Belgium : Formalities and administrative procedures
Belgium : Organize your stay
Money Belgium
Belgium is part of the euro zone. The coins depict Philippe I, King of the Belgians, with his monogram.
Budget & Tips Belgium
Tight budget to small budget: you can travel for €50 a day if you stay in a youth hostel, eat sandwiches or fast food and limit yourself to one drink in the evening. Count on at least €60 for a little more comfort.
Average budget: between €80 and €130 per person per day, for one night in a small hotel, one (or even two) meals in a small restaurant, one drink in the evening, transport (bus, train, parking...).
Big budget: from €160 per person (night in a charming hotel, meals in good restaurants, parking or cab...).
Driver's license Belgium
The European French driving license is of course valid.
Health Belgium
Nothing special, the European healthcare card works in Belgium.
Security Belgium
No particular danger, as everywhere, you have to be careful of pickpockets in big cities.
Spoken languages Belgium
People in the north of the country speak Dutch, while those in the south speak French. The cantons of Eupen and Saint-Vith, near the German border, are German-speaking. Brussels, finally, has a "bilingual" status, although the majority of its population is French-speaking.
Electricity and measurements Belgium
Belgium has adopted the metric system. Belgians therefore speak in kilometres and kilograms, as they do in France. The electrical outlets are also the same as in France (220 volts).
Luggage Belgium
The essential item for a trip to Belgium is... the umbrella! Because even in the middle of summer, you're never safe from a " drache " (heavy rain). A raincoat is also highly recommended.
Belgium : Daily life
Hello? Belgium
To call from Belgium to France, dial +33 followed by the number of your correspondent without the 0. To call from France to Belgium, +32 without the 0 is essential. Since June 15, 2017, goodbye to extra costs when traveling in Europe. You will be able to use your current subscription (call and data) just like at home. Indeed, roaming charges are no longer applicable in the member countries of the European Union and since 2019, no more extra charges for mobile Internet access either.
Accessibility Belgium
Public facilities are generally accessible to people with disabilities. Hotel directories indicate which hotels have facilities for the disabled, but tourist offices will be able to give you more specific information. If you have a physical or mental disability or are going on vacation with someone who does, there are various organizations and associations that can help you.
Health Belgium
No worries in Belgium. In case of illness, the health system is very good. As a European, you are covered by the Social Security in Belgium.
Emergency numbers Belgium
In Belgium, there are two main emergency numbers: 112 for the fire department and ambulances; 101 for the police.
Securty Belgium
Belgium is not a particularly dangerous country. However, as in all major cities and tourist sites, you should take precautions to avoid attracting the attention of pickpockets. Check your bag fastenings, and make sure you don't put your identity papers, wallet or large sums of money in the front pocket of your backpack or the back pocket of your jeans! And be particularly careful not to leave anything in plain sight in your car.
LGBTQ Belgium
The homosexual community is quite large in Belgium, visible (especially in Antwerp, Brussels and, to a lesser extent, in Liege) and well accepted. Obviously, in the villages and the countryside, it is more likely to shock..
Embassies and consulates Belgium
Ambassade de France
1000 Bruxelles (métro Arts-Loi)
Tel : +32 (0)2 548 87 11.
Fax: +32 (0)2 548 87 32
65, rue Ducale
www.be.ambafrance.org
Mail Belgium
Post offices are generally open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., sometimes until 5 or 6 p.m. on weekdays, and sometimes on Saturday mornings. For office opening hours: www.bpost.be - A stamp for the European Union costs €2.65. A normal letter sent to Belgium costs €1.36.
Stamps are hard to find outside the Post Office, except sometimes in certain stores near the center, but you often have to buy a postcard at the same time.
Local media Belgium
Press
National dailies
Le Soir - www.lesoir.be - A quality French-language newspaper with neutral content and a good tone.
La Libre Belgique - www.lalibre.be - This quality French-language title has opened up to new themes without denying its Catholic and royalist origins.
La Dernière Heure - www.dhnet.be - Popular daily. Well-stocked sports section.
De Morgen - www.demorgen.be - Quality Flemish daily with a left-leaning reputation.
De Standaard - www.standaard.be - Conservative Flemish daily.
Het Laatste Nieuws - www.hln.be - Popular Flemish newspaper.
Het Nieuwsblad - www.nieuwsblad.be - Popular Dutch-language daily, competitor of the above.
L'Écho - www.lecho.be - French-language business and finance daily.
De Financieel Ekonomische Tijd -www.tijd.be - Flemish-language economics and finance daily.
Magazines
In addition to the large number of French magazines, some of which have a Belgian version(Paris-Match, Téléstar, Elle...), there are some specifically Belgian magazines.
Ciné Télé Revue is a real phenomenon: almost one French-speaker in ten buys it every week, to read about TV programs and the latest celebrity rumors. Télé Moustique is an interesting reference for its TV program and its truculent dossiers: in summer, the supplement with all the festivals in Belgium is very useful. Also in the same category is Télépro (the second best-selling French-language magazine).
On the newsmagazine side, Le Vif/L'Express is the authority in French-speaking Belgium. Trends/Tendances is a comprehensive business weekly. Finally, for those frustrated by the satirical Canard enchaîné, turn to Pan or Père Ubu on Thursdays (although these tend to be very populist in their attacks). If you speak Flemish, don't miss Humo, a TV weekly that gets into everything, or P Magazine, a men's magazine.
Radio
On the French side, two styles of radio coexist: general stations (news, humor and service) and music stations. Bel RTL and La Première are the most popular general-interest stations. In late-afternoon humor, Les Grosses Têtes (Bel RTL) competes with Salut les copions (La Première). On the music side, Radio Contact offers mainstream variety; Classic 21 (RTBF) specializes in adult rock; Radio Nostalgie in French chanson; NRJ, Fun Radio Belgique target younger audiences; Pure FM is the radio station for hip young adults; Musiq3 (RTBF) broadcasts classical music only. On the Flemish side, public channels are omnipresent, while private radio stations lack powerful transmitters.
Television
Belgian households are over-equipped: over 95% of families have at least one television. The majority have cable access to some 30 channels from Belgium, France, the Netherlands, Germany, the UK, Turkey, Greece, Spain, Italy and even the USA. The Belgian audiovisual landscape is divided between public channels such as La Une, La Deux and La Trois, only since the end of 2010 (French-speaking RTBF) or like Eén and Canvas (Dutch-speaking VRT) or BRF-TV in the German-speaking East Cantons, and competing private channels: RTL-TVI, Club RTL and Plug TV, AB3 and AB4 in the south of the country, VTM, Kanaal 2 and VT4 in the north.
Local channels complete the Belgian TV offering (Télé Bruxelles, RTC in Liège, No Tele in Tournai, etc.). As for encrypted channels, BeTV (ex-Canal Plus) offers previews of films and series, while Belgacom TV digital television has acquired the rights to broadcast soccer championship matches.
