Belgium Travel Tips: 12 Things to Know Before You Go

Belgium has a reputation as an easy country, and for English speakers it largely is. Still, a few quirks can catch you out, starting with the language that changes from one city to the next.

Here are the tips I wish I had before my first stay, grouped by theme, from the most useful to the most anecdotal.

Languages and regions

This is the most important point, and the one that causes the most confusion. Belgium has three official languages, split by territory.

Tip 1: in Flanders, in Bruges or Ghent, do not open in French out of habit. Many Flemings speak French, but the language question is sensitive. Start with a word of Dutch or go straight to English, which is neutral and well received. A simple “Hallo, do you speak English?” always lands better than an assumed “Bonjour”.

Tip 2: city names change with the language. Mons becomes Bergen, Liege becomes Luik, Antwerp becomes Antwerpen. On motorway signs and in trains, you will see the name in the language of the region you are crossing. Note both versions before you go so you do not miss a connection.

Money, payment and tipping

Belgium uses the euro, so no currency exchange for a visitor from the eurozone. The real question is how to pay.

Tip 3: card is king, through the local Bancontact system, and contactless works everywhere, including on trams and buses. You can travel almost cashless. Still, keep around twenty euros in cash for small fritkots, some markets and the pay toilets in stations.

Tip 4: tipping is not compulsory. Service is included in the bill. For a meal you enjoyed, rounding up or leaving a few euros is appreciated, but nobody asks or frowns. In a cafe, people often leave the small change, nothing more.

Tip 5: many museums and sights are booked online, and that has become close to essential in high season. For the Atomium or the Magritte Museum in Brussels, booking a slot saves up to two hours of queueing. Have your ticket on your phone, which means an active connection on site.

Getting around without a misstep

Tip 6: forget the car for a city trip. The country is small and the rail network very dense. Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp are linked in under an hour and a half, and the historic centres are pedestrian. A car would just be expensive parking and an extra headache.

Tip 7: in Brussels, buy a rechargeable MoBIB card, 6 euros once, then load your trips onto it. On the tram and bus, you can also pay directly with your contactless bank card, which acts as a ticket. Validate every time you board, inspections happen and the fine stings.

Tip 8: mind the three regional urban networks. STIB in Brussels, De Lijn in Flanders, TEC in Wallonia. A ticket for one does not work on another. To cross regional borders, the SNCB train is your best ally.

Worth adding here: Belgium is tiny on the scale of a trip. Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp sit within easy reach of each other, linked in under 90 minutes by train. No need for a car on a city trip, where you would only pay for costly parking and deal with the low-emission zones that filter access to the Flemish centres.

Customs and small local codes

Tip 9: French-speaking Belgians say “septante” for 70 and “nonante” for 90, unlike the French “soixante-dix” and “quatre-vingt-dix”. For 80 they say “quatre-vingts” as in France. You will hear it mostly for prices and numbers, so it is worth not being caught off guard.

Tip 10: meal names can throw you. In part of the country, people say “dejeuner” for breakfast, “diner” for the midday meal and “souper” for the evening one. If a Belgian invites you to “diner”, check the time so you do not turn up six hours late.

Tip 11: fries are a serious matter. They are eaten from a cone, at the fritkot, with a sauce, and never called “French fries” in front of a Belgian. It is a small point of national pride, and a good way to strike up a conversation with a smile.

Safety and good reflexes

Tip 12: Belgium is a safe destination. The one real point of caution is pickpockets in stations and the busiest tourist areas of Brussels, in particular around Brussels-Midi station and on the crowded metro. Keep your bag in front of you and your phone out of your back pocket.

For the rest, the common sense of any big European city is enough. Emergency services answer on 112, the single European number, valid everywhere in the country.

Two small habits keep things smooth in the cities. Do not walk in the red-paved cycle lanes, common in Flanders and central Brussels, where cyclists move fast and have priority. And cross at the lights, jaywalking is technically fined, though rarely enforced, and drivers do not always expect pedestrians off the crossings. Nothing dramatic, just the local rhythm worth matching.

Health, water, power and opening hours

A few practical points that head off nasty surprises on the ground.

Health. If you travel from the EU, order your European Health Insurance Card before you leave. It is free and covers you in the Belgian care system like a local. The request takes a few days, so plan ahead. Belgium has excellent hospitals and pharmacies, easy to find in every city.

Water at restaurants. Here is a quirk that surprises visitors: tap water is almost never served free. You will be offered a paid bottle, around 3 to 5 euros. If you want tap water, ask plainly, though many places politely refuse. Better to know before you sit down.

Power. Sockets are the standard continental European type, at 230 volts. Travellers from the UK need a Type C or E adapter; visitors from France and most of the EU need nothing.

Opening hours. Many shops close on Sundays, and some restaurants on Mondays. Museums often run the opposite rhythm, with a weekly closing day midweek. Check the opening days of the sights you target, especially on a short trip, so you do not find a closed door.

Eating well without a trap

Belgian cooking deserves your attention, and a few markers help you dodge the tourist traps.

There are plenty of dishes to try. Mussels and fries, of course, but also stoemp, a mash with vegetables, carbonnades flamandes, a beef stew slow-cooked in beer, and waterzooi, a creamy chicken or fish stew. On the sweet side, the dense, caramelised Liege waffle beats the lighter Brussels one, and chocolate is best bought from an artisan rather than a chain.

My blunt advice: steer clear of restaurants that display photos of giant mussels and post a tout at the door, near the big squares. Walk two streets further, towards the residential quarters, where Belgians actually eat. The rule holds in Brussels as in Bruges. And pair your meal with a local beer rather than a soft drink: it is cheaper, and it is what the country is about.

Staying connected from start to finish

Most of these tips assume a working phone: a translator for Dutch, a museum ticket online, live train times, a map to find the right fritkot. A reliable connection is not a luxury, it is what keeps the trip moving.

Because Belgium is in the EU roaming zone, your plan works on site without surcharge, up to your travel data allowance. Check that cap before you leave, because steady use drains it fast.

For a long stay or a limited home allowance, an eSIM for Belgium activates before departure and connects you on arrival, over the 4G/5G network, with no number to change.

With Orange, the service trusted by more than 300 million customers, you travel with peace of mind: 200+ destinations covered, 24/7 human support, an eSIM from 4.99 euros, and a 100% refund if you do not use it.