By car, by train and bus or by bike: below you can read how to get to Oostduinkerke and what to keep in mind.
Railway station near Oostduinkerke: The nearest train station is Koksijde station, about 5 kilometres from Oostduinkerke; for the tram to the beach it is easier to get off at De Panne station or Ostend station.
To Oostduinkerke by car: You reach Oostduinkerke via the E40 to the coast and then the A18 towards Veurne and Dunkirk; take exit 2 Oostduinkerke.
To Oostduinkerke by bike: Yes, from Koksijde station you can cycle to Oostduinkerke in about 20 minutes, and along the coast you are soon in the neighbouring resorts.
Airports near Oostduinkerke: The nearest airport is Ostend-Bruges Airport near Ostend, about 22 kilometres from Oostduinkerke; for more flights choose Lille or Brussels Airport.
Traffic on the way to Oostduinkerke: Traffic to Oostduinkerke 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 Oostduinkerke: No, you do not need a car in Oostduinkerke: in Oostduinkerke-Bad the promenade, the beach and the shops are close together, and the tram and bike take you further.
What is the nearest railway station to Oostduinkerke?
The nearest train station is Koksijde station, about 5 kilometres from Oostduinkerke; for the tram to the beach it is easier to get off at De Panne station or Ostend station.
Koksijde station: on the railway from Ghent to De Panne; bus 60a runs from there via Koksijde to Oostduinkerke.
Trains: direct intercity trains run from Ghent (about 1 hour 10 minutes), from Brussels via Ghent and Aalst and from Antwerp via Sint-Niklaas and Ghent, stopping at Diksmuide and Veurne on the way.
De Panne station: the terminus is in Adinkerke; change straight onto the Coast Tram, which reaches Oostduinkerke-Bad in about 30 minutes.
Ostend station: with direct trains from Brussels, Bruges and Antwerp; the tram to Oostduinkerke takes about 50 minutes. See also by public transport.
How do I get to Oostduinkerke by bus, tram or train?
Take the train to De Panne station or Ostend and then the Coast Tram to Oostduinkerke; bus 60a runs from Koksijde station.
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 at several places in Oostduinkerke-Bad, close to the promenade, and links Oostduinkerke with Koksijde, Nieuwpoort and De Panne.
Bus 60a: runs from Ostend station via the airport, Middelkerke, Westende, Nieuwpoort, Oostduinkerke and Koksijde to Veurne; the bus stops in Oostduinkerke village and is handy from Koksijde station.
De Lijn Flex: De Lijn's on-demand flex bus serves the whole municipality, also in the evening and at weekends; book in advance with De Lijn and check delijn.be for the stops.
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 Oostduinkerke via the E40 to the coast and then the A18 towards Veurne and Dunkirk; take exit 2 Oostduinkerke.
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 10 minutes, Brussels and Antwerp about 1 hour 40 minutes, Lille about 1 hour, Rotterdam about 2 hours 40 minutes, Paris about 3 hours and Cologne about 4 hours.
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 Koksijde station you can cycle to Oostduinkerke in about 20 minutes, and along the coast you are soon in the neighbouring resorts.
Route: from the station follow the cycle junctions (knooppunten) via Koksijde to Oostduinkerke village and on to Oostduinkerke-Bad.
Along the coast: the cycle route along the Belgian coast links Oostduinkerke with Nieuwpoort and De Panne; from France you can ride from Dunkirk via Bray-Dunes and De Panne to Oostduinkerke.
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 22 kilometres from Oostduinkerke; for more flights choose Lille or Brussels Airport.
Ostend-Bruges Airport: about 22 kilometres, a small airport with mainly holiday flights. Bus 60a runs from the airport via Nieuwpoort to Oostduinkerke.
Lille:Aéroport de Lille in Lesquin, about 100 kilometres and 1 hour by car via the A25, A16 and A18.
Brussels Airport: about 150 kilometres and 1 hour 40 minutes by car; by train via Ghent to Koksijde or De Panne station.
Brussels South Charleroi Airport: about 200 kilometres and 2 hours 10 minutes by car; take the shuttle bus to Brussels-South (Midi) and the train to the coast from there.
Traffic to Oostduinkerke 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: on fine days the Koninklijke Baan (N34) and the beaches are busy; the shrimp festival (Garnaalfeesten) at the end of June also draws crowds to Oostduinkerke. See parking.
No, you do not need a car in Oostduinkerke: in Oostduinkerke-Bad the promenade, the beach and the shops are close together, and the tram and bike take you further.
Walking: from the promenade you walk straight onto the beach or into the dunes, for example to Ter Yde; Oostduinkerke village lies a little inland.
Bus: bus 60a runs via Oostduinkerke village to Koksijde station and Veurne and to Nieuwpoort and Ostend; De Lijn's flex bus runs on demand; see by public transport.
Bike: cycle paths along the coast and through the polders and dunes take you quickly to the neighbouring resorts; see cycling for routes and rental.
Leave the car: parking in the centre and near the promenade is usually paid and full on busy days; see parking for car parks.
Useful during your stay
Once you have arrived, these pages will help you on your way.
Parking: car parks, rates and free parking in winter
