Know before you go
Belgium
General Information
Belgium is located in Western Europe bordering France, the Netherlands, Germany and Luxembourg. Its capital and largest city is Brussels. Belgium is both a member of the European Union and the Schengen Agreement. They drive on the right side of the road.
Visa
Holders of a EU passport don’t require a Visa. For holders of a different passport check out this link to see if you are required to apply for a visa or not or contact your ministery of foreign affairs.
Watch Geography Now!
The video will give you a good first overview of Belgium.
Power
Belgium uses Type E plug outlets. They also work with Type C and F if it has an additional pinhole. The voltage is 230 Volt and the frequency is 50 Hz.
Language
Belgium has 3 official languages: Dutch (57%), French (42%) and German (1%). Most people speak English as well, so it’s easy to talk to them.
| Dutch | English |
|---|---|
| Hallo! | Hello! |
| Dag! | Bye! |
| ja | yes |
| nee | no |
| Bedankt! | Thank you! |
| Graag gedaan! | You're welcome! |
| Sorry! | Excuse me! |
| Proost! | Cheers! |
Weather Forecast
Climate
The climate is maritime temperate with significant precipitation in all seasons, like most of northwest Europe. Belgium usually has cool winters but temperatures and summers are comfortably warm with temperatures occasionally rising as high as 30 °C (86 °F).
Average Temperature in Brussels
Average Precipitation in Brussels
Transportation
How to get there?
The biggest airport in Belgium is Brussels Airport (BRU). Due to its location Brussels is a good place to start when travelling around Belgium. Take a train or bus to go to the city center.
It is also easy to travel to Belgium by bus or train from any neighboring country. I recommend taking the train as it can go up to 300 km/h and will be way faster than driving. A highspeed train can take you from Paris to Brussels in only 1:34h. Driving the same distance would take you 3 and a half hours.
How to get around?
Belgian cities have an exellent public transportation infrastructure taking you everywhere you need to go. Brussels has a Metro and a public rental bike service with stations all over the city.
Money, Money, Money
Currency
Belgium is part of the Eurozone and therefore uses the Euro as its currency. Check out the currency converter to find out about current exchange rates.
Accommodation
Depending on where you are staying prices will vary of course. Expect to be paying around 30€ per person per night.
Cash
Even though credit cards are widely accepted, you should still withdraw Euros at an ATM. Cash is still king in many places like restaurants, markets and small shops. How much you will need of course depends on your spending habits. Expect to need around 35€ per day for food, transportation, activities and souvenirs.
