a combined shuttle+train «bulk» ticket one-way. Alternatively, you can take a shuttle bus from Charleroi airport to the «Bruxelles Midi» train station, from which there is a good connection to Antwerpen. You can check the train connections, itineraries and prices at the website of the Belgian railways.
Paris Airport
Paris airport (Charles de Gaulle) is also a convenient possibility. You can take the high speed train from Charles De Gaulle to Antwerp (Thalys; you have to book in advance). Of course, you can also take the «normal» direct trains. You can check the train connections, itineraries and prices at the website of the Belgian railways.
Amsterdam Airport
Amsterdam airport (Schiphol) is another convenient possibility to fly. You can take the train from Schiphol Airport to Antwerp. You can take either the high speed trains (Thalys; you have to book in advance) or the «normal» direct trains . You can check the train connections, itineraries and prices at the website of the Belgian railways.
By Train
Antwerp is well-served by railways and is on the Thalys northern high-speed network. With trains cruising at up to 300 km/h, Thalys provides fast international connections to Amsterdam (1:12), Paris (2:07), London (3:30) and many other major cities in Europe. Bus services from and to the summer school location are available from both major Antwerp rail stations, Antwerpen-Centraal and Antwerpen-Berchem, as shown here.
Check SNCB Europe for information and reservation regarding international connections. Note that high-speed trains always require advanced reservation. Tickets for other trains can be bought online from the Belgian railways or in the railway station anytime before departure. You can also get tickets on-board the train, at a higher price, but in that case you should warn the train staff before you enter the train, otherwise you may be fined.
The location of the summer school is shown on this page, also showing the location of two Antwerp train stations and how to get to different locations of interest by public transport (bus/tram).
By Bus
There are convenient and cheap bus connections between many major European cities and Antwerp via Eurolines.
Within Antwerp you can also make use of the services of De Lijn to travel within the city or to get a connection to a closeby city (by bus or by tram). All bus and tram lines can be found on the public transport map.
The location of the summer school is shown on this page, also explaining how to get to different locations of interest by public transport (bus/tram).
By Car
The summer school venue is shown on this map.
There are some shared car companies that you can easily use, like Poppy ( You need a valid driving license in Belgium)