Good to Know
Languages
Dutch, French, German
Currency
Euro (€)
Money
You can change cash at Banks in Brussels or in ATM machines in Brussels. Visa, MasterCard and American Express are all widely accepted in Brussels for most things including shopping, restaurants and hotel bills.
Climate
September brings shorter days with only 5 hours of sunshine to enjoy on average. Additionally, it’ll rain for half the month and the lowest temperature is 10°C, while the highest is 20 °C. Expect rainfall to be similar to London and Amsterdam where overcast skies are typical for most of the year. When the sun is out, Brussels has a very blue sky and it is a magnificent city to explore by foot. Rains are usually forecasted quite well by the Brussels news but even if there is no forecast of rain still be prepared with an umbrella for late-afternoon downpour.
Smoking
There are no restrictions on smoking in the street or in open public places. However, you may not smoke in any enclosed public place, including shopping malls, metro stations, cinemas and theatres, restaurants and cafés (unless in a dedicated smoking room).
Telephone Codes
All Belgian telephone numbers dialed within Belgium must use the leading ‘0’ trunk code. The numbers are six to seven digits long
From outside Belgium, a caller would dial their international call prefix (typically 00 in Europe and 011 in North America), followed by 32 (the country code for Belgium), then the area code, which is 2 for Brussels. Finally, the local number is added, minus the trunk code ‘0’
Shopping
Most Brussels people will shop on Saturdays because many shops are closed on Sundays. On Sundays the shops near the Grand Place are generally open and so are some of the Brussels markets.
Belgium’s busiest shopping street with an average of 43,000 visitors every day is Rue Neuve, a pedestrian-only shopping avenue in the center of Brussels. It is home to many international brands – H&M, Mango, Primark and Benetton among them.
Safety
Brussels is like any other big city and basic common sense rules apply. As a precaution against petty theft it is good to avoid carrying money, bank/credit cards and your passport in the same bag or pocket. Making a photocopy of your passport and itinerary is also a good practice.
The centre of Brussels is however very safe and you should not encounter any problems.
Emergency Services
In case of an emergency you can contact Fire service and Medical service by dialling 100 and Police service by 101. The number 112 can be dialled to reach all emergency services – medical, fire and police – from anywhere in Europe.
Driving
Traffic travels on the right and streetcars always have the right of way. Many Belgian roads have heavily travelled bike lanes, so be careful.
To rent a car in Belgium, you must be at least 21 years old (age may vary by car category) and have held your license for 1 year. Drivers under the age of 25 may incur a young driver surcharge. Seatbelts are mandatory. Child seats are mandatory for children up to age 3 and children must be at least age 12 to sit in the front seat.
Health
No vaccinations are required for visiting Belgium.
When travelling to Belgium, make sure you know what emergency healthcare you are entitled to, what medicines you can bring into the country, what to do in an emergency, and what travel insurance you will need.
An individual travel and health insurance is recommended.
Electricity & Conversions
In Belgium the power sockets are of type E. The standard voltage is 230 V and the standard frequency is 50 Hz.
If the standard voltage in your country is in the range of 100 V – 127 V (as is in the US, Canada and most South American countries), you need a voltage converter in Belgium.