Belgium

A Picture from Bruges, The largest city and Capital of Belgium.

You will find Belgium richer in history, art, culture, architecture, and food as compared to some of the other well-known countries of Europe. The best time to visit Belgium is during the period from May to September. As this is the busiest period of the year in Belgium, you might find it a bit difficult to find accommodation for yourself.

Be mindful about the weather conditions in Belgium. The weather in Belgium is very tricky, particularly during the month of April. Both, enjoying sunshine and getting wet in the rain, are possible within the space of a minute. The winter months are irritatingly wet. But the months from May to September are perfect for tourists.

Belgium shares its borders with Netherlands, France, Luxembourg, and Germany. For a short distance, it is also bordered by the North sea. Dutch and French are the widely spoken languages in Belgium. English is also spoken and understood in Belgium.

A majority of  international flights to Belgium will take you to its capital city Brussels. Belgium is well connected by road, rail, and air. Traveling within the country will be comfortable and easy. For intra-city traveling, a convenient mode of conveyance is the taxi.

To avoid falling into trivial problems, you must keep in mind the important travel tips for your Belgium travel. As per visa rules and regulations, traveling to Belgium will require a visa and you also need to furnish the all the necessary details.

A few travel destinations in Belgium are:

• The Grand Palace in Brussels
• Royal Museum of Fine Arts of Belgium, Brussels
• Groeninge Museum, Brugge
• Saint Peter’s Church (Sint-Pieterskerk), Leuven
• Headquarters of Wellington & Napoleon, Waterloo
• Tongeren Flea Market, Tongeren
• National Genever Museum, Hasselt

Belgium Map

Getting In

Belgium is a cherished tourist destination for its picturesque locales, rich culture and fine art galleries, museums as well as host of other attractions. Reachingf Belgium is very convenient by all means: air, rail, car, bus, or ship.

Airways

Brussels Airport or the Zaventem Airport is the main airport here located in the suburbs of Brussels in Flanders. Here the national airline of Belgium, Brussels Airlines operates and there are other airlines as well like Vueling and SkyEurope. There is also the Charleroi Airport where you have scheduled flights like Ryanair which is from Ireland and Wizzair. Antwerp Deurne airport is another airport with flights connecting to London.

Train Services

You can avail direct trains between Brussels and

• Antwerpen, Brugge, Gent, Mechelen and Leuven which are available every hour
• Amsterdam, Luxembourg
• Paris, Köln/Cologne, Amsterdam (Thalys)
• Lyon, Bordeaux, Paris-CDG airport and many other cities in France
• London
• Frankfurt, Köln/Cologne (ICE).
• Berlin, Hamburg (night train).

There is a direct train linking between Lille Flandres to Ghent and Antwerp

Car
Reaching Belgium by car is also a feasible option because of the presence of European highways like E-19, E-17, E-40, E-411 and E-313 which cross Belgium.

Bus
Eurolines coaches makes it convenient for travelers from all over Europe to come to Belgium. These buses have stops in Antwerpen, Brussels north-station, Leuven & Liege.

Ship
Options for getting to Belgium are many and you can come here by ferries connecting Zeebrugge and Hull in England and Rosyth in Scotland. Also, there is daytime service from Oostende to Ramsgate in England.

Transport

Belgium is a small country and here the farthest place is at a distance of 300 km. In fact you can reach most of the places in two hours. Connecting the large cities there are frequent train service while the buses ply over smaller distances.

Railways

Belgium is well linked by trains which are managed by NMBS and the destinations covered are Antwerp, Namur or Brussels. In fact, Brussels is the focal point of trains arriving from international destinations as well. The trains are noted for there punctuality and are trendy and comfortable. Tickets for the same can be bought online or in stations. The train schedules on a routine change around December 10.

Bus/Tram

Buses connect the whole country and you can even go to other cities by bus. Apart from the buses, there are trams and metro as well in the big cities. Most routes cover short distances, but it’s possible to go from city to city by bus. You also have the Kusttram, which crosses the Flemish seaside from France to the Netherlands. This is an enjoyable trip which you can try out in the summer. In Belgium, local transport is provided by different companies – MIVB in Brussels, De Lijn in Flanders, and TEC in Wallonia.

Car

There is a sound network of modern toll-free motorways, but be careful of the secondary roads as they may not be in the best of conditions. Here the driving follows “priority from the right” rule.

Leisure

Belgium is alluring for the travelers not only for its scenic locales as well as stunning architecture, but what is most charming about the country is that you get so much in so little space. You may be in any part of Belgium, but there is always whole lot of opportunity for enjoyment and the party starts from 8:00 p.m. continues till 8:00 a.m. People just indulge in merriment with a chilled beer and a piping hot waffle to accompany and Belgium’s nightlife is so lively that people don’t think twice before skipping their sleep for joining the party scene.

Jazz festivals, rock concerts, exotic nightclubs, conventional brown pubs, and casinos are some of the favorite places of fun lovers. There are 80 bars in Brussels. Some of the excellent choices are A La Mort Subite – a local Brussels favorite, or Le Grand Mayeur – where you can enjoy Hungarian music in a bistro background, or watch a play at Theatre Royal de Toone – a marionette theater which is there since 1834 . Here you also have the added attraction of Belgian beers.

Belgium hosts film festivals as well like the Brussels International Fantasy Film Festival, Brussels European Film Festival, and International Short Film Festival.

Some of the places you must not miss for extreme fun are:

• Bars like A la Mort Subite, Au Bon Vieux Temps, etc.
• Nightclubs like Bazaar, Le Cercle, Le Fuse, etc.
• Live music can be enjoyed Archiduc, Café Belga, Bizon, etc.
• Restaurants which provide entertainment are H2O, Le Bazaar, Le Grand Maveur, etc.

Some of the facts which you must be aware that here in Belgium specific dress codes are followed and sneakers are not allowed as well as jeans are not permitted in some places. Also you have to be at least 18 years of age to drink in Belgium.

Related : Belgium Facts | Belgium Airports | Belgium Location