Belgium Travel

Overview
Belgium is a low-lying country on the North Sea coast in the Benelux. With the majority of West European capitals within 1,000 km of the Belgian capital of Brussels, and as a member of the long-standing international Benelux community, Belgium sits at the crossroads of Western Europe. Its immediate neighbors are France to the southwest, Luxembourg to the southeast, Germany to the east and the Netherlands to the north.

Climate
Belgium is a small country with little climatic variation. Throughout the country, warm weather can reasonably be expected from May to September and snow is likely during the winter months - temperatures, however, are rarely extreme. As elsewhere in Europe, the major historical sights draw particularly large crowds over summer. Rainfall is evenly distributed throughout the year.

Hotels
Belgium has a wide range of hotels from 5-star luxury to small family pensions and inns. The best international-class hotels are found in the cities. Those in Brussels often offer attractive weekend rates, as much of their trade comes from business travellers during the week.

Shopping
For souvenirs, special purchases include ceramics and hand-beaten copperware from Dinant; Belgian chocolates; crystals from Val Saint Lambert; diamonds; jewellery from Antwerp; lace from Bruges, Brussels and Mechelen (Malines), woodcarvings from Spa and bandes dessinées (comic-strip books) by a number of talented Belgian cartoon artists from Brussels. Hergé, the celebrated creator of Tintin, was Belgian. The main shopping centres are located in Antwerp, Bruges, Brussels, Ghent, Liège, Mechelen, Mons, Namur and Ostend.

Entertainment
Brussels has an active and varied nightlife, ranging from highbrow theatre and opera to the more hedonistic world of bars and clubs. Bruges offers a good range of evening options, while Antwerp has a lively club scene. For the serious clubbers, though, Ostend is the place to be.

Tipping
Tipping is not obligatory as service and VAT are included in hotel and restaurant prices. Cinema and theatre attendants generally expect a €1 tip, and in public toilets you’ll be given a foul look or be reprimanded if you attempt to leave without tipping the attendant (€0.30 to €0.50); this goes for both men and women.