Know before you go : Belgium Edition

In this article, I’ll make an overview of everything useful to know before going to Belgium, including some travel tips.

You’ll find : 

Belgium is a country located in northwestern Europe. It shares borders with 4 countries : France, Netherlands, Luxembourg and Germany.

Brussels is Belgium’s largest city and capital. The city is located in the center of Belgium, south of Antwerp (second biggest city), and north of Charleroi.

The country covers 30688km² and Belgium’s population is around 11 million, making it the 6th most densely populated country un Europe.

The best time to visit Belgium would be on the shoulders seasons, so either in April-June or September-October. The weather is great and there are many festivals, plus the nature is beautiful at those periods.

We went in mid-August and I wouldn’t recommend it because there’s too much tourists and you have to wait for visits, restaurants end the narrow streets of Ghent or Bruges can get crowded. I would not recommend trying to come in November-December as it gets quite cold but above all it’s rainy and gloomy.

The currency in Belgium is the Euro and almost all restaurants, bars and museums accept the card for paiements, so you don’t necessarily need to withdraw cash.

The prices for restaurants vary depending if you go to touristy areas or more local places, but overall it’s not expensive : we tried different types of restaurant and cuisine and the most expensive was something around 25€ per person for a main dish and dessert. But if you want to spend less you can definitely have a nice meal for 10€.

Regarding the places to visit such as the various monuments or the different churches, the entrance fees were not that expensive : 5-8€ for museums, 15€ to get to the top of the belfry.

Regarding accomodations, you can find most Airbnb / hotels in downtown Brussels, Ghent or Antwerp around 50-60€ per night per person.

I would suggest packing something for the cold because even in June it can be as cool as 15 degrees in the evening or early morning.

Otherwise the power outlet are the same as in France or the majority of Europe, so no adapters needed.

There’s a lot to bring back from Belgium !

First of all, chocolates are everywhere, and they are absolutely delicious. Check out my article regarding food recommendations as I have listed some places to get excellent chocolates.

For a sweet treat you can also buy the renowned Cuberdon (cone-shaped candy, with a hard layer and a sweet syrup inside), a sealed bag of waffles, or Speculoos. If you are on the savoury team, Belgium has many great cheeses you can bring back !

Alcohol-wise, you can bring back any king of belgian beer as well as a beer glass, they come in any shape and size so pick your preference.

If you are feeling fancy, you can bring back diamonds or jewellery from Antwerp Diamond District which is the largest in the world !

Belgium has three official languages : French (in the south), Dutch (in the north) and German (a small part in the East).

Dutch is the most spoken primary language of Belgium and the official language of the Flemish Region.

Even though you’ll manage in English almost everywhere. here are a few words in Dutch you can use :

Hello : Hoi / Hallo  [hoy / hah-loh]

Thank you : Dank u wel [dahnk-ew-vehl]

You’re welcome : Graag gedaan [khrahkh khuh-dahn]

I (don’t) understand : Ik begrijp het [niet] [ik buh-khraip ut (neet)]

Sorry :  sorry

My name is… : Ik heet… [ik haat..]

Yes / No : Ja [yah] / Nee [nay]

As we came from France, our mobile plan included internet and calls in Belgium.

However if you need to buy one upon arrival, Orange has great options available for tourists and it’s not expensive at all : for 5€ you get 10GB in the Tempo Giga sim card.

If you are planning on visiting only Brussels and other cities, the network serves very well the country and tickets are really not expensive (Brussels-Ghent was 5€, Ghent-Bruges was 7,5€ and Ghent-Antwerp 10€). But if you plan to visit more of the countryside and need a car, I suggest booking one in advance.

Now we personally did not rent a car, but if you do, I recommend booking via Kayak or RentalCars. I find it to be the best comparative tool for booking a car abroad.

There’s a lot of things to see in Belgium ! You can visit many beautiful towns, another day Pest, if you have even more time you can discover the countryside…You won’t be bored a second !

Here’s a list of the best things to do in Belgium :

That’s it for my Belgium travel tips ! To have a lot more information and pictures about these places, you can read my Bruges itinerary, Ghent itinerary, Brussels itinerary and Antwerp itinerary.

I have also made a detailed post about the food specialties to try out in Belgium.