Belgium Travel Guide

Belgium Travel Guide

Welcome to Belgium, home to fairytale towns, decadent food, cobblestone streets & world famous beer. Metropolitan Brussels is the Capitol of the EU, home to NATO & the stunning Grand Plac,. Personally, I preferred romantic Bruges with its charming stone bridges arching over peaceful canals & its picturesque brick buildings. Every corner and street of Bruges felt like a postcard. Wherever you visit in Belgium you can’t go wrong with the fries, waffles, beer or chocolate.

Jump To:

• Travel Guides by City
• Safety for Solo Female Travel
• Cost & Currency
• Tipping & Restaurants
• When to Visit Belgium
• Getting Around Belgium
• Belgium Christmas Markets
• Belgium Top Blog Posts
• Belgium Photo Gallery

Disclaimer: This article contains some links where I earn commission through booking. There is no extra cost to you, and I only recommend things I’ve used and love or places I’ve stayed and enjoyed!

Safety for Solo Female Travel

4.5 out of 5

I felt very safe traveling solo in Belgium, particularly in Bruges. Despite it being quiet at night it felt safe to walk around even less crowded streets. Brussels is also safe, although as a larger city its smart to be careful at night. It’s easy to get ubers late at night if you feel unsafe. The area near the main Midi-Station can feel a bit unsafe, I was fine, but you could also opt to just take an Uber or cab.

Cost & Currency

Belgium uses the Euro and is mid-to slightly high range in terms of price compared to other European countries. It’s not as expensive as Switzerland or Nordic countries, but it’s not as cheap as countries like Spain and Portugal.

Hotels/restaurants in the main tourist areas can be pricy, particularly in Bruges because it’s smaller, but you can save money by venturing away from the city center.

Tipping & Restaurants

Service is included at most restaurants in Belgium, so tipping is not required, although it’s common to leave 5-10% if the service is good at a sit down restaurant. Tipping is less common for drinks at the bar or cafes, but rounding up is not uncommon.

Wait to be seated at restaurants, even on outdoor patios. The exception is more casual cafes, there you can usually seat yourself on the patio. You’ll need to ask for the check (as with most places in Europe dinners are meant to be leisurely and enjoyed and the waiter won’t bring the check until asked, in America this would be considered bad service, but it’s the opposite in Belgium)

Belgium Christmas Markets

Belgium is home ot some of Europe’s most popular Christmas Markets. Brussels Christmas Markets are features on many lists of best Christmas Markets in Europe – their international market with food stands from all over the world was my favorite part, also the light show in Grand Place is stunning. Bruges Christmas Markets are smaller and less ostenatious than some of the other markets I visited, but Bruges already feels like a movie set, and Christmas just makes it feel extra magical.