BELGIUM

Welcome to the country I’ve lived my whole life! It’s the perfect country as it’s in the heart of Europe and combines history with modernity. Belgium is mostly known for its chocolate, waffles and beer, but there’s so much more to it than that. It has medieval cities like Bruges, beautiful hiking trails in the Ardennes, a lot of history in Waterloo and also one of the best festivals. I know Belgium is not on the top destinations for a lot of travellers, but let me convince you in my blog posts that you are wrong! 

Continent

Europe

Language

Dutch, French and German

Currency

Euro = €
1 euro = 1.05 dollars

Capital

Brussels

Habitants

11.59 Million

Best time to visit

Belgium is an all-year travel destination, but the peak season would be between June and August in the summer months. July is the busiest month in summer, because of the start of the summer vacation around Europe. The summer is so popular, because of the pleasant temperatures, and longer days.

As I live in Belgium so I have encountered all seasons, my favourite would be spring as everything begins to blossom and the weather gets more pleasant

Winter

December - March

Winter is best known for the cold, but also the start of all the Christmas markets.  It’s not that common anymore to get snow in this season, except only in the southern part of the country. 

Spring

April - May

During these months, you will get a chance to do some amazing hikes, but with less money spent as it’s shoulder season. The weather will also not be as hot as in the summer months. 

Summer

June - August

This will be the busiest time to visit Belgium, but you’ll also have the best chance of good weather to do some hikes or visit the famous cities. The downside would be the prices that will increase.

Autumn

September - November

Fall is an excellent time to visit Belgium, because of the colorful foliage at the hiking trails! As a bonus, it’s less expensive to see, but this period has more rainfall, so you won’t be able to do everything. 

Practical information

Do you need a passport?

 People from the Schengen area or the European Union can enter Belgium with a valid identity card. Other people need to have a valid passport. 

Do you need a visum?

Depends on your country of origin (click here to find out if you need a visa)

What plugs do Belgium use?

Belgium uses the power plug sockets that are of type E. The standard voltage is 230 V and the frequency is 50 Hz

Can you use dataroaming in Belgium?

As an European, you can use your own SIM card. Everyone outside the European Union will need to buy a local SIM.

Can you use your credit card/visa everywhere?

Credit and debit cards are widely accepted. And there are a lot of ATM’s spread throughout Belgium!

Is Belgium safe?

Absolutely! Belgium is an extremely safe country. You just need to follow precautions, especially in big cities and everything will be fine. Pickpocketing would be mostly happening in bigger cities like Brussels or Antwerp. 

Is it easy to take public transportation in Belgium?

It’s quite easy to take public transportation around Belgium as it has a very extensive network of trains and buses (northern part and southern part).  So it shouldn’t be a problem to travel around the country without a car. 

What is the budget for Belgium?

Belgium is a mid-range country so expect to spend around €50 – €100 a day, depending of how much luxury you want. It’s hard to put an exact number on this as it really depends on your activities, accommodations and transportation. 

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