Arrive: France Dethrones Italy as the Favorite Summer Destination for Belgian Drivers

Belgian drivers once again hit the road this summer to explore Europe. A recent analysis by Arrive and EasyPark, based on parking data from the more than 20 countries where Arrive operates, reveals that France was the most popular foreign destination. Nearly 25,000 Belgian travelers parked there, allowing France to unseat Italy from the top spot. Italy moves into second place this year with just over 20,000 drivers. The Netherlands, Germany, and Switzerland round out the top five.

France tops the list of summer destinations

With nearly 25,000 Belgian drivers between June and August 2026, France was the most popular foreign summer destination according to data from Arrive and EasyPark. Italy, which held the top spot last summer, drops to second place this year. However, it remains the country where Belgian EasyPark users parked most frequently, averaging more than 3.5 parking sessions per driver.

The Netherlands completes the top three with approximately 17,000 Belgian drivers. Germany ranks fourth with 12,000 drivers, followed by Switzerland with 5,000 Belgian drivers. 

Source: Arrive & EasyPark, juni - augustus 2026

Driven by the highest growth rate, France has risen from third to first place in the rankings. The Netherlands and Germany are also seeing a sharp increase in the number of Belgian drivers. While growth in Italy is more moderate, it remains the country where Belgian users park most frequently on average.

Belgium through the eyes of foreign motorists

Who says Belgium doesn't attract tourists in the summer? Data shows that the length of stay for foreign visitors in Belgium varies significantly. Portuguese motorists top the list with the longest average stay: 5.2 days of parking time per person during the summer. Although Dutch and German visitors were present in large numbers, they recorded an average of between 1.5 and 1.7 days of parking activity, indicating primarily short visits. French visitors stayed slightly longer—averaging 2.2 days—while Spanish, Italian, and Polish visitors typically parked in Belgium for two to three days.

Adding a rental car to the app

Travelers using a rental or borrowed car can now add it to the EasyPark app as a ‘temporary vehicle.’ Users can choose when the vehicle should be automatically removed from the app and receive a confirmation via push notification or email. This allows EasyPark to reduce the risk of a driver accidentally starting a parking session after their trip using the license plate of a rental or borrowed car they are no longer using.

“Across the board, we are seeing a sharp rise in cross-border parking sessions. Every city has its own rules, rates, and payment methods, which can create uncertainty just when travelers arrive and want to relax. With EasyPark, drivers can park abroad just as they do at home. Whether they are in Amsterdam, Paris, or Frankfurt, they don’t have to worry about how to pay for parking. This leaves more time for what really matters during a vacation: getting out and enjoying the destination,” says Rick Verkuyl, Regional Director Benelux at Arrive.

About the study

For this analysis, Arrive and EasyPark examined anonymized parking data from Belgian EasyPark users who parked abroad between June and August 2026. The analysis covers all countries where Arrive operates—more than 20 in total. The results show the number of unique Belgian drivers per country and compare these figures with the same period in 2025.

About Arrive

Arrive is a leading global mobility platform with the mission to ease movement in cities. Through its family of brands, including EasyPark, Flowbird, RingGo, ParkMobile and Parkopedia, the company is present in more than 20,000 cities across 90 countries, helping people and decision-makers make smarter choices about urban travel. Arrive makes cities more livable through delivering core competencies such as autonomous vehicle management solutions, smart payments and optimizing parking solutions, to data-driven traffic reduction measures and refining public transport networks. For more information and news, visit arrive.com