Need Some Help with Belgium

Motley Crue

So when I was about 13/14 my school organised this trip to Belgium and The Netherlands, and we set off on a long weekend, something I might go so far as to say was the highlight of all that schooling! We never spent enough time in Brussels and I always wanted to go back.

Anyway, I noticed a sale on this morning from a particular low brand airline, and I taught - f**k it - I want to go back to Brussels after nearly 12 years. Point is, if I'm going back, why not go the week of my birthday - and if I'm going the week of my birthday - why not go when Megadeth is performing with Slayer! I'm too young to remember the last time they toured Europe together (1990, I believe) and outside a Big Four European tour I can't see it happening again.

So I've booked the flights, bought the T Shirt, got my ticket and pencilled in the hostel - I even took care of the airport transfer bus! I'm really excited now, I get a mini break, and I get to see Slayer and Megadeth all at the same time.

I need some tips on anyone who knows Brussels, maybe someone here might be going to the gig, and they could advise me on a few things....

1. Metro, how reliable and what price, I'll be there for 3 days, what kind of pass should I buy
2. Any good tours worth booking online in advance?
3. Can you take a day trip to Luxembourg (never been in the country) from Brussels, cheaply, and if so what kind of cost and public transport would you look to use?
4. I know that languages spoken there include Dutch, French, Flemish and German - is English widely acceptable, should I aim to brush up on my French, will people be offended if I speak to them in English?
4a. I visited a big tower the last time I was in Brussels, apparently famous because of the 1958 World's Fair, perhaps someone knows what it's called and if I can visit again?
5. Would people be offended if I wrote a little blog about the trip and posted here when I was over there?

I'm off to the library to get some books on Belgium, learn a little more about the country, and prepare myself for the trip - but any advice anyone can give me to these questions and more would be greatly appreciated.

jum4

1. Buy a 3 day pass for about 10euros, you can use it on busses,metro, and trams, all very reliable and will bring you all over the city.


2. + 3. Wouldn't bother about Luxemberg, it's about a 2.5hr train ride and tbh not worth it for a day trip. Take the train to Ghent , Brugge or Antwerp, all under an hour away and nice small cities to walk arround.


4. Most people will speak English, but in Brussels people will appreciate your effort to speak French,

4a. http://atomium.be/ you can get there quite easily by taking the metro,

5. Go for it!


check out http://www.b-rail.be/main/E/ for train info
and http://www.stib.be/index.htm?l=en for bus/tram/metro

both sites are in English.

Where is your hostel located? If you want any more travel advice let me know, ( i have lived in brussels )

Victor

Try to stay somewhere on or within the mini-ring.

STIB / MIVB is the Brussels transport authority. SNCB is the national train company. http://www.mivb.be/netplan-plan-reseau.html?l=en

If travelling via Charleroi, there is a bus connection to Brussels, - research it before hand.

Motley Crue wrote: »

1. Metro, how reliable

Generally very reliable. Note that some routes were changed about 3-4 years ago, so old metro maps may be out of date - get a new one in a station. Not so many buses, as there are quite a few on-street tram routes.

Note: Gare de Midi / Zuidstation, the main train station, is the south station, not the middle station.

3. Can you take a day trip to Luxembourg (never been in the country) from Brussels, cheaply, and if so what kind of cost and public transport would you look to use?

Train makes sense.

4. I know that languages spoken there include Dutch, French, Flemish and German - is English widely acceptable, should I aim to brush up on my French, will people be offended if I speak to them in English?

You are more likely to come across someone objecting to your French than your English, especially outside Brussels. The French-speaking, industrial south was considerably more powerful than the Flemish speaking north, but those roles have been reversed.

kcools

Motley Crue wrote: »

So when I was about 13/14 my school organised this trip to Belgium and The Netherlands, and we set off on a long weekend, something I might go so far as to say was the highlight of all that schooling! We never spent enough time in Brussels and I always wanted to go back.

Anyway, I noticed a sale on this morning from a particular low brand airline, and I taught - f**k it - I want to go back to Brussels after nearly 12 years. Point is, if I'm going back, why not go the week of my birthday - and if I'm going the week of my birthday - why not go when Megadeth is performing with Slayer! I'm too young to remember the last time they toured Europe together (1990, I believe) and outside a Big Four European tour I can't see it happening again.

So I've booked the flights, bought the T Shirt, got my ticket and pencilled in the hostel - I even took care of the airport transfer bus! I'm really excited now, I get a mini break, and I get to see Slayer and Megadeth all at the same time.

I need some tips on anyone who knows Brussels, maybe someone here might be going to the gig, and they could advise me on a few things....

1. Metro, how reliable and what price, I'll be there for 3 days, what kind of pass should I buy
2. Any good tours worth booking online in advance?
3. Can you take a day trip to Luxembourg (never been in the country) from Brussels, cheaply, and if so what kind of cost and public transport would you look to use?
4. I know that languages spoken there include Dutch, French, Flemish and German - is English widely acceptable, should I aim to brush up on my French, will people be offended if I speak to them in English?
4a. I visited a big tower the last time I was in Brussels, apparently famous because of the 1958 World's Fair, perhaps someone knows what it's called and if I can visit again?
5. Would people be offended if I wrote a little blog about the trip and posted here when I was over there?

I'm off to the library to get some books on Belgium, learn a little more about the country, and prepare myself for the trip - but any advice anyone can give me to these questions and more would be greatly appreciated.

1. Public transport tends to be very reliable in Brussels (certainly compared to here!). There's a 3 day pass available for about €9.00, available from the vending machines in Metro stations.
2. I wouldn't book a tour to be honest, any half decent guide book will be able to guide you through a walk through both the lower and upper town, which will take you to most of the major tourist sites (Grande Place, Sablon, Palais Royal etc)
3. Personally I love Luxembourg, but probably because I have quite a few friends in the city. Its a long journey to make (5 hours round trip) for what it is. As someone else suggested Bruges, Antwerp, Gent are all easily accessible and far better suited to a tourist. My personal recommendation would be Antwerp (Antwerpen in Dutch, Anvers in French), very easy to get to (between 30 and 60 mins by train, depending if you get an express or a stop train), lots to see, great cafes, lively atmosphere.
4. Language is a sensitive issue in Belgium. (By the way there is no language Flemish, the Flemish people speak Dutch). Throughout Brussels and Flanders English is widely spoken, though it is of course polite to as "Do you speak English?" rather than just launching into it! Don't speak French in Flanders - it won't be appreciated and could be taken as an insult. Stick to English.
4a. The tower is the Atomium. Get to it on Metro line 6, stop Heizel/Heysel. It was recently refurbished, and looks fantastic at night when it is all lit up. If you're so inclined there is a also an indoor waterpark, the mini-Europe exhibition, a cinema and cafes and restaurants nearby.
5. As long as the blog is full of praise for my beautiful city (I'm from Brussels) then absolutely!

Hope you have a great time!

Victor

kcools wrote: »

By the way there is no language Flemish, the Flemish people speak Dutch

Isn't it a bit more nuanced than that, certainly to the point that they are dialect-type differences.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flemish

kcools

Victor wrote: »

Isn't it a bit more nuanced than that, certainly to the point that they are dialect-type differences.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flemish

Naturally there are dialect differences - just as there are differences in British-English, Irish-English, American-English etc. Nevertheless the British, Irish and Americans all speak English.
By the same token the Flemish speak Dutch - there is no language Flemish. If you ask a Fleming for their mother tongue they will tell you "Nederlands" - Dutch.

Motley Crue

Thanks for everyone taking time to give some information, I will certainly let everyone know how I get on. Meanwhile I will post a few more questions should I have any.

jum4 wrote: »

1. Buy a 3 day pass for about 10euros, you can use it on busses,metro, and trams, all very reliable and will bring you all over the city.

Just to clarify this, I take it I can get the pass in the Metro station (as someone else mentioned) or should I buy it online before I arrive?

I've booked to fly back from Ryanair's South Brussels Airport but was considering getting the Eurostar to Brussels so will be arriving in the train station to begin.

jum4 wrote: »

Where is your hostel located? If you want any more travel advice let me know, ( i have lived in brussels )

I booked with a hostel called Hello Hostel, they can be found at
http://www.hello-hostel.eu/brussels/index.php

I also had to email ahead about something and the person who answered wrote back in English and was extremely helpful! Please let me know what you think if you know the area or the look of it.

Victor wrote: »

Try to stay somewhere on or within the mini-ring.

If travelling via Charleroi, there is a bus connection to Brussels, - research it before hand.

Not sure about the location of the hostel in terms of the mini ring but it seems central enough if shown on Google Maps (certainly within easy reach of the concert venue as well)

I researched the bus, cheers, and booked a transfer back from Brussels to Charleroi - had also heard of a train connection, but the bus seems to take you to the front door - so I have that ticket booked, paid for and taken care of

Victor

Motley Crue wrote: »

Just to clarify this, I take it I can get the pass in the Metro station (as someone else mentioned) or should I buy it online before I arrive?

I imagine its a perfectly ordinary ticket. When I was there, sales opportunities were slightly rare though, as so many people have monthly / annual tickets.

I've booked to fly back from Ryanair's South Brussels Airport but was considering getting the Eurostar to Brussels so will be arriving in the train station to begin.

South Brussels Airport = Charleroi (not served by Eurostar).

I booked with a hostel called Hello Hostel, they can be found at
http://www.hello-hostel.eu/brussels/index.php

Close enough to the mini-ring - Boulevard Leopold II is a tangent off it. Simonis Metro stop (routes 2 + 6) is nearby - note there seems to be several entrances and google map may not have it quite right. Nice view along Boulevard Leopold II all the way to the botanic gardens. From Google, it seems to be an ordinary enough urban area. You might ask for a room away from the railway for noise reasons.

You might check Google Streetview (its not working for me) to see what the places is like - there seems to be no photos on their website.

Motley Crue

Victor wrote: »

South Brussels Airport = Charleroi (not served by Eurostar).

No, I mean I've booked return flights, but I'm considering taking the Eurostar from London to Brussels as a kind of novelty since I've never got it before