Car Hire in Belgium
A short guide to Driving in Belgium and Car Hire in Belgium.
Please enjoy your hire car in Belgium
Are you going on holiday to Belgium? To see as much as possible and to get the most out of Belgium, the best way of transport is certainly by car. But of course you will have to abide by Belgium's law of driving. Below you will find some useful information about driving in Belgium.
Documents you need when driving in Belgium
To drive a foreign registered car legally in Belgium you must have the following documents with you, which are your current driving licence, valid insurance certificate a minimum Third Party cover and Green Card.
Special rules you must follow
When driving in Belgium all vehicles must carry a warning triangle, it is also compulsory to carry a fire extinguisher or first aid kit in all vehicles. The police are able to issue and collect 'on the spot fines' for not obeying these rules. For all passengers it is compulsory to wear both front and rear seatbelts.
Minimum age
The minimum age of a driver in Belgium is 18 years. Children must be at least 12 years of age and must be seated in an approved child seat to sit in the front of a vehicle.
Parking
Parking in Belgium is similar to Britain with car parks and
parking meters. There is no parking in spaces painted yellow
or of course in areas with "No Parking" signs.
Blue zones are limited parking areas. There are pay and display
car parks and long stay car parks available where a parking
disc must be bought which are available from fuel stations,
police or tobacconists.
A few basic rules
In Belgium, they drive on the right hand side and overtake on the left, pay full attention especially at roundabouts. The flashing of headlights is used as warning, dipped headlights should be used between dusk and dawn. Make sure you are not driving on sidelights only as this is illegal. Always be prepared to give way to vehicles joining from the right. Be aware of Trams (cable cars) as they have priority.
Always use indicators when exiting a roundabout, lastly when passing pedestrians, leave a minimum of 1 metre gap.
Speed limits
Built-up areas: 50 kph (31 mph)
Major roads outside towns: 90 kph (56 mph)
Motorways: 120 kph (74 mph)
Bus
There is an extensive regional bus service, which is operated by the bus companies, which also publish regional timetables. There are long-distance stopping services between towns.
Taxi
The tip is included in the final meter price. If there are no taxi stands, for an extra charge of about €2.50, taxi companies may be telephoned and a taxi will come to pick you up where you are.
Urban
There is a good public transport system in all the major towns and cities, with underground, tram and bus services which are in operation in mostly all cities. There is a standard flat-fare system, with discounts for 5- and 10-journey multi-ride tickets. Also available are 1-day tickets and multi-mode tourist travel cards.
Travel times
The following chart below gives you approximate travel times from Brussels (in hours and minutes) to other major cities and towns in Belgium.
Road
Arlon 3.00
Antwerp 0.40
Bruges 1.00
Ghent 0.50
Liège 1.10
Ostend 1.20
Namur 1.00
Driving in Belgium will be a pleasurable experience as long as you remember you are in their country and abide by their laws. Please remember it is not a good enough excuse to plead ignorance, as you are a foreigner, you are the driver and it's your responsibility to know the law.