Low emission zone Ghent

[matt21]

Hi all

Heading to Ghent for a few days and just realised I need to register the car for the low emissions zone. It’s free but I need the v5 which I don’t have as I’m enroute. Anyone been recently and know a way to register without. The car qualifies, it’s a 2023 MINI.

Thanks

[Dog Star]

You can do it online - I did. And you should have your V5 with you when travelling abroad anyway.

[Craigyp79]

I registered a couple of weeks ago, you can't do it without the registration document for the car. Probably to late, but the simple solution is to park outside the ULEZ and take the tram into the centre.

[DorsetSparky]

Or you could just Google it!

https://stad.gent/en/mobility-ghent/low-emission-z...

You can seemingly purchase a day pass, all you need is your numberplate and date of first registration for a foreign vehicle. You can get this from various UK-based sites, including Total Car Check.

[bolidemichael]

FYI I didn’t get one and I didn’t need it, there weren’t any surveillance related consequences. Last visited October 2024.

ETA: €35?!

[Boxster5]

Thanks for the heads-up regarding this.
We are stopping in Ghent in September for 2 nights and vaguely remember reading something on our Airbnb booking.
Anyway car is now registered for free but not sure whether we need to pay a daily fee (we are staying in the old town right in the centre with its own parking)

[Dog Star]

Boxster5 said:

Thanks for the heads-up regarding this.
We are stopping in Ghent in September for 2 nights and vaguely remember reading something on our Airbnb booking.
Anyway car is now registered for free but not sure whether we need to pay a daily fee (we are staying in the old town right in the centre with its own parking)

You don’t need to pay in any of them or in Germany - you need a sticker for Germany though. In fact I think the green German umwelt stickers work in Gent/Antwerp.

I suspect it’s only the UK that makes people pay. Funny, that.

[bolidemichael]

Dog Star said:

Boxster5 said:

Thanks for the heads-up regarding this.
We are stopping in Ghent in September for 2 nights and vaguely remember reading something on our Airbnb booking.
Anyway car is now registered for free but not sure whether we need to pay a daily fee (we are staying in the old town right in the centre with its own parking)

You don’t need to pay in any of them or in Germany - you need a sticker for Germany though. In fact I think the green German umwelt stickers work in Gent/Antwerp.

I suspect it’s only the UK that makes people pay. Funny, that.

The German one for Stuttgart cost me €5. They send it before receiving payment and trust that it'll be paid!

[matt21]

I ended up having someone at home send an image of our V5 (I know I should have had it on me) and registered online. There was a sign about it in the hotel. The manager said most Brits weren’t aware, and most didn’t have V5s on them. They would have to risk a fine (I think unlikely but who knows), pay a daily rate or park outside of the LEZ.

Separate subject, parking was almost impossible in Brugge and Ghent. Both cities rammed. Brugge in particular unbelievably busy. The Christmas markets didn’t help. Wouldn’t go back this time of year again.

[Dog Star]

matt21 said:

I ended up having someone at home send an image of our V5 (I know I should have had it on me) and registered online. There was a sign about it in the hotel. The manager said most Brits weren’t aware, and most didn’t have V5s on them. They would have to risk a fine (I think unlikely but who knows), pay a daily rate or park outside of the LEZ.

Separate subject, parking was almost impossible in Brugge and Ghent. Both cities rammed. Brugge in particular unbelievably busy. The Christmas markets didn’t help. Wouldn’t go back this time of year again.

In Ghent we use a big parking under a square that starts with V….

For Brugge we stay in the Martins Hotel which is right next to the square and has parking or use the huge underground parking in the underpass near the bus station. Been to the Xmas markets there a few times when the zeebrugge boat still ran.

[matt21]

Every car park in the centre of Ghent was full when we arrived, but did manage to get into the car park at Sint Pietersplein which was cheap, safe but a 20min walk. Brugge centre was chaos. Luckily as we just did a day trip we parked outside of the walls for free and walked in.

[Boxster5]

Dog Star said:

Boxster5 said:

Thanks for the heads-up regarding this.
We are stopping in Ghent in September for 2 nights and vaguely remember reading something on our Airbnb booking.
Anyway car is now registered for free but not sure whether we need to pay a daily fee (we are staying in the old town right in the centre with its own parking)

You don’t need to pay in any of them or in Germany - you need a sticker for Germany though. In fact I think the green German umwelt stickers work in Gent/Antwerp.

I suspect it’s only the UK that makes people pay. Funny, that.

Thanks for that.
Yes only the UK charging seems normal.
Look at France where quite a lot of areas offer 2 hours free parking between 12:00 - 2:00pm (say you arrive at 11:30, pay for 2 hours and you have parking until 3:30pm - genius idea that). Then they wonder why our town centres are dying!