BELGIUM

Location:
Western Europe, bordering the North Sea, between France and the Netherlands.

Area:
30,510 sq km

Neighbouring countries:
France 620 km, Germany 167 km, Luxembourg 148 km, Netherlands 450 km

Coastline:
66 km

Climate:
Temperate; mild winters, cool summers; rainy, humid, cloudy

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: North Sea 0 m
highest point: Signal de Botrange 694 m

Population:
10,258,762 (July 2001 est.)

Ethnic groups:
Fleming 58%, Walloon 31%, mixed or other 11%

Religions:
Roman Catholic 75%, Protestant or other 25%

Languages:
Dutch 58%, French 32%, German 10%, legally bilingual (Dutch and French)

Capital:
Brussels

Getting to Belgium:
Belgium has two international airports, the main one being Zaventem, 14km north-east of Brussels. The other one, Deurne, is close to Antwerp and has less frequent flights to Amsterdam, London, Liverpool and Dublin only. Depending on when you leave, flights to London can be cheaper from Deurne. If you're in Europe already, a bus or train is the best option. Eurolines and Hoverspeed Citysprint operate international bus services to and from Belgium. Belgium Railways has frequent international services. Brussels has three main stations, with lines in all directions.

Passports and visas:
PASSPORTS: must be valid for at least 3 months beyond length of stay required by all except:
(a) 1. EU nationals holding a valid national ID card;
(b) holders of national ID cards issued to nationals of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Malta, Monaco, San Marino and Switzerland.

VISAS: Required by all except the following for periods not exceeding 3 months:
(a) nationals of Britain, Australia, Canada, USA, Other EU countries and Japan as well as those referred to under passport exemptions above;
(b) nationals of Andorra, Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Chile, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Estonia, Guatemala, Honduras, Hong Kong (SAR), Hungary, Iceland, Israel, Korea (Rep. of), Latvia, Liechtenstein, Macau (SAR), Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Poland, Romania, San Marino, Singapore, Slovenia, Switzerland, Uruguay, Vatican City and Venezuela for a stay of up to 3 months.
Belgium is a signatory to the 1995 Schengen Agreement. There are three main types of Schengen visa: Short-stay (Tourist and Business), Transit and Airport transit.

Customs regulations:
The following goods may be taken into Belgium without incurring customs duty by travellers aged over 17 years arriving from non-EU countries:

200 cigarettes or 100 cigarillos or 50 cigars or 250g of tobacco;

2 litres of wine;1 litre of spirits or 2 litres of sparkling wine or 2 litres of fortified wine;

50g of perfume and 250ml of eau de toilette;

500g of coffee; 100g of tea.

Prohibited items: Unpreserved meat products. Other unpreserved foodstuffs must be declared.

Health and safety:
No immunisations are required for entry. Medical facilities are widely available in Belgium. Medical care is expensive but of a high standard. Some risks include Lyme disease during the summer in the Ardennes area; guard against tick bites. Rabies is present. If you are bitten, seek medical advice without delay. For those at high risk, vaccination before arrival should be considered.

The country enjoys a relatively low crime rate, but travellers should take reasonable precautions against petty crime.

Time:
Belgium is one hour ahead of Greenwich Mean Time. The clock goes forward 1 hour at 1:00 on the last Sunday in March and back to normal time at 1:00 on the last Sunday in October.

Currency:
Euro

Credit cards
Credit & debit cards: MasterCard, American Express, Diners Club and Visa are accepted as well as Eurocheque cards. Check with your credit or debit card company for details of merchant acceptability and other services which may be available.

Travellers cheques: Widely accepted. To avoid additional exchange rate charges, travellers are advised to take travellers cheques in Euros, Pounds Sterling or US Dollars .

Youth Hostels:
There are two youth hostel associations: the Vlaamse Jeugdherbergcentrale (VJHC) which operates in Flanders, and the Centrale Wallonne (CWAJ) operating in the French-speaking area. The hostels of the former are large, highly organised and much frequented by schools and youth groups; the hostels of the CWAJ are smaller and more informal, similar in some ways to those in France.

Camping/Caravaning
The majority of campsites are in the Ardennes and on the coast; many of these are excellent. A list of addresses, rates and other information can be obtained from the Belgian Tourist Office - Brussels & Ardennes or Tourism Flanders-Brussels (see above). The local Verblijftaks or Taxe de Séjour is a tax usually included in the rates charged. On the coast during the summer season a supplement of about 25 per cent is charged on the majority of tariffs. Camping out in places other than the recognised sites is permitted, provided the agreement of the landowner or tenant has been obtained.

Food and Drink :
In addition to its excellent quisine, Belgium has enjoyed an unparalleled reputation for its speciality beers since the Middle Ages. Connoisseurs favour the beers for their variety, real flavour and character. Belgian beers come in a range of colours - from pale to black - and a range of types. The Lambic is yeasty, Gueuze is fruity, Kriek is sweet, and Trappiste is brewed by monks in monasteries throughout Belgium.

If you are a chocolate lover then you have come to the right place! Belgium produces 172,000 tons of chocolate per year and has 2,130 chocolate. Pralines in Belgium are sublime chocolate confections, the highest achievement of the chocolate maker art: A beautifully sculpted chocolate shell concealing a centre of filling explodes with a surprise of texture and flavour in your mouth. Many chocolatiers still make their pralines by hand. Every town and even small villages have chocolate stores with luxurious pralines. The more dedicated chocoholics should visit some of the chocolate museums and factories in the country. The Chocolate Passion festival is held around Valentine's weekend on the Grand Sablon in Brussels

Antiques
Whether you do your antique shopping in the classy Sablon area, picking through Chinese screens or by flashlight early on Sunday morning at the flea market, the hunt in Belgium can be as entertaining as the purchase. Belgium has been the centre of the art world for centuries. Choose from museum-quality stores in major cities to antique markets in smaller towns. Belgium offers an incredible wealth of antiques, art deco objects, old books, fine crystals or just plain interesting junk.

Electricity:
Voltage:A.C. 220 volts - 50 cycles. Plugs are of the round 2-pin type.

Fixed public holidays:

Jan 1 2002

New Year's Day.

Apr 1 Easter Monday.

May 1 Labour Day.

May 9 Ascension Day.

May 20 Whit Monday.

Jul 21 Independence Day.

Aug 15 Assumption.

Nov 1 All Saints' Day.

Nov 11 Armistice Day.

Dec 25 Christmas Day.

Transportation in the country by air:
No domestic air transportation is available; trains are suggested

Transportation in the country by Rail:
Belgium has a dense railway network with hourly trains on most lines. On the main lines there are more frequent trains. Weekend return fares are available from Friday (after 19:00) to Sunday for the outward journey and on Saturday and Sunday for the return journey (on long holiday weekends these periods are extended). A 50 per cent reduction card, valid for one month, is for sale. It entitles the holder to buy an unlimited number of half-price single tickets.

Motoring and car hire:
Car rental services are widely available. Some firms offer weekly rates including unlimited mileage. Both self-drive and chauffeur-driven cars are available, and the major international and European car-hire companies are in operation.

Biking
Half of Belgium is flat and is called Flanders; the other half is hilly and is called the Ardennes. The choice is yours. Belgium has miles of bicycle paths along canals, from town to town, from castle to castle or from quaint cafés to gastronomic restaurants.

Taxi:
Plentiful in all towns. The tip is included in the final meter price.