Belgium Travel Tips

Belgium: Small Country, Big Personality
Belgium may be small in size—about the same as Maryland or Massachusetts—but it packs in a remarkable diversity. At the heart of Europe, this understated nation has worn many crowns: from the medieval Burgundian Netherlands to the “Battlefield of Europe,” scarred by centuries of conflict. Today, it’s the headquarters of NATO, seeking to promote peace and stability in Euro-Atlantic countries.

The contrasts of Belgium make it fascinating. There are three official languages—French, Dutch, and German—yet English is widely spoken. The North is Flanders, Dutch-speaking, while the South is Wallonia, French-speaking and castle-studded. Across both, the people are famously modest, even shy, despite their passions for chocolate, beer, and big on biking. We explored Belgium entirely on bikes, with a few efficient train rides in between. See our Belgium bike tour and Biking the nearby Netherlands as well.

Quirks abound in Belgium: you’ll pay for drinking water in restaurants (even though Belgium has excellent tap water) and even public toilets. But, you do not have to tip your waiter, they are appreciative of a modest 10% tip. Taxes are high—about 50%— and the Belgians are highly tall themselves, among the tallest people in the world (just behind their Netherlands neighbors). They eat Frites freely, and smoke cigarettes too, but they’re quite fit people, who walk and bike a lot! Another quirk, while honest people, you may have to give one shoe as deposit so you don’t steal the beer glass, and you better lock your bicycle.

Scenically, Belgium is beautiful. With over 3,000 castles in the south, the most of any country, the architecture leaps from medieval guildhalls to neo-modern glass and iron. Beautiful cities like Antwerp, Bruges, and Ghent. are fairytalesque with delightfully historic pedestrian plazas. Belgium is also one of the most industrialized and urbanized countries in Europe.

Belgium’s dedicated cycle paths and flat scenic landscape make it a haven for bikers! We decided to bike Belgium on our first visit. Cycling is more than a pastime, it’s a way of life, transportation and pride – Belgium boasts the second-most Tour de France winners behind France, and serious cyclists and pelotons will zoom past you, with zero warning or bell, in their skintight flashy Belgian race jersey, with barely an inch between your handlebars.

Belgium’s foods are beloved as well: Belgian chocolate (dating back to 1635), waffles, crispy twice-fried Belgian Frites with mayo (don’t you dare call them French fries), and Belgian beer brewed for two millennia, are iconic staples on every menu! In Dutch, the Belgians say “smakelijk” which means enjoy your meal, but it sounds like “smack your lips!”

Belgium’s excellent trains, with gorgeous stations, make it easy and efficient to explore medieval towns and vibrant cities, each with its own personality. We hopped a train with our bicycles, the trains are also super bike-friendly (be sure to purchase the “supplement” for your bike and look for the bike-specific train car). Bicycles are not allowed on most trains during rush hour and peak times.

See our review of Biking Belgium – an itinerary of some of the most majestic cities in Belgium, Leuven, Mechelen, Antwerp, Bruges, and Ghent, with gorgeous countryside for cycling in between. You can also continue your Belgium bike tour into the Netherlands easily, see our bike tour into Dutch Sea Land and the southern border of Netherlands abutting Belgium and Germany.