Car hire in Belgium at the best prices

Discover the wonders of Belgium at your leisure with a car hire from Auto Europe! With car rental pick-up locations available in 17 different cities and towns all over the country, including airports and railway stations, you are sure to find the most convenient place to begin your stay in Belgium. You will find that with a car hire in Belgium you can truly explore this remarkable country at your own pace!

Make the most of your car rental

Situated on the coast of the North Sea, Belgium is one of the Benelux states. Belgium offers wonderful opportunities for culture lovers with 35 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, but is also a foodie's paradise: different kinds of beer number 650, and chocolate shops 2,000!

Road Rules and Petrol Stations

• Driving is done on the right in Belgium.
• The following general speed limits apply, unless others are indicated: in the city you should not exceed 50 km/h (31 mph), outside of the city the limit is generally 90 km/h (56 mph), and on four-lane motorways you should limit your speed to 120 km/h (75 mph).
• Seat belts are mandatory for the driver and all passengers, while children under 12 years of age are not allowed to sit in the front seat.
• The blood alcohol limit in Belgium is 0.05 BAC.
• The 'priority from the right' rule operates in Belgium: traffic from the right has right of way at crossings, unless road signs indicate otherwise.
• It is important that you familiarise yourself with the name of your destination in all officially spoken languages in Belgium, if you are driving through areas where different languages are used. This is because road signs for towns are only in the local language, except in bilingual Brussels. Names of towns can differ widely between the different languages. Here are a few examples: Mons is French, and the town is called Bergen in Dutch, whereas Antwerp, which is called Antwerpen in Dutch, is Anvers in French.
• Road signage can be inconsistent in general in more rural areas, so it is recommended that you purchase a good map or add a GPS to your car hire.
• Petrol stations are quite easy to find along the main roads, but not all are necessarily open 24 hours, so be sure to fill up ahead of time, if you are driving very late or very early.

Tolls

In general, there are no tolls on Belgium's motorways, but there is a toll on the Liefkenshoektunnel in Antwerp.

Age Requirements

You must be at least 18 years old to drive a car in Belgium, but most car rental companies only rent cars to those who are 23 years and older. Additionally, under 25-year-old drivers will incur an additional charge when renting a car.

Currency

As a member of the euro area, the currency in Belgium is the euro. Major credit cards, such as Visa, MasterCard and American Express, can be used for payment in larger establishments, but for smaller shops and cafes it is best to keep some cash handy for purchases. ATMs are widely available in cities and towns, where you can use your bank card to withdraw money. It is advised that you inform your bank or card provider that you will be using your card abroad, to ensure that your holidays progress smoothly.

Time difference

Belgium is one hour ahead of Greenwich Mean Time, GMT+1. Daylight Savings Time begins in late March and ends late October.

Dictionary

There are three official languages in Belgium: Dutch, French, and German, with Dutch and French being most commonly spoken. Dutch is spoken in the Flanders region, and French in Wallonia, where German is also spoken in the east of the region, though the number of German speakers is relatively small. The Brussels-Capital region is officially bilingual: both Dutch and French are spoken. Below you can find some helpful phrases in both French and Dutch.

Hello - Dutch: Hallo, French: Salut
Good morning - Dutch: Goedemorgen, French: Bonjour
Thank you - Dutch: Dank je wel, French: Merci
Goodbye - Dutch: Tot ziens, French: Au revoir
One way street - Dutch: Eenrichtingsstraat, French: Rue à sens unique
No parking - Dutch: Verboden te parkeren, French: Stationnement interdit
Petrol station - Dutch: Benzinestation, French: Station-service
Motorway - Dutch: Snelweg, French: Autoroute
Driver's licence - Dutch: Rijbewijs, French: Permis de conduire
Roadworks - Dutch: Wegwerkzaamheden, French: Travaux routiers
Exit - Dutch: Afslag, French: Sortie

Electricity

Voltage in Belgium is 220 to 230V 50Hz. If you are bringing electronics with a UK plug, you will need an adaptor, as Belgium uses outlets that only accept two-pin plugs of CEE 7/5, CEE 7/7, and CEE 7/16 (Europlug) types.

Visa & Embassy Information

British citizens do not need a visa to enter Belgium, but must have a valid passport with them. If you have any need for the services of the British Embassy, the contact information of the embassy in Brussels is listed below.

British Embassy Brussels
Avenue d'Auderghem 10
1040 Brussels
Telephone: +32 2 287 6211
Email: public.brussels@fco.gov.uk

Useful links

Tourist Information Belgium

Infographic Luxury on the Motorway