Belgium is compact: Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp are all within about an hour of Brussels by train, so many visitors stay in one city and see the others on day trips. Others add the Ardennes, the coast or the First World War sites around Ypres. For EU SIM cards, Belgium falls under Roam Like at Home. Travellers arriving with a SIM from the United States, the UK or Asia usually pay roaming by the day.
The practical surprises are elsewhere: city names that change with the language, and low-emission zones for drivers.
Key facts for Belgium
- EU roaming: covered by Roam Like at Home
- Local networks: Proximus, Orange, BASE, Telenet (depending on the plan)
- Emergency numbers: 112; police 101; ambulance and fire 100
- Embassies: in Brussels, with some consulates in Antwerp and Liège
Three languages, two names for every city
Belgium has three official languages: Dutch in Flanders, French in Wallonia and German in a small area in the east, while Brussels is officially bilingual. Station boards and road signs use the local language, so the same city can appear under two names: Liège is Luik in Dutch, Mons is Bergen, Antwerp is Antwerpen or Anvers, and Ghent is Gent or Gand. Check the destination in your train app before you board instead of waiting to recognise it on the departure board.
Brussels and the trains
Brussels Airport is about 20 minutes from the city centre by train. Charleroi airport, used by several low-cost airlines, is about an hour away by coach. In Brussels, the metro, trams and buses accept contactless bank cards and phones at the validators, and the national railway app sells tickets for trains across the country. Coverage is strong in the cities and along the main rail lines, so you can plan day trips on the move.
Bruges, Ghent and the coast
Bruges and Ghent are best explored on foot, and the signal is good throughout their old centres. On the coast, the Kusttram runs for about 67 kilometres from De Panne to Knokke-Heist and stops at almost every resort. On the beaches, swim only where lifeguards are on duty and the flags allow it.
The Ardennes and Ypres
In the Ardennes, hikes and kayak trips on rivers such as the Lesse go through deep valleys where the signal can drop, so download maps before you set off. Around Ypres (Ieper), the First World War cemeteries and memorials are spread across farmland, and the Last Post is sounded at the Menin Gate every evening at 8 pm.
Driving and low-emission zones
Brussels, Antwerp and Ghent have low-emission zones enforced by cameras. If you drive your own car with foreign plates, check whether it must be registered online before you enter; rental cars with Belgian plates are checked automatically. Cars pay no motorway tolls, except at the Liefkenshoek Tunnel in Antwerp.
Paying
Cards and phone payments are accepted almost everywhere. Belgians often pay with Bancontact, the local debit system, and a few small shops and market stalls take only Bancontact or cash, so keep a little cash for those.
Getting connected
EU SIM: Belgium counts as home for roaming. A travel eSIM is worth it only if your tariff includes little data in the EU.
SIM from outside the EU: install a travel eSIM before departure. It starts when it first connects in Belgium, and your usual number still receives calls and bank codes. For day trips to Lille, Maastricht or Luxembourg, choose a Europe plan, because a Belgium plan works only in Belgium.
Belgian prepaid SIMs are sold in phone shops and newsagents, and they must be registered with an identity document.
Consular protection: who to call in Belgium
- 112 reaches the police, an ambulance or the fire service; 101 goes straight to the police and 100 to an ambulance or the fire service.
- For a doctor outside office hours, call 1733.
- Embassies are in Brussels, and some countries also have consulates in Antwerp or Liège. The Telcomia app shows yours, with address and phone.
- The app has emergency phrases in French, ready to show on screen.
Questions travellers ask about Belgium
Does my EU plan work in Belgium?
Yes. Belgium is part of Roam Like at Home, so you use your plan as you do at home.
Why does my train show a different city name?
Signs use the local language: Luik is Liège, Bergen is Mons and Gent is Ghent.
Which networks does a Telcomia eSIM use in Belgium?
Proximus, Orange and BASE on most plans, and Telenet on some, with 4G and 5G where available.
What is the emergency number in Belgium?
112 for any emergency; 101 for the police and 100 for an ambulance or the fire service.
The short version
From the EU, your plan works as it does at home; from outside the EU, set up a travel eSIM before you fly and pick a Europe plan for day trips across the border. Check train destinations in both languages, register a foreign car before entering a low-emission zone, and save 112.
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