About Belgium (BE)
Belgium is one of the smallest and most densely populated European countries. It is a federal state made up of three regions: Brussels, Flemish and Walloon. The capital Brussels is situated roughly in the middle, with the French speaking Wallonians in the south and the Dutch speaking Flemish in the north. German is the 3rd national language.
This beautiful small country is packed with a range of leisure pursuits and diverse activities. If you enjoy walking, sports and the outdoors, the southern parts will appeal, but the northern historic cities of Ghent and Brugge, are equally attractive. From Brussels all parts of the country can be reached by car within 2 hours.
Getting around
Travelling around Belgium is quite straight-forward. It is a well-organized country, and mostly free of traffic hassles, unless you are driving around Brussels or the Antwerp ring road during peak hour.
In Brussels and surrounding areas, the road signs are in both French and Flemish, but elsewhere it is either the one or the other. As soon as you cross the ‘language line’ the road names change. For example, “Liège” will suddenly become “Luik”. So best to make sure you have a good road map or GPS.
Belgium has one toll tunnel, the Liefkenshoektunnel in Antwerp. The toll fee has to be paid by credit card (not debit), or cash, but that is a more expensive option.
Choosing your car
Belgium car rental offers a selection of all the major international car rental agencies such as Avis, Hertz, Budget, Europcar and Enterprise. However, to ensure cheap car rental rates, we recommend that you book online in advance. Our Belgium car hire booking site makes it easy to choose from a selection of cars — whether you need a small city runner, SUV or minivan. You can also add extra benefits, such as a GPS or child seat. Just list the destination, dates of travel, driver’s age and you will be presented with a range of vehicle options.
It is also important to read and understand the conditions of your car rental before signing, as contracts are not all the same.
Tips and advice for renting a car in Belgium
1
Reflective jackets must be worn if involved in a breakdown, an accident or alongside a road where stopping or parking is prohibited. Check that your rental car contains these.
2
Give way to traffic from the right, but trams always have priority over all other road users, whether on the right or on the left.
3
At night you should flash your headlights instead of using the horn, except in the case of immediate danger.
4
Most Belgian cities have paid parking with meters and ticket machines on the streets. But watch out for the blue zone meters which override the parking disks. There are also many municipal and private parking garages.
5
By law, if you are stuck in traffic it is recommended to switch off the engine, unless absolutely necessary.
6
You should always park in the direction of travel on the right-hand side of the road.
