Traveling
Good thing to know...112 is the European Union emergency call number
Airports
You have your choice of international airports in Benelux and surrounding countries from which to fare shop. The closest and most direct is of course, Brussels Zaventem international airport in Brussels, Belgium (BRU). A short train ride away is Schiphol international airport in Amsterdam, Netherlands (AMS).
Another option for your arrival and departure is Charles de Gaulle international airport in Paris, France (CDG) and then catch the high-speed Thalys train to Brussels.
Getting from Brussels Airport to the Center of Brussels
The center of Brussels can be easily reached by train from the airport
terminal. The train station is located in the basement (level -1) of the
terminal. The Airport City Express takes you in less than 25 minutes to
the three main stations of Brussels: Brussels North, Brussels Central
and Brussels South. When buying your ticket, specify that you want to
go to Brussels Central station, which is the closest
to all three preferred hotels. From 6:00am till nearly midnight, the Airport
City Express links the airport with the city of Brussels four times an
hour. A one-way ticket costs Euro 3.80 in first class and Euro 2.50 in
second class.
Alternatively, there are always taxis (metered) ready to take you to your final destination. The fare between the airport and the center of Brussels is usually around Euro 30.00. Licensed taxis can be identified by the yellow and blue license emblem.
Airlines
American Airlines
(800) 433 7300
American Airlines is offering a 5% discount. To obtain this rate
call (800) 433 1790 and provide the following discount code:
2755AP
Continental (800) 231 0856
Continental Airlines is offering two options for reduced fares; 10% discount
on fares booked in A, D, F, J, C, Y, H and K classes, plus an additional
5% off if booked 60 days or more before the travel date.
OPTION 1: Discount Based on Cost of Airfare
For air fares priced at time-of-ticketing between $299.00 and $598.00
in Coach and First class, a 5% discount will apply
For air fares that are priced at time-of-ticketing at $599.00 or higher
in Coach and First class, a 15% discount will apply.
For air fares that are priced at time-of-ticketing at $2,400.00 or higher
in Business/First class, a 15% discount will apply.
OPTION 2: Discount Based on Zone Airfare
Continental also offers zone fares which at this point in time (early
March) seems to be the best deal, e.g., New York to Brussels is approximately
$673.00 (including taxes & fees).
To obtain these discounts you need to call your travel professional
or MeetingWorks at (800) 468 7022 and provide them with the following
codes: AGREEMENT CODE: 3P8298 and Z CODE: ZP43
Delta (800)
323 2323
Delta has direct flights to Brussels from many large U.S. cities
Air
France (800) 237 2747
Air France has flights into Paris and then a high speed train connection
into Brussels Midi train station.
Northwest/KLM (800) 447 4747
Europe by Air
Wing it around Europe for less! Europebyair FlightPass lets you country-hop all over Europe for just U.S. $99 per flight. These open passes let you fly one-way, non-stop to cities all over Europe, starting or ending anywhere you want. Europebyair makes it easy — no blackout dates, no fare zones, advance reservations or reservations on the go, valid for 120 days, no minimum purchase and reservation changes are allowed. Just think of it as a rail network in the air and you've got the Europebyair $99 FlightPass.
The best way to see more of Europe by air!
Discount Travel Sites
TravelocityPriceline by far the best deal, but unfortunately you don't get any frequent flyer points.
CheapTickets
Consolidator
Faresrus
Train Stations
A train round-trip train ride from Brussels to Antwerpen will cost Euro 11.60 (2nd class) Euro 17.80 (1st class). A round-trip train ride from Schipol to Brussels will cost about Euro 62.00 (about 2 hour trip). If you are traveling through the Netherlands to Belgium it might be a good idea to get a Benelux railpass that is valid for 5 days unlimited travel. A one way Thalys train ticket from Paris to Brussels will cost about Euro 68.00 (about 2 hour trip) and can be purchased at the RailEurope web site. Your cost will depend on your fare class and exact destination. For more information on several alternate routes for day trips and various options for vacation rail passes visit the Belgian national rail system (SCNB) web site.General train travel info from Eurail.
Driving
Licenses: You can drive anywhere in Europe with your home-state driver's license. Travelers from the U.S. who wish to drive in Austria, Greece, Poland, Spain or Turkey are technically required to have an International Driver's Permit in addition to their license. Also remember that the legal driving age in most countries is 18.The permit, which translates basic information into nine languages, is a very good back-up in case you run into one of Europe's finest traffic cops. (In much of Europe, officers can and will fine motorists on the spot.) International permits are available from AAA and affiliated clubs for $10.
Renting Cars
Most major international rental firms are represented throughout Europe. It is highly recommended that you reserve cars in advance, before leaving the U.S. This invariably saves money. Packages that combine car rental with airfare, railpasses or hotel accommodation are another way to save. If you are planning to drive in two or more countries, check on rental restrictions. Also, don't forget to check your insurance requirements.Currency Exchange
Belgium uses the Euro. For the current exchange rate check with your financial institution or refer to currency convertor.
Travel Tips
GSA and state department sites full of patriotic information from our government for those brave Americans that want to venture out to visit the other 5 billion people on the planet.Belgian City Guides
(thanks to Trabel.com, Belgium's Travel Network)
Click here for general information or for facts and figures on Belgium.
Brussels is the capital of Flanders and home to the European Union. There is plenty for visitors to do and see in Brussels.
Antwerp is a great city to visit, not to forget, it is also the diamond capital of the world.
Bruges is an incredibly romantic city near the Belgian coast. It is worth a day trip or overnight stay.
Ghent is a beautiful city located in northern Belgium. It's well worth the effort to take a train, wander the streets in awe of the architecture and then take a break at a streetside cafe.
Ninove is the home town of Geert. The city of Ninove was established in the 11th century when the Duke of Flanders decided to build a fortress at the strategically important border between Flanders and Brabant. For more information on Ninove Flemish speakers can go the city's official web site while English and French speakers can go to a Ninovieters web site (the inhabitants of Ninove are called Ninovieters).
Ninove Statistics
Ninove is a municipality located in Flanders, one of the three regions
of Belgium, and in the Flemish province of East Flanders. It is situated
on the river Dender. On January 1st, 2004 Ninove had a total population
of 35,039. The total area is 72.57 kmē which gives a population density
of 482.80 inhabitants per kmē. Since 2001, the mayor of Ninove is Luc
Durant.
European City Guides
For more information on travel to Amsterdam, Paris, London and Berlin, please go to the following tourism bureau web sites:
AmsterdamParis
London
Berlin
Weather
(Belgium has beaches, but unfortunately it's not the south of France)
Averages In June it is between 67 and 51 degrees Fahrenheit. We are hoping June 4th will be a sunny day with temperatures in the low 70s.10 Day Forecast
Telephone Information
To place a call from the U.S. to Belgium dial 011-32-area code (e.g., 011-32-2-766-5678, for Brussels) To place a call from Belgium to the U.S. dial 00-1-area code(e.g., 00-1-212-963-7446, for NYC).
To place a local call from within the Brussels (02) area code simply dial the seven digit number (e.g., 766-5678.
To place a local call from within the Brussels (02) area code to another Belgian area code (e.g., Antwerp (03)) dial the area code followed by the seven digit number (e.g., 03-766-5678).