Car Hire Belgium

A quick guide to Belgium

Belgium is split into three regions with the cosmopolitan capital city, Brussels, sitting smack in the middle. Surrounding the Brussels-Capital Region are the two much larger areas, the Flemish Region (Flanders) and the Walloon Region (Wallonia) – each with its own cultural quirks and traditions.

Car hire in Belgium allows you to drift between the towns, cities and natural areas of all three regions, giving you a real flavour of Belgium as a whole. That flavour often being chocolate…

The Fabulous Flemish

The Flemish Region, or ‘Flanders’ as it’s commonly known, consumes the northern half of the country. The region shares a border with the Netherlands and the people here largely speak Dutch. Flanders is home to most of Belgium’s most recognisable towns, cities and attractions and accounts for a good deal of the nation’s tourism.

The coastal cities of Ostend and Bruges are to the west of the region, with the area’s other main towns and cities - Antwerp, Ghent, Leuven and Mechelen - found more centrally in an area known as ‘The Flemish Diamond’.

Antwerp is Belgium’s second city but it takes first place on the coolness scale. It’s a big draw for young people, with excellent nightlife and thriving music, culture and fashion scenes. The hip city of Ghent is also well worth visiting for both its architecture and its delicious array of vegetarian restaurants. Then there’s the medieval fairy-tale town of Bruges, deemed by many to be one of the most photogenic cities on Earth.

Belgium is famed for its confectionery production, specifically chocolate. You’ll see artisanal chocolate being produced across the country, often with samples to enjoy while you’re watching the show. But for the ultimate sweet-toothed experience, visit The Barry Callebaut Company in the small Flemish town of Wieze. Located just outside Ghent, it’s the world’s largest chocolate factory, producing over 1,000 tonnes of the good stuff every single day.

Go wild for Wallonia

The French-speaking Walloon Region, the largest region in Belgium, is found in the south of the country. Wedged between Flanders and France, Walloon also shares borders with Luxembourg and Germany.

Bask in the untainted beauty of the hills, rivers, castles, mountains and forests of the Ardennes - arguably the most picturesque area of Belgium. Or immerse yourself in the region’s eclectic cities such as the lively cultural melting pot of Liège or unpretentious Charleroi.

Visitors to the south of the country are often drawn to Spa – an elegant town where the idea of ‘wellness’ was born. Giving its name to spas across the world, this relaxing haven has superlative hot springs and is a real sanctuary if you’re looking to de-stress and unwind.

Beautiful Brussels

A beautifully-scaled city, Brussels is the perfect combination of cut ‘n’ thrust modernity and relaxed olde worlde charm.

First-rate art museums and collections, medieval structures, beautiful parks and gardens, master chocolatiers and hands-down the finest beer ever brewed, Brussels is a vibrant and delicious place to visit.

Belgium is one of Europe’s finest countries. Modest and unassuming, this chocolatier nation is packed full of idyllic countryside, fascinating history and some of Western Europe’s most photogenic towns and cities. A truly enchanting escape awaits you.

Driving in and around Belgium

Due to its modest size, Belgium is a country that can be discovered by car with ease. At just 30,000 square kilometres, it’s possible to drive from one end of the country to the other in less than three hours.

If your travel ambitions go beyond The Kingdom of Belgium - to give it its full name - then you can easily drive across the nearby borders of France, the Netherlands, Germany or even Luxembourg on your travels.

Belgium has an extensive network of well-planned and maintained roads which are all toll-free. The only toll in the country is to use the Liefkenshoek tunnel between Antwerp and Beveren. Dual carriageways and motorways have speed limits of 120 km/h, standard open roads are capped at 90 km/h and built-up areas have restrictions of 50 km/h (with areas near schools limited to 30 km/h).

There are a few quirks of the law to be aware of, the most major being that drivers must always give way to vehicles merging from the right. Another says that engines must not ‘idle’ in traffic, so be mindful on your travels and switch off your engine when possible.

Something you might not expect is the sheer number of trams in Belgium. All of the major towns and cities operate tram systems. They cause no major problems for other road users, so just be aware of their presence and always give way to them when you’re behind the wheel. Our local teams will be delighted to answer any other questions you may have about driving in Belgium.