Belgium
Suits should always be worn to meetings and business is conducted on a formal basis, with punctuality valued and business cards exchanged. Transactions are usually made in French or English. Most Belgians speak either Dutch or French, but English is frequently understood and spoken fluently. Government offices are open Monday through Friday from 8:30 am - 12 pm and from 2 pm - 4:30 pm. Banks are open Monday through Friday from 9 am - 12 pm and from 2 pm - 4:00 pm. Private companies are generally open from 8:30 am - 4 pm while shops and stores open at 9 am and close at 6 pm.
Belgium remains a relatively safe country for expatriate residents and visitors alike. Visitors should take reasonable precautions because street thefts purse snatching, and pickpocketing are occurring more frequently. In Brussels, pickpocketing and purse snatching are prevalent in the metro system (subway, bus, and tram), and at Brussels' three major train stations, the North Station (Noordstation or Gare du Nord), the Central Station (Central Station or Gare Central) and especially at the South Station (Zuidstation or Gare du Midi).
Travelers should never leave valuables unattended in vehicles, and should keep car doors locked when driving. Leave expensive jewelry, financial records, address books, and other personal effects at home or stored in a safe place during your visit. Travelers should carry only a minimum amount of cash, credit cards and personal identification. Belgian law requires that everyone carry some form of official identification, which must be displayed upon request to any Belgian police official, at all times. A passport suffices, and police are almost always satisfied if they see a photocopy of the identification page of the passport.
In recent months, residences have been broken into specifically for the purpose of stealing high end Mercedes and BMW cars. Criminals have been known to enter houses, at times early in the morning when residents are asleep, find the car keys and then steal the car from the garage. Another technique is for criminals to wait near a house or follow someone to their home, confront the driver in their garage or driveway as they are parking, take the keys from the owner and then drive off with the car. Houses are being broken into by prying or separating an exterior door (to include garage doors) from the frame. Affluent areas where expatriates live appear to be especially targeted. The most common items stolen from homes are cash and jewelry.
Belgium has a large range of hotels from luxury to small family pensions and inns. The best international-class hotels are found in the cities.
Belgium has a modern communications system. Telephone is fully automatic IDD. For operator services, dial 1324. The country code is 32. The outgoing international code is 00. There are public phones in all major towns and country districts. The cost of local calls is BFr10. Some coinless cardphones are also available. Telecards are available from newsstands, railway stations and post offices. Price: BFr100 and 500
Electricity is 220 volts AC, 50Hz. Plugs are of the 2-pin round type.
220 volts AC, 50Hz. Plugs are of the round two-pin type.
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Belgian cuisine is similar to French, based on game and seafood. Each region in Belgium has its own special dish. Butter, cream, beer and wine are generously used in cooking. Things to know:
Most restaurants have waiter service, although self-service cafes are becoming quite numerous. Restaurant bills always include drinks, unless they have been taken at the bar separately. In the latter case, this is settled over the counter. Under a new law, the majority of cafes now have licenses to serve spirits. Beers and wines are freely obtainable everywhere and there are no licensing
hours. National specialties:
• Mussels and chips.
• Endives with Bechamel sauce.
• Ardennes sausages and ham are also renowned.
• Belgian chocolate.
• Waffles.National drinks:
There are over 400 beers brewed in Belgium, ranging from lagers and pilsners through to Lambic, made from wheat and barley, white and fruit beers, to Trappist monastery beers. Fruit beers, such as Kriek cherry beer, are a specialty. Famous names include Stella Artois, Leffe, Hoegaarden, Duvel and Chimay. Tipping:
A service charge of 16 per cent is usually included in hotel or restaurant bills, although an additional tip may be left at the discretion of the individual. Cloakroom attendants and porters may expect a tip per item of luggage.Nightlife
As well as being one of the best cities in the world for eating out (both for its high quality and range), Brussels has a very active and varied nightlife. It has 10 theaters producing plays in both Dutch and French. These include the Théâtre National de la Communauté Française and the Théâtre des Galeries. The more avant-garde theaters include the Théâtre Cinq-Quarante and the Théâtre de Poche. Brussels’ dozens of cinemas, numerous discos and many night-time cafes are centered on two main areas: the uptown Porte Louise area and the downtown area between Place Roger and Place de la Bourse. Nightclubs include Le Fuse, Les Jeux d'Hiver and Le You; jazz clubs include The New York Cafe Jazz Club, The Sounds Jazz Club and The Music Village (visit: www.brusselslife.be and www.trabel.com/brussel/brussels-nightlife.htm). Programs and weekly listings of events can be found in the BBB Agenda on sale at tourist offices. This also covers information on the many festivals that take place in Brussels itself. Tourism Brussels-Ardennes/Tourism Flanders-Brussels should be consulted about folk music or drama festivals elsewhere in Belgium – the most famous of which is the Festival of Flanders for classical music concerts. The other large cities of Belgium, such as Antwerp, Ghent, Kortrijk, Leuven, Liège, Mons and Namur, all have similar (though less extensive) nightlife facilities.
