Essen is on the main railway line between Antwerp and Roosendaal in the Netherlands, with regular trains in both directions — about 30 minutes from Antwerp Central. Trains continue across the border to Roosendaal where Dutch InterCity services link onward to Rotterdam, The Hague, and Amsterdam.
By car, the village sits a few kilometres off the A12 / E19 motorway between Antwerp and Bergen op Zoom. Cyclists arrive via the Belgian–Dutch knooppunten network, which crosses the border seamlessly: the nearest Dutch town, Roosendaal, is an easy hour's ride away.