Key
rules, regulations and things to know

Driving:
Drive
on the right and overtake
on the left.
Speed limits:
Motorway and dual carriageways
120 km/h Open Road, 90 km/h In towns /built up areas
50 km/h (30 near schools, hospitals, churches etc).
Radar traps are frequent. In Belgium on the spot fines
can be imposed by the Police, but if you receive one,
make sure you have an official receipt.See
Speed
cameras below
Speed cameras
are small and tall very similar to those in the Netherlands
(above) the UK and Ireland. They will be located on
motorways and at traffic light intersections on dual
carriage ways and other roads. There are not always
warning signs so take care.
Tolls: There
are no tolls on the Belgian
motorway network, however some tunnels that have motorway
either side have tolls.
Drink and Driving:
Belgium has strict drink driving laws the limit is 0.05.
More
information Here
If
you are involved in an accident in Belgium and the police
are called, you will probably have to take a breathalyzer
test regardless of the fact that the accident might
be your fault and even if the accident is at 10 am in
the morning!
Names
of towns on signs:
Because the country is dual language, unlike countries
such as Ireland and Wales
where everywhere the names of cities towns and
villages are in two languages, In Belgium
if you are in the Flemish speaking area the signs will
be in Dutch and if you
are in the French speaking area they will be in French.
This can be confusing for cities like Mons
that becomes Bergen when you are
in the Flemish speaking part.
Other
names are: Antwerp — Antwerpen
— Anvers, Ghent — Gent — Gand, Liège
— Lîdje — Luik, Leuven — Louvain — Löwen
Seat
belts
front and rear are obligatory for all passengers.
Parking: A 'blue zone'
parking system operates in major towns. Discs are available
from police, garages and tobacconists.
Disabled Parking:
The
Blue Badge is recognised in all European countries
- More
information Here
Warning / Emergency Equipment:
It is compulsory to carry a warning
triangle.Reflective vests are also complusory.
A Fire extinguisher
is mandatory in the vehicle (and has been for many years)
however First-aid kit is
advised, but not compulsory.
Mobile Phones:
It
is illegal to use a hand held mobile phone whilst driving.Don't
risk using one as you can receive a heavy fine in most
countries and more important cause
a serious accident.
Lights: Driving on side
lights only is illegal at night.
Do
not park within 50 feet (15m) of a bus, tram or trolleybus
stop or in the immediate vicinity of train and tram
lines crossing the road.
Roundabouts: Traffic entering
roundabouts has priority except where signs say 'cedez
le passage' or 'vous n'avez pas la priorité', where
the traffic on the roundabout has priority. The majority
of Belgian roundabouts are changing to this system as
in most European countries so this means that any vehicles
actually on the roundabout have priority.
Travel tips:One
of the best kept secrets in Europe, Belgium has a wide
raft of attractions including quaint towns, medieval
cities, gothic cathedrals, castles, idyllic farmlands
and cool coastal resorts. Famous for its chocolates,
Belgium also offers gourmet food and has over 400 beers
to choose from.
Both Dutch and French
are spoken in this multicultural country and there is
a small German-speaking minority in the eastern part
of the country. Dutch is spoken by the Flemish in the
Flanders region, known for its flat and coastal landscapes.
French is spoken in Wallonia, the region of farms and
forests.
Information
source holiday autos
Royal
Automobile Club of Belgium - to enter the site click
on the Image above
Touring
(Wegenhulp) België
Touring Wegenhulp, the Belgian roadside assistance organisation
helping a tourist in 1968
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FACT
FILE Belgium — Belgique- België
Belgium
is a varied and charming country
to visit with the swift rivers and rocky gorges of the
Ardennes, contrasting with the rolling plains of the
rest of the country. It is a kingdom no bigger than
Maryland USA, is Europe in a nutshell, multicultural
and multilingual. Flanders in the north, a flatland
criss-crossed by canals, is proud of its great art cities,
Antwerp, Bruges a city on canals and Ghent.
The
country is bordered by France,to the west, The Netherlands
to the north east, Luxembourg to the south and to the
east, Germany. To the south in Wallonia, you will find
the rolling hills of the Ardennes, numerous castles,
and the cities of Liege, Namur, and Tournai.
Its capital city of Brussels
— Bruxelles- Brussel is one of the world's great
cosmopolitan cities, home to both the European Union
(EU) and NATO, as well as a wealth of international
trade and finance companies. The famous old square in
the centre is the Grande Place / Grote Markt.
The
coastline accommodates the car ferry ports of Ostend
and Zeebrugge. Ostend
— Oostende — Ostende is also a lively resort.
Other
cities are
Bruges
— Brugge , famous for its canals and also its
Grand-Place.
Tournai with its cathedral.
Antwerp
— Antwerpen — Anvers
is a major port.
Charleroi
located in the Belgian province of Hainaut.
Ghent
— Gent — Gand is located in Flanders.
Liège
— Lîdje — Luik
is located in the province of Liège and it is the capital
of the province. It is situated in the valley of the
Meuse River near Belgium's eastern borders with the
Netherlands and Germany,
Mons
— Bergen
Very confusing for foreign visitors trying to follow
the motorway when you move from one part of the country
that speaks French where the sign is "Mons" to the Flemish
part where it becomes "Bergen". Most of the other Belgian
towns and cities have similar names in different languages,
so take care in case you become lost. The city is located
in the province of Hainaut and is the capital of the
province.
Leuven
— Louvain — Löwen
is the capital of the province of Brabant. is the capital
of the Wallonia region in the south of the country.
The
country is famous worldwide for its beers and the cuisine
is also excellent.
The
Country is a founder member of the EU — European Union
(formerly the EEC — European Economic Union)
Currency:
— Euro (€)
Currency
Conversion Here
Population
2006: 10,364,388
Land
Area:
30,528 Km2
Telephone
Country Code:
+32

Views
of Belgium - Bruges - Spa-Francorchamps
- Brussels

Source
jmlvillas.com -
(some of this information has been provided by jmlvillas.com
clients)
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Emergency
Telephone number: pan-EU
Emergency 112 Can be used in all EU
Countries and it can
be dialled from a locked mobile or a mobile
with no sim card. We have driving guides for
those countries marked in red
below (plus other non EU member European
countries).
Austria
-
Belgium
-
Bulgaria - Cyprus
- Czech
Republic - Denmark
- Estonia - Finland
- France
- Germany
-
Greece - Hungary
- Ireland
- Italy
- Latvia - Lithuania - Luxembourg
- Malta-
Netherlands
- Poland
- Portugal
- Romania - Slovakia - Slovenia
- Spain
- Sweden
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Drink Drive Laws - Examples of what can be drunk
at present
It
is not a lot and in some countries even to drink
the glass on the right would be breaking
the law if you drove afterwards in others a
sip would be too much see
"Wine"
below
"Wine
- even a sip will send
you over the limit and invalidate your insurance
in Parkistan, Cuba, Indonesia, Romania, Jordan
and Nigeria, according to Rhinocarhire.com which
produces a comprehensive guide." The
A to Z of car hire - The Independent - August
2010
If
you are involved in an accident in Belgium and
the police are called, you will probably have
to take a breathalyzer test regardless of the
fact that it is your fault or not your fault.
See
this guide for further information
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Emergency
Telephone Numbers in Europe:
Emergency
Telephone number: pan-EU Emergency 112 Can
be used in all EU Countries and it can be
dialled from a locked mobile or a mobile with
no sim card.
Driving
abroad - British Government website.
Contains general information
about driving abroad and gives you the option
to search for specific advice by country
Finally,
Don’t forget your excess cover and buy it before
you set off
Excess
charges could cost you up to £1,000 or more.
Protect yourself by organising your
insurance4carrental
car hire insurance before
you head to Europe.
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