Travel and accommodation in Belgium

Flights to Belgium

If you are considering going to Belgium for plastic or cosmetic surgery, getting to Brussels couldn’t be easier. Zaventem is Brussels’ international airport located nine miles north east of the capital with good rail/road connections into the city. See www.brusselsairport.be for more information or call 0032 2 753 77 53. Flights come into Brussels from a huge number of destinations, and you also have the option of flying into Schiphol, Heathrow or Gatwick and travelling to Brussels by road or rail

If you are coming from Heathrow or Gatwick, Eurostar, the high speed train service departs from London Waterloo via Ashford and Lille nine times a day so in just over two hours you can be slap bang in the centre of Brussels. Visit www.eurostar.com for bookings and information. From Brussels Gare du Midi you can connect with Belgian Railway for travel to other regions.

Transport within Belgium

There is an excellent and cheap public transport system in Belgium, comprising metro, rail, buses and trams and the SNCB is an efficient and cheap rail system. The three mainline stations in Brussels (Gare Centrale, Gare du Nord and Gare du Midi) are all linked and an airport city express train service runs four times an hour from 6am to midnight to all three stations for around €2.60. Alternatively, bus number 12 leaves the airport three times an hour between 8am and 7pm, costing €5, while taxis from Zaventem to central Brussels cost approximately €45. Car hire is available in the arrivals hall though the driving experience in Brussels can be somewhat hair-raising with the give-way-on-the-right rule.

Ferries

If you are coming from the UK or you have travelled to Gatwick or Heathrow from anywhere in the world, you can also opt to take the sea route to mainland Europe and Belgium. The high speed ferries now make sailing over to Belgium slightly more appealing - you can now get to Oostende from Dover in two hours; get more information on Hoverspeed or P&O North Sea ferries which operate from Hull to Zeebrugge.

Accommodation in Belgium

As far as accommodation goes the average rate for a double room in a three star hotel in Brussels or the Flanders region start at around €50. Bear in mind that mid week is more expensive than weekends and July/August are the busiest and most expensive months. In the Wallonia region a double room in a three star hotel costs from €60 to €95 and a four star hotel between €100 and €160. The average rate for four star hotels varies from €85 to €400 in Brussels and between €80 and €160 in the Wallonia region.

If you want to stay in a really hip hotel in Brussels then look no further than Hotel Amigo, a flashy contemporary establishment which is currently the talk of the town and popular with pop stars and politicians alike, but pricey at €600 for a double room (3 rue de l’Amigo, Lower Town). There are many other, more moderately priced hotels around too, with different styles to suit your taste.