11 THE YELLOW PAGES This is it. You’re studying abroad. The moment you’ve been waiting for, for like… forever. And not just anywhere, but in Antwerp. Without a shadow of a doubt, the coolest city on the planet. You’re gonna have the time of your life. But also: shit just got real! How will you manage all this without having to crawl back helplessly to your home country far far away? Don’t panic, we’ve got you covered with this free practical info. You’ll feel like a local in no time. 110 111 1 WHAT CAN STAN OFFER YOU? MEETING ROOM Kleine Kauwenberg 15 Looking for a meeting room for your club or a venue for your party? 2000 Antwerpen Thanks to Tarmac’s modular system, this space can be customised T +32 (0)3 292 31 70 to your needs. The Meet & Greet is best for group projects and is E [email protected] free of charge for students. At co-working space TAKEOFF, you’re actually working in a café (in bar_TAKEOFF, that is), or you can partly Until recently, you knew STAN as GATE15. In the course of just a few rent it out for a lecture or a congress, thanks to the sliding curtains. years, this name turned out to be a real all-rounder for the various cool initiatives you can find on our site. To be fair, this resulted in a Whether you want to check something online in our computer bit of an identity crisis, because what actually was GATE15? A space, catch up over a drink during your break, ask a question to the building? A group of people? Or mostly StuDay? student council or meet our student editorial team… anything goes with STAN. Come on in and keep a close eye on our online platform Luckily, we quickly rediscovered our initial dream: to see you evolve at www.stanstan.be. In a matter of clicks you’ve booked a room, found into the most open, powerful, passionate, ingenious, creative and the information you needed or read up on the latest student news. critical human being that you could possibly be. We want to awaken that drive in you. Not just to study, but mostly, to live. Opening hours info desk: Monday to Friday from 9 am to 5 pm. So from now on, we will do this under the denominator STAN, which Check the website www.stanstan.be for opening hours during stands for Student & Antwerp. Because you are not just a student. school holidays. You are a student in Antwerp. And with her 170 nationalities, the world is – literally – at your student feet. We’re convinced Antwerp PS: Why www.stanstan.be and not just www.stan.be? Not because will be your most glorious partner in crime; helping you to become we were dead drunk, but because www.stan.be was simply already the best ‘you’ you can possibly be. taken and good things come in twos. Something like that. Behind STAN you can still find the familiar faces that you’re used to from GATE15. Same goes for the projects you like so much: StuDay, STUDY360… they still exist and the same team is still organizing 02 WHAT ELSE CAN YOU FIND AT GATE15? them exactly the way you’re used to. The only difference is our new operation name. Kleine Kauwenberg 15 2000 Antwerpen And GATE15? From now on, this will just be the name of the building. T +32 (0)3 292 31 70 INFO DESK BAR TAKEOFF www.facebook.com/bartakeoffantwerp What can we help you with? Got some serious or less serious questions? About studying, living and working in Antwerp? Then bar_TAKEOFF oozes a bubbling, creative and relaxed vibe. Which 112 make sure to pop in to STAN. also happens to be the motto of bar_TAKEOFF: ‘take off’ the stress and recharge your batteries. Now that you’re here, have a sip from a strong espresso, a creamy hot coco or a frothy latte to get that FOR STUDENT REPRESENTATIVES: THE much-needed dose of caffeine. ANTWERP STUDENT COUNCIL www.facebook.com/antwerpsstudentenoverleg The bar is open from Monday to Friday and from 8 am to 6 pm. Since 2003 the city council has been hearing the Antwerp students. These students organise themselves in the Antwerps Studentenoverleg (Antwerp Student Council) or ASO and they FOR THE ENTREPRENEURIAL STUDENT: regularly advise the city council. The Student Council consists of TAKEOFFANTWERP some twenty representatives from the various higher education www.takeoffantwerp.be institutions in Antwerp. Feel like starting up your own business or practice a profession? TAFEOFFANTWERP_ supports student-entrepreneurs with a substantial programme in a hip co-working/co-studying space on the 2 GETTING TO ANTWERP STAN site. Your entrepreneurship will be stimulated here and you’ll get free advice on how to let your own business flourish. TAKEOFFANTWERP_ is an initiative of the Association Universities & PLANE University Colleges Antwerp, together with the City of Antwerp. The most likely place to end up if you’re flying into Belgium is Obviously, at TAKEOFFANTWERP_ you can always count on support. Brussels International Airport at Zaventem. The airport is located The starter’s coach of the city of Antwerp is happy to be of help, every some 45 kilometres south of Antwerp. There are flights from all Tuesday between 9 am and 1 pm. Make an appointment and find all major European cities as well as from the most important overseas information on www.takeoffantwerp.be/studeren. metropoles. Various airlines fly into Brussels airport. If you fly Ryanair, you can arrive at Charleroi airport, dubbed ‘Brussels South’, some 90 kilometres away from Antwerp. However, Ryanair now flies to Zaventem too from some countries. FOR THE FOREIGN STUDENT: THE STUDENT OFFICE (‘STUDENTENLOKET’) www.brusselsairport.be www.charleroi-airport.com Foreign students who want to sample Antwerp student life can arrange their residence permit at the student office for international From Brussels airport, the Antwerp-Brussels Airport Express Bus is students at STAN. Start up your file through your university college arguably the most convenient way to get to Antwerp. The bus or university and check the website of STAN for opening hours. station is located on the ground floor of the airport terminal. The bus reaches the centre of Antwerp (Astridplein next to the Central Station) in approximately 45 minutes. www.airportexpress.be 113 The Belgian Railways are another option. There is an underground longer enter the city without permission. Check the conditions on station near the airport terminal. The direct train to Antwerp takes www.lez.antwerpen.be. What’s more, massive roadworks are being about 40 minutes. Train timetables are available on www.b-rail.be. executed at the Leien at the moment and will last for a few years. It is therefore better to park outside the city centre at one of the Park & Ride car parks (P+R) which you can find at most of the major access BUS roads going in and out the city. Then take public transport or a Velo into the city. Check www.slimnaarantwerpen.be for more info. If you are looking for a cheap way to get to Antwerp from somewhere within Europe, you could travel with Eurolines. The Euroline bus goes to the centre of the city – Van Stralenstraat 22/24, 2060 Antwerp. 3 GETTING AROUND www.eurolines.be BIKE TRAIN The bike is the ultimate mode of transport for short distances. Biking Antwerp is easy to reach by train. International railway lines link is healthy and environmentally friendly. Even better: bikers don’t Brussels and Antwerp to several other major European cities. The suffer from traffic jams or time-wasting looking for a parking spot. In European high-speed train project includes the Thalys, the Eurostar short, the bike is the perfect way to get around in the city. and the Eurotunnel. There are direct rail links with different cities in France, the Netherlands and Germany. Antwerp can be reached from RENT YOUR BIKE the UK by Eurostar via Brussels, or by taking the ferry-rail link via Ostend (Ramsgate/Ostend- or Zeebrugge (Hull Zeebrugge). Antwerp Renting a bike for short or long term? The advantage of a rental bike has two main stations: Central Station and Berchem station. over your own metal horse? The former takes care of the maintenance, which is a basic condition for a good bike, right? Easy www.b-rail.be choice, no? CAR LEVANTO T +32 (0)3 203 06 73 (Mo - Fri: 9 am - 4.30 pm, except for holidays) All destinations are within easy reach by car. The city of Antwerp lies www.levanto.be/studentenfiets at the crossroads of the E17, E19, E34 and E313 motorways. Be warned though, negotiating the city centre by car isn’t always easy, Under Central Station, near the bike entrance and the entrance to especially during rush hour. The ring road around Antwerp is always the underground you’ll find Levanto. Here you can rent a busy and often gets quite congested. It is difficult to park your car in lemon-yellow bike with seven gears and two locks for a month, town and it’ll nearly always cost you money. The LEZ (Low Emission which will cost you 6,25 euros per month if you rent it for a year. 114 Zone) is effective in the zone within the Singel: older cars can no Request your bike online one day before. Make sure you bring the following when you pick up your bike: your ID card, student card, app allows you to look for a Velo station near you and tells you whether bank card for the rental and the deposit (no cash).