Car Rental Brussels

Belgium is a relatively small country and its capital, Brussels, sits slap bang in the middle, ideally positioned for exploration of this beautiful little nation.

The city’s main airport is only 14km from the centre and a 25-minute drive away, while Charleroi airport is an hour’s drive to the south via the E19 and E420.

Ghent is less than an hour’s drive west on the E40, which bisects the country from west to east, from the channel to the German border, while Antwerp is an hour’s drive north on the A12 or via the less congested E40.  

It’s important to note that Belgium is divided into the Flemish-speaking north (Flanders) and the French-speaking south (Wallonia). This means that road signs will vary in language depending on which part of the country you’re in.

Brussels is the bilingual capital and its road signs are in both French and Flemish, as are Metro stations, museums and street names, so keep that in mind when asking for directions and navigating your way around the city.

On-street parking in Brussels is plentiful with the exception of busy shopping areas, but it can be a good idea to use one of the many car parks in the city for convenience.

The Belgian road network is toll free. The speed limit on motorways is 120km/h and is set at 90km/h on highways outside towns and cities. In built-up areas throughout the country the speed limit falls to 50km/h.

Be aware of priorité a droit signs, which indicate that priority must be given to all vehicles coming from the right, even if it’s from a side road joining a main road.

Also note that trams always have priority over all other users, whether on the right or on the left. Driving in Belgium, as in most of mainland Europe, is on the right hand side of the road.

Brussels is a delight to explore with plenty on offer, and renting a car means that you can really appreciate everything that the city, and the rest of the country, packs in – from dazzling galleries to medieval treasures.

City of fine art

At the historic heart of Brussels, discover the magnificent Grand Place (Grote Markt in Flemish), lined with exquisite Baroque guild houses and best viewed from a café terrace.

Nearby is the city’s most iconic landmark, the Mannekin Pis, a tiny statue whose fame dwarfs its diminutive stature, symbolising the Belgians’ celebrated attitude to authority.

The splendid Musées Royaux des Beaux-Arts showcases the best of Belgian art, from the late-medieval Flemish ‘primitives’, through Pieter Brueghel the Elder and Younger to Rubens, Antony van Dyck and Jacob Jordaens.

The massive museum complex also includes late 19th-century Symbolism and Art Nouveau in the adjacent Musée Fin-de-Siècle, and another section is devoted to the great surrealist, René Magritte.

Lovers of Art Nouveau shouldn’t miss the Musée Horta, in the southern suburb of St-Gilles. This former home of Victor Horta, the pioneer of Art Nouveau architecture, gives a stimulating and insightful experience of both his work and methods.

Deliciously wicked food

Brussels’ restaurants are among the finest in Europe and Belga Queen, on Rue du Fossé aux Loups, is one of the city’s prime spots, where the focus is on seafood and local Belgian ingredients.

The country’s cuisine is celebrated in a number of signature dishes worth sampling while in the capital. Moules (steamed mussels), frites (fries with mayonnaise) and, of course, gaufres (waffles).

The latter are served warm and delicious with toppings such as powdered sugar, chocolate, fruit or ice cream – be sure to treat yourself to one as a light lunch or a sweet afternoon snack.

Don’t leave town without buying some of Belgium’s famous chocolates. The streets around the Place du Grand Sablon are where you’ll find many high-end chocolatiers, including major brands such as Leonidas, Godiva and Neuhaus.

Gaze at Ghent’s medieval architecture

Gloriously undiscovered, Ghent is a youthful city with a proud medieval heritage and many fascinating museums waiting to be explored. Its fabulous canal-side architecture is best seen from a tour boat, but there are also many attractions to see on dry land.

MSK is a superb fine art gallery featuring many of the great Belgian and Low Countries’ painters from the 14th to mid-20th centuries, while Gravesteen is a perfectly restored 12^th-century moated castle, right in the heart of the city.

The jewel in the crown, though, is contained within Saint Bavo's Cathedral. The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb (De Aanbidding van het Lams God) is a lavish allegorical representation of Christ’s death and one of the earliest-known oil paintings, completed in 1432 by the Flemish Primitive artists, the Van Eyck brothers.

Enjoy artistic Antwerp

Belgium’s second city and biggest port is Antwerp, famous for its fashion designers and diamond dealers. It was also home to the great Baroque painter, Pieter Paul Rubens, whose work can be admired in the sensitively restored Rubenshuis.

Don’t miss the truly astonishing Museum Plantin-Moretus, housed in a delightful medieval building. This UNESCO World Heritage site is home to the world's oldest printing press, as well as priceless manuscripts and original type sets.

Car hire in Brussels puts the best of the Belgian capital within easy reach, as well as allowing you to discover the delights of Belgium’s other fine cities and landmarks.