Tourist Advice for Visiting Belgium.

[catalyst8]

Greetings fellow Escapists.
As per. the above subject, my girlfriend & I shall be visiting Belgium for a week using Brussels as a base while visiting surrounding cities such as Brugge, Antwerp, Ghent, etc. by train, as well as the capitol itself by foot, bus, tram, & Metro.

My tourist French & Dutch are borderline passable, at least enough to make an effort at being understood before the locals decide it's in everyone's interest to resort to English. Having visited a few times in the past I've some familiarity with the country & its people, but not for well over a decade & mostly just Leuven, which means my form & etiquette are extremely rusty.

In addition to advice on local etiquette I'd also appreciate general tourist suggestions, e.g:
Is it worth getting a ten journey Rail Pass (?7.50 one way anywhere in Belgium) as opposed to buying tickets on spec?
Is there a Metro/bus/tram combination travel card for Brussels?
What are the smoking laws now, & where best to buy rolling tobacco?
I've tables booked for evenings in Brussels (Vincent's, Comme Chez Soi, & Belga Queen), but any suggestions for similar restaurants in Antwerp, Brugge, etc?
Where can I get the best chocolates (preferably in Brussels as they'll be gifts for friends back in England, & fresh is obviously best)?

My thanks for your time & any advice or suggestions.

 

[Barbas]

Interesting avatar. Perhaps you'd be interested in visiting La Gleize.

Spoiler

As well as chocolate, you could do much worse than take in some of the local beer. Your English friends will no doubt be appreciative of the superior flavour. Mind the expiration dates, though - they don't use preservatives, as it hurts the taste.

 

[stroopwafel]

Definitely take some time visiting Brugge as it's one of the nicest towns. It's particularly historic with it's cobblestone streets, renaissance architecture and sprawling churches and bell towers. The town looks like it's stuck between the late middle-ages and the french revolution and is incredibly atmospheric and authentic as a result. Like, it wouldn't look out of place in say Game of Thrones or some fantasy based videogame. Don't worry about chocolates as there is like a chocolate store around every corner.

Antwerp is nice but ehh..just another modern European city and not really anything special. Brugge alone is worth a trip to Belgium for.

 

[Chimpzy_v1legacy]

Is it worth getting a ten journey Rail Pass (?7.50 one way anywhere in Belgium) as opposed to buying tickets on spec?

If Brussels is your base, then I'd say you'd be better off buying individual tickets, as the standard ticket prices for most of the places you want to visit will be about the same or cheaper than a Rail Pass. A Rail Pass is only interesting over longer distances and in a small group, like going from Gent to Li?ge and back.

Is there a Metro/bus/tram combination travel card for Brussels?

Yes, there is. [https://www.delijn.be/en/vervoerbewijzen/ritkaarten-dagpassen/jump.html?vertaling=true]

What are the smoking laws now, & where best to buy rolling tobacco?

No smoking in bars, restaurants or clubs unless a smokers rooms is available. No smoking at all in public buildings.
As for rolling tobacco, most magazine shops (commonly found in or near trainstations) and nightshops should have what you need.

Where can I get the best chocolates (preferably in Brussels as they'll be gifts for friends back in England, & fresh is obviously best)?

I'm by no means an expert, but you've got your more 'mainstream' shops like Leonidas and Godiva, and then your lesser known ones like Belvas, Neuhaus, Bruyerre, Corn? Port Royal, Mary and Jean Galler. As far as I know, all of these have a shop in Brussels (or more than one in some cases).

Mind the expiration dates, though - they don't use preservatives, as it hurts the taste.

While true, that really shouldn't be an issue, except maybe if you buy from a nightshop. And even then.

As for beers I personally enjoy very much and would recommend: La Chouffe, Chimay Bleue, Triple Karmeliet, Corsendonk Pater Noster, Orval, Kwak[footnote]Make sure you get it in the proper Kwak glass with wooden stand, as that's half the experience[/footnote], Westmalle, Verboden Vrucht, Straffe Hendrik and Gouden Carolus.

If possible, always get your beer in a bottle or as a draught beer. If you do want some canned beer, to bring with you for example, go for Jupiler or Stella Artois. Avoid Chrystal Alken, Cara Pils and Karlsquell.

If for some reason you do get a bad beer[footnote]Recognizable by having very little to no foam and a bland,watery taste with little bitterness[/footnote] at a bar or restaurant, just inform the waiter and they should bring you a new one.

 

[sanquin]

Sounds like smoking laws are the same in Belgium as they are here in the Netherlands. Basically, you can smoke outside and in smoking rooms if an establishment has one. Though when smoking outside it's of course common courtesy to stand away from other people a little. You generally can't smoke at train stations aside from in the designated area's. Though it's not uncommon for people to ignore that if there aren't that many people at the station.