May, June, and September are the best months to visit Belgium, with temperatures around 18-22˚C (64-72˚F) in Brussels and Antwerp, and approximately 6˚C (10˚F) higher in Liège and Ghent. July and August tend to be rainy and hot. Winters are cool, typically 2-7˚C (36-45˚F), and somewhat colder in the Ardennes.
Embassies And Consulates. Foreign embassies in Belgium are in Brussels. Belgian embassies abroad include: Australia and New Zealand, 19 Arkana St., Yarralumla, ACT 2600 (☎02 62 73 25 02; www.diplomatie.be/canberra); Canada, 360 Albert St., Ste. 820, Ottawa, ON, K1R 7X7 (☎613-236-7267; www.diplomatie.be/ottawa); Ireland, 2 Shrewsbury Rd., Ballsbridge, Dublin 4 (☎01 205 71 00; www.diplomatie.be/dublin); UK, 17 Grosvenor Crescent, London, SW1X 7EE (☎020 7470 3700; www.diplomatie.be/london); US, 3330 Garfield St., NW, Washington, D.C., 20008 (☎202-333-6900; www.diplobel.us).
Visa And Entry Information. EU citizens do not need a visa. Citizens of Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the US do not need a visa for stays of up to 90 days, beginning upon entry into any of the countries in the EU’s freedom-of-movement zone. For stays longer than 90 days, all non-EU citizens need visas (around US$85), available at Belgian consulates. Visit www.diplobel.us. For US citizens, visas are issued a few weeks after application submission.
Tourist Offices. Bureaux de Tourisme, marked by green-and-white or blue signs labeled “i,” are supplemented by Info Jeunes/Info-Jeugd, info centers that help people find work and secure accommodations in Wallonie and Flanders, respectively. The Belgian Tourist Information Center (BBB), Grasmarkt 63, Brussels (☎025 04 03 90), has national tourist info. The weekly English-language Bulletin (www.thebulletin.be; €2.80 at newsstands) has cultural events and news.
Money. The euro (€) has replaced the Belgian franc as the unit of currency in Belgium. ATMs generally offer the best exchange rates. Credit cards are used widely throughout Belgium, most notably in the country’s major cities. A bare-bones day in Belgium might cost €35, while a more comfortable day runs about €50-65. Tipping is not common, though rounding up is. Restaurant bills usually include a service charge, although outstanding service warrants an extra 5-10% tip. Give bathroom attendants €0.25 and movie and theater attendants €0.50.
Belgium has a 21% value added tax (VAT), a sales tax applied to most goods and services. Restaurant and taxi prices usually include VAT; at restaurants, this may be listed as service comprise or incluse. The prices given in Let’s Go include VAT. In the airport, upon exiting the EU, non-EU citizens can claim a refund on the tax paid for goods bought at participating stores. In order to qualify for a refund, you must spend at least €125 on a single item; make sure to ask for a refund form when you pay.
Business Hours. Banks are generally open Monday through Friday 9am-4pm but often close for lunch midday. Stores are open Monday through Saturday 10am-5pm or 6pm; stores sometimes close on Mondays, but may be open Sundays in summer. Most sights are open Sundays but closed Mondays; in Bruges and Tournai, museums close Tuesdays or Wednesdays.
By Plane. Most international flights land at Brussels International Airport ( BRU; ☎27 53 87 98; www.brusselsairport.be), located roughly 20min. away from Brussels. Budget airlines, like Ryanair and easyJet, fly out of Brussels South Charleroi Airport ( CRL; ☎71 25 12 11; www.charleroi-airport.com), about 1hr. south of Brussels, and Brussels International Airport. The Belgian national airline, Brussels Airlines (☎070 35 11 11, US ☎516-740-5200, UK ☎087 0735 2345; www.brusselsairlines.com), flies to Brussels from most major European cities.
By Train And Bus. The extensive and reliable Belgian Rail (www.b-rail.be) network traverses the country. Eurail is valid in Belgium. A Benelux Tourrail Pass (US$210, under 26 US$160) allows five days of unlimited train travel in a one-month period in Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg. Travelers with time to explore Belgium’s nooks and crannies might consider the Rail Pass (€70) or Go Pass (under 26 only; €45), both of which allow 10 single trips within the country over a one-year period and can be transferred among travelers. Because trains are widely available, buses are used primarily for local transport. Single tickets are €1.50, and are cheaper when bought in packs.
By Ferry. P&O Ferries (☎070 70 77 71, UK ☎087 0598 03 33; www.poferries.com) from Hull, BRI to Zeebrugge, north of Bruges (12hr., 7pm, from €150).
By Car, Bike, And Thumb. Belgium honors drivers’ licenses from Australia, Canada, the EU, and the US. New Zealanders must contact the New Zealand Automobile Association (☎0800 822 422; www.aa.co.nz) for an International Driving Permit. Speed limits are 120kph on motorways, 90kph on main roads, and 50kph elsewhere. Biking is popular, and many roads in Flanders have bike lanes. Wallonie has started to convert old railroad beds into bike paths. Hitchhiking is illegal in Belgium. Let’s Go does not recommend hitchhiking.
Email And The Internet. There are cybercafes in all of the larger towns and cities in Belgium. Expect to pay €2-3 per 30min. In smaller towns, Internet is generally available in hostels for €5-6 per hr.
Telephone. Most pay phones require a phone card (from €5), available at post offices, supermarkets, and newsstands. Whenever possible, use a calling card for international phone calls, as long-distance rates for national phone services are often very high. Calls are cheapest 6:30pm-8am and weekends. Mobile phones are an increasingly popular and economical option. Major mobile carriers include Vodafone, Base, and Mobistar. When dialing within a city, the city code must still be dialed. For operator assistance within Belgium, dial ☎12 07; for international, dial ☎12 04 (€0.25). Direct-dial access numbers for calling out of Belgium include: AT&T (☎0800 100 10); British Telecom (☎0800 100 24); Canada Direct (☎0800 100 19); Telecom New Zealand (☎0800 100 64).
Mail. Post offices are open Monday to Friday 9am-5pm, with a midday break. Sent within Belgium, a letter (up to 50g) costs €0.46 for non-priority and €0.52 for priority. Within the EU, costs are €0.80, and for the rest of the world €0.90. Additional info is available at www.post.be. Poste Restante available.
Hotels in Belgium are fairly expensive, with rock-bottom singles from €30 and doubles from €40-45. Belgium’s 31 HI youth hostels are run by the Flemish Youth Hostel Federation (www.vjh.be) in Flanders and Les Auberges de Jeunesses (www.laj.be) in Wallonie. Expect to pay around €18 per night, including linens, for modern, basic hostels. Private hostels cost about the same but are usually nicer, although some charge separately for linen. Hotels are noticeably more expensive than the nicest hostel; make reservations in advance to secure accommodations. Most receptionists speak some English. Reservations are a good idea, particularly in summer and on weekends. Campgrounds charge about €4 per night and are common in Wallonie but not in Flanders. An International Camping Card is unnecessary in Belgium.
Belgian cuisine, acclaimed but expensive, fuses French and German styles. An evening meal may cost as much as a night’s accommodations. Fresh seafood appears in moules or mosselen (steamed mussels) and moules frites (steamed mussels with french fries), the national dishes, which are often tasty and reasonably affordable (€14-20). Frites (french fries) are ubiquitous and budget-friendly; Belgians eat them dipped in mayonnaise. Look for friekots (“french fry shacks”) in Belgian towns. Belgian beer is a source of national pride, its consumption a national pastime. More varieties—over 500, ranging from ordinary pilsners (€1) to Trappist ales (€3) brewed by monks—are produced here than in any other country. Beer is even an ingredient in the national dish, carbonnades flamandes, a beef stew. Leave room for chocolate pralines from Leonidas or Neuhaus and Belgian waffles (gaufres), sold on the street and in cafes.
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For 52 years, we have published the world’s favorite budget travel guides, written entirely by students and updated every year. With pen and notebook in hand and a few changes of underwear stuffed in our backpacks, we spend months roaming the globe in search of travel bargains.
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