Destination Guides & Maps - Belgium

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Capital City: Brussels. Population 948,122

Currency: Belgian franc; from January 1 2002 the Euro. One Euro = 40.3399 BF.

Language: Flemish (a Dutch dialect) and French.

Area: 30,513 sq km (11,781 sq miles)

Population: 10,082,000

Visa: No visas are necessary for EU nationals staying a maximum of three months.

Geography: Belgium is bordered on the north by the Netherlands and the North Sea, on the east by Germany and the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, and on the west and south west by France.

The terrain is generally very flat except in the Ardennes mountains in the south, and Belgium is one of the most densely populated regions in Europe.

The most important rivers are the Meuse and Scheldt but the country is also criss-crossed by a network of canals, which are still used to transport goods.

Religion: About 90% of Belgians are Roman Catholic but less than 25% attend mass regularly and the church does not have a high profile in Belgian society.

Electricity: The current in Belgium is 220V AC (which works with UK appliances which usually run on 240V). North American appliances will require an adaptor, and UK plugs will need a 2-pin adaptor, easily available in most towns.

Emergency numbers (dial toll-free from any phone):

Ambulance or Fire Tel: 100

Police Tel: 101.

There are usually English-speaking operators available.

The Community Help Service (CHS) offer a 24-hour English-language telephone help line on (0)2 648 40 14 which can help with all kinds of problems no matter how big or small.

Telephone: Public payphones are everywhere and the instructions for use are clearly marked in English. Some accept coins, but increasingly others will only accept pre-paid telephone cards. These are available from most news stands, tobacconists, train stations, and some banks and supermarkets.

To call Belgium from abroad, the country code is 0032.

To make an international call from Belgium, dial 00, then add the country code (UK 44; USA 1; Australia 61; Canada 1; Irish Republic 353; New Zealand 64) and the rest of the telephone number minus the first zero (if there is one).

Within Belgium, all telephone numbers must be dialled in full with a 0 before the city code (ie dial 02 for Brussels), even if you are calling a number in the same city.

Post Offices: The Belgian postal system is incomprehensible to the outsider but extremely efficient nonetheless. It's not worth sticking a few stamps on something and shoving it in a post box as the shape as well as the weight will affect the postage rate and the post office workers will measure your envelope. At least you know that the post will definitely arrive. Post offices are generally open from Monday to Friday 9am-5pm.

Business hours: The normal opening hours for shops are Monday to Saturday from 9am to 6pm. Department stores usually stay open later one night a week - in Brussels, this is Friday night. Midday closing is almost a thing of the past except in small towns. Most shops close on Sundays, although pâtisseries and delicatessens usually open on Sunday mornings.

Most museums are closed on Mondays, and hours change with the seasons. Several are only open from Easter Sunday to September and it's always worth calling ahead to check out of season. The standard opening hours are 9am-4pm.

Banks are generally open from Monday to Friday from 9am and close somewhere between 3.30pm and 5pm.

Belgian pharmacies are identified by a neon green cross, lit when open. They co-ordinate their days and hours of closure so there is always somewhere to buy medication, and details of the nearest pharmacy on night or weekend duty will be posted on any pharmacy door.

Internet and e-mail: Every large town and city will have at least a couple of cybercafés; the Internet is very popular and competition means prices are usually reasonable.

Tipping: Tips are included in taxi fares (which are steep) but you'll find that taxi drivers often expect a bit extra from foreign tourists. In restaurants, the Belgians will usually round up the bill by a few francs in cafés but will leave 10% in restaurants.

BBC World Service: BBC World Service broadcasts on different frequencies throughout the day. A mixture of BBC World Service and BBC for Europe can be found on 648kHz AM.

Want to take a closer look at Belgium? http://earth.google.com/

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