Let's Explore Belgium

Belgium Travel Guide, Transportation, Accommodations, Food, Dishes, Hidden Attractions, and much more...

Belgium at a glance

The small densely populated Kingdom of Belgium has a short coastline on the North Sea and is bounded by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg at its southeastern corner, and France to the south. Nonetheless, Belgium is a treasure worth exploring. Points of interest in Belgium are rarely more than an hour apart. Roads and rail services connect all corners of the country. Visitors will see a country rich in both commerce and culture. My time in Belgium has always been short. It was always a country we’d drive through to get to France from The Netherlands and back. It was also a train stop before arriving in London. With the little time, we did spend in Belgium, it was exploring the city of Belgium and my best memory is roaming Mini-Europe.

Belgium Do's

Arrive early for cross-border trains
Join a free walking tour if your get the opportunity.
Keep and extra 1€ coin in your pocket for visiting museum.
Make sure to carry some cash around in your pocket.
Know and understand the names of the cities you will be visiting in French, Dutch, & German.

Belgium Dont's

Outside of Brussels, do not count on using Uber or any other rideshare app to get around
Don’t rely on the opening and closing hours displayed on Google.
Don’t assume a ‘café’ means a coffee shop. In continental Europe ‘cafe’ is also used to describe a space to sit and enjoy beer, wine or an alcoholic drink.

Belgium Quick Facts

Tipping Etiquette

Taxis, restaurants, hairdressers, and bars Tipping is not required in any of these places. The personnel receives living wages and all service charges are included within stated prices. If service was quite exceptional, you could show appreciation, but even then 10% would seem generous. Tourist-oriented locations In these places unaware foreigners regularly leave disproportionate tips, leading to a certain expectation from staff. Airport taxi Drivers may hint (or even state outright) that a tip is appropriate. But that’s a gentle scam. Don’t be bullied.

Belgium Fun Guides

Transportation in Belgium

Belgium’s compact size makes it easy for travelers. The roads are excellent (though often busy), and the comprehensive rail net is one of Europe’s best.

By Taxi

Taxis are metered and tips are not required. While you’ll often find taxis waiting outside airports and major train stations, elsewhere you’ll usually need to phone for one (ideally an hour or so ahead). Trying to flag down passing taxis is usually fruitless. Uber is limited to Brussels after legal battles to ensure that operators are fully qualified taxi drivers.

By Bus

Buses tend to be used in conjunction with train services rather than in competition. Reaching much of rural Wallonia especially, you’re likely to need a train-bus combination.

By Bike

City bikes and electric bikes can easily be hired in many cities: www.fietspunten.be gives many useful contacts. Around 50 train stations (and some park-and-ride car parks) use the good value, members-only Blue Bike scheme to rent city bicycles: look for fietspunt/point-vélo signs. Several bigger cities also operate point-to-point short-hop bike-hire systems.

By Rental Car

In the rustic, less populous south, rail-lines are sparse, buses rare and, away from the traffic-jammed motorways, having your own wheels makes a lot of sense.

By Train

A good network of trains makes public transport the best way to visit northern Belgium’s car-averse cities.

By Ferry

Antwerp, Namur, and Liège have short-hop passenger services on limited stretches of the river. Other boat trips, like the Bruges–Damme run, tend to be taken as a tour rather than as transport.

Best Dishes in Belgium

Belgian cuisine is widely varied with significant regional variations while also reflecting the cuisines of neighboring France, Germany, and the Netherlands. It is sometimes said that Belgian food is served in the quantity of German cuisine but with the quality of French food. Outside the country, Belgium is best known for its chocolate, waffles, fries, and beer.

Mussels/Fries – Bigger than French mussels, they’re served in individual cauldrons with fries on the side, and the only decision you need to make is which sauce to go for—whether that’s the classic white wine and vegetable broth, the oh-so-Belgian beer iteration, or something more adventurous.
Waffles – They have deeper grooves than U.S. ones, so they can hold more of the topping. They also tend to be larger but less doughy, and they’re crispier, too. Stalls around the country offer any number of toppings, but the classics tend to be whipped cream, Nutella, or fresh fruit.
Waterzooi – This creamy, soup-ish stew is so clearly Flemish there’s no French-name equivalent. Sure, fish, butter, and eggs don’t sound like a winning combination but don’t judge by appearances. Today you’re more likely to find it made with chicken than fish. And because this is Belgium, beer is often added, too

Best Accommodations in Belgium

Everybody has a different travel style and finding the right accommodation in Belgium can sometimes be a bit challenging. Whether you are looking for an all-in hotel with plenty of nightlife around, or prefer relaxing in the countryside; whether you are single, a couple, a family or a large group there will be always an accommodation in Belgium that will suit perfectly you and your travel style. Backpackers on a budget can find several hostels in Belgians major travel destinations. Vacation parks and bungalow parks are the perfect options for car travels with the whole family. Renting a Vacation house or holiday home in Belgium is quite popular at the Belgian Coast or in the Ardennes. Belgium has a wide variety of camping grounds to offer.

Belgium's Top Tourist Attractions

Manneken Pis is a landmark 61 cm bronze fountain sculpture in central Brussels, depicting a naked little boy urinating into the fountain’s basin. It was designed by Jérôme Duquesnoy the Elder and put in place in 1618 or 1619. The current statue is a replica that dates from 1965.

Mini-Europe is a miniature park located in Bruparck, at the foot of the Atomium, in Brussels, Belgium. Mini-Europe has reproductions of monuments in the European Union on display, at a scale of 1:25. Roughly 80 cities and 350 buildings are represented.

The beating heart of Bruges has long been dominated by the Belfry, 83 meters high and the city’s most prominent building. Those who climb to the top of the Belfry are rewarded with a breath-taking panorama. In the Market Square itself, marvel at the imposing Provincial Court and the many colorful stepped gables, and maybe you’ll hop in for a carriage ride. This is, after all, the place where the coachmen wait, just to complete the picture.

Belgium's Hidden Gems

The City of Brussels pays special attention to the comic book. Since the early 90s, it pays tribute to characters and authors of the Franco-Belgian comics on the walls in the Pentagon (city center) and Laeken. This collection of over 50 murals celebrates Brussels’ rich history as the self-proclaimed home of the “Comic Strip.”

Located in Belgium, the Caves of Remouchamps has among its many wonders the longest subterranean river known in the world. Opened in 1912 and originally equipped with torches, the caves are explored in two parts.

From inside the Gijs Van Vaerenbergh-designed art church also known as Reading Between The Lines, the natural sunlight hits the ground in a noirish checkerboard, belying the construction’s almost completely insubstantial walls. However, from any other angle, the building seems like a solid little chapel.

Belgium Daily Costs

Budget: Less than $125

Accommodation:

Hotel or Hostel (single): $28
Double-occupancy room: $55

Food

Meals for one day: $16

Waffle: $3.65
Dessert (Turkish Delights): $5.78
Cheese: $6.82
Olives & snacks: $8.50
Cup of tea: $2.43
Sandwish for lunch: $3.96
Ice cream & macaroons: $5.60

Transportation

Taxis, local buses, train: $6.95
Intercity: $13

Atomium train ticket for 2: $9.74
Subway pass: $5.48
Bike rental for the day: $9.74
5-day bus pass: $18
Car rental for a day: $33

Entertainment

Entrance tickets & shows: $6.27

Groeninge Museum entrance: $9.74

Tips & Handouts

Guides & service providers: $1.92

Alcohol

Drinks for one day: $5.95

Beer:$7.30
Bottle of wine: $12

Water

Bottled water for one day: $1.31

Soda: $1.40

Mid-range: $125-305

Accommodation

Hotel or rental home (single): $67
Double-occupancy room: $133

Food

Meals for one day: $40

Waffle: $3.65
Dessert (Turkish Delights): $5.78
Cheese: $6.82
Olives & snacks: $8.50
Cup of tea: $2.43
Sandwich for lunch: $3.96
Ice cream & macaroons: $5.60

Transportation

Taxis or Car rental: $17
Intercity: $34

Atomium train ticket for 2: $9.74
Subway pass: $5.48
Bike rental for the day: $9.74
5-day bus pass: $18
Car rental for a day: $33

Entertainment

Entrance tickets & shows: $16

Groeninge Museum entrance: $9.74

Tips & Handouts

Guides & service providers: $5.53

Alcohol

Drinks for one day: $15

Water

Bottled water for one day: $3.37

High-end (Luxury): More than $305

Accommodation

Resort or hotel (single): $150
Double-occupancy room: $298

Food

Meals for one day: $100

Waffle: $3.65
Dessert (Turkish Delights): $5.78
Cheese: $6.82
Olives & snacks: $8.50
Cup of tea: $2.43
Sandwich for lunch: $3.96
Ice cream & macaroons: $5.60

Transportation

Car Rentals or private driver: $37
Intercity: $83

Atomium train ticket for 2: $9.74
Subway pass: $5.48
Bike rental for the day: $9.74
5-day bus pass: $18
Car rental for a day: $33

Entertainment

Entrance tickets & shows: $38

Groeninge Museum entrance: $9.74

Tips & Handouts

Guides & service providers: $18

Alcohol

Drinks for one day: $33

Water

Bottled water for one day: $8.98

Belgium Money-Saving Tips

Travel during the offseason – During the offseason, hotels and flights are often cheaper and the crowds are not as dense.
Explore free things to do – With the abundance of history beautifully displayed in a number of museums, there are a lot of free entrance fees and other free activities offered in many of the larger cities.
Take public transportation – With an extensive transportation system, getting around via bus or train is very reliable. Thanks to a slow progression toward a more modern-look, bicycling can also be very efficient.
Consider buying city-passes – City-passes can be great. They usually let you visit a number of attractions for free and/or use the transit system for a fixed number of days.

Useful Websites & Apps

Hotel booking – Booking.com via InteleTravel
Tours & activities – Viator or Shore Excursions Group
Ferry tickets & schedule – Ferry To
Bus Schedule – Belgium Information Center
Translation – Google

10 Cool Facts About Belgium

The Big Bang theory originated in Belgium It was a Belgian, priest and physicist Georges Lemaitre, who first came up with what is now called the Big Bang theory of the origin of the universe in 1927. The theory is often attributed to Edwin Hubble, although records show Lemaitre published a similar theory two years before Hubble.
Belgium is the world’s leading exporter of billiard balls Nearly 80 percent of the world’s billiard balls are made in Belgium. Saluc AC, established in 1923, has its own chemical plant to make the phenolic resin, which gives Aramith balls their characteristic high-gloss, rock-hard finish.
Chocolate production Belgium has a long history of chocolate production, dating back to 1635. The country produces 220,000 tons of chocolate per year.
3,000 castles in Belgium There are around 3,000 castles in Belgium, from medieval fortress to residential castles. The castle density per square kilometer is higher in Belgium than anywhere else in the world. Many of them stay in private ownership though.
Belgium’s highway can be seen from the moon The almost 100 percent-lit highway network is one of the few man-made structures seen that far at night. Belgium is among the top 10 countries for the highest road and railroad density, although TomTom ranks Brussels as the seventh most congested city in Europe.
The word Spa is from Belgium The word spa comes from a Belgian town of Spa where the first health resort was opened in the 18th century.
The level of international presence in Brussels is second only to New York With around 120 international governmental organizations, 1,400 non-governmental organizations and 181 embassies employing 3,000 diplomats. Brussels is also home to the European headquarters of more than 2,000 multi-national organisations, plus the headquarters of the European Union and the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO).
More comic strip makers Belgium has more comic strip makers per square km than any other country in the world (including Japan). You may know Smurfs or Tintin which are probably the most known comic strip heroes.
Cricket is thought to be a Belgian invention, not British Academics believe immigrants from north Belgium could have imported the game to Britain, based on a poem thought to have been written in 1533 that calls Flemish weavers ‘king of crekettes’ and also mentions ‘wickettes’, predating English references dating to the 1600s.
One of the most liberal countries Belgium is one of the most liberal countries in the world. In 1990, the country accepted the abortion law and in 2002, euthanasia was legalized. And in 2003, Belgium was the second country in the world to legalize gay and lesbian marriage.