Belgium Holidays

The best time to visit Belgium depends on the experience you're looking for. For warm weather and fewer crowds, late spring (May to June) and early autumn (September to October) are ideal.

UK passport holders do not need a visa for short stays (up to 90 days) in Belgium. However, your passport should be valid for at least 3 months beyond your planned departure date.

Belgium has a rich history and thriving culture in its cities and towns. Some of the must-visit destinations include:

• Brussels - As the centre of Western Europe, this dynamic city is home to the European parliament. With a multicultural population, the city blends Baroque architecture with cobbled streets and bold street murals.
• Antwerp - Belgium's second city thrived as a hub of the European cloth industry in the 12th century. The city has a rich arts heritage and a mercantile past. The Grote Markt is the main square, flanked by ornately decorated, gabled buildings.
• Bruges - This enchanting medieval town has a proud history. Here, you'll uncover winding streets and canals, noble townhouses and grand squares filled with cafés serving Belgian delicacies, including waffles and chocolate.
• Ghent - One of Belgium's oldest cities, Ghent is known for its medieval architecture, narrow streets and pretty boulevards. The city's elegant buildings include the impressive St Bavo's Cathedral and the Belfry.
• Ypres - The city of Ypres was a key battlefront during World War One and its famous battlefield stands as a poignant reminder of the conflict. The museum at Sanctuary Wood takes visitors back to 1914, with an original trench layout dug by British troop.

Packing depends on the season, but some essentials include comfortable walking shoes and light, breathable clothing for summer or warmer layers for winter. A universal travel adapter for charging electronics is also a good idea.

Besides the popular sweet treats Belgium is well known for - chocolate truffles, waffles and pastries - traditional cuisine includes moules-frites, a variety of fish dishes and a traditional hearty stew of beef marinated in dark beer, served with mashed potato.

One of Belgium's favourite national dishes is fries, also known as 'frietjes', which you can enjoy at small restaurants (called 'frituurs') all over the country. Frietjes are often served in a paper cone, either with mayonnaise or 'andalous' sauce, a spicy combination of tomatoes, peppers and mayonnaise. Apart from mouthwatering local cuisine, Belgium's main cities also offer an excellent choice of international cuisine, at restaurants ranging from French and Italian to Thai or Japanese.

While English is widely spoken in Belgium, particularly in tourist areas and among young people, it's helpful to know a few basic Belgian phrases. Belgians will appreciate the effort and you might find it easier to communicate in more rural areas.

Belgium offers many magical experiences, but here are a few highlights:

• Visiting the Grand Place in Brussels, the commercial, cultural and historical heart of the city. In the 12th century, this market square was the site of the bread market and, in the 16th century, the elegant Maison du Roi was the residence of Charles V, King of Spain. Today the building is open as a museum featuring stunning tapestries and paintings.
• Viewing another of Brussels' most famous sights, the Manneken Pis, a statue of a little boy urinating, on Rue de l'Etuve, just a short walk from the Grand Place.
• Cruising through the picturesque canals of Bruges, then stopping at one of the city's delightful coffee shops for a freshly baked pastry or a waffle drizzled with chocolate. Later, sampling Belgium's legendary beer at a historic brewery or a characterful bar.
• Browsing the vintage shops and craft stores of Bruges on lively Langestraat where you can pick up rare vinyl records, leather goods and locally-produced crafts.
• The Royal Museum of Fine Arts in Antwerp houses an impressive collection of sculpture, paintings and drawings from classical Flemish artists including Frans Floris, Jan van Eyck, Peter Paul Rubens, Quentin Matsys.

In Belgium, tipping is not mandatory but appreciated for excellent service. In restaurants, a service charge is often included in the bill, but it's common to leave a small additional tip (around 5-10%). In cafes, rounding up the bill or leaving small change is customary.

Accompanied by a friendly and experienced Tour Manager, on an escorted rail tour of Belgium with Great Rail Journeys, everything is taken care of for you so you can simply relax and enjoy the many experiences.

Representing excellent value for money, the cost of our rail holidays in Belgium includes all rail fares, an itinerary which packs in exciting excursions and activities based upon Belgium's best natural, historic and cultural attractions, quality overnight accommodation and a selection of meals (depending upon the tour).

Guests can rest assured that overnight accommodation is hand-picked for its quality, value, location and high standard of service. Whenever possible, we select family-owned and run hotels that allow our customers to relax and enjoy a personal service in a warm and informal environment.

Great Rail Journeys is a market leader when it comes to small group tours. We're proud of being pioneers in our approach to group sizes and have become the leading operator for escorted holidays. Our group sizes vary between tours, but are our ranges are usually a good indicator of what to expect.

For our Discoveries range, you'll be in groups with an average of 30-35 travellers and a maximum of 40. If opting for our Classic collection, you'll be in groups with an average of 20-25 travellers and a maximum of 30*. Our Landmark holidays are where you'll find our smallest group sizes, starting from as low as 16 travellers and an average of 22, to a maximum of 30.

*Scandinavian and Worldwide tours are on average 30-35 and a maximum of 40.

The Kingdom of Belgium sits on the edge of Western Europe and is bordered by the Netherlands, Germany, tiny Luxembourg and France. The country's long history is marked by successive conflicts with Europe's great powers and the struggle for independence, but it is Belgium's role in the First World War, and the great battles for control of the Western Front, many of which were fought in the fields of Flanders and Ypres, that have brought the country to the world's attention.

Belgium's small size ensures that its temperate marine climate is largely unvaried throughout the country. Whilst spring and summer, from May to September, are the driest and warmest seasons, rainfall can occur at any time. Peak summer temperatures generally range between 25-30°C (77-86°F), and whilst winters are generally mild temperatures can fall below zero, particularly in January when snowfall is common.

Belgian cuisine is widely respected and is often favourably compared with French cuisine. Unsurprisingly a fair proportion of Belgium's dishes have been influenced by the gastronomy of neighbouring countries, but authentic specialities include Belgian waffles, Moules-frites; mussels served with fries, rich stews of fish or chicken known as Waterzooi and the Speculoos, a popular cinnamon biscuit. Belgium is world-famous famous for its vast range of speciality beers, and for its particularly fine chocolate.

The three official languages of Belgium are a variant of Dutch also known as Flemish, German and French with the northern half of the country speaking Dutch and the southern half speaking French. German is only officially spoken in the small eastern region of Liége.

Our guests' experience of rail travel in Belgium is often characterised by a blend of the peculiar and familiar. While the Belgians may enjoy their chips with mayonnaise in the continental manner they also make small talk about the weather in a distinctly British way.