currency
Euro (?) = 100 cents

From the airport
Brussels International is 13 kilometers northeast of the city. From here, a direct train to the city's three stations takes around 20 minutes. An Airport City Express train connecting with Brussels Midi, Central and North leaves four times an hour. Taxis can take longer, dependant on traffic  
Eurostar passengers are delivered at Brussels Midi station and most hotels are only a 10-minute taxi ride away.

departure tax
None

Getting around
Brussels Metro is efficient and cheap, although a little down at heel. Taxis are easy enough to find and many drivers speak English but appreciate a

few words of French. 
Brussels empties out in July and August and at weekends, when many hotel deals are available. Room rates include tax. All hotels have direct dial telephones and modem points. area code 32 2

Business hours
Offices 9am-5.30pm (Monday to Friday); shops 9am-6pm (Monday to Saturday); banks 9.30am-4pm (Monday to Friday)

public holidays
Jan 1, Apr 20, 21, May 1, 29, Jun 8, 9, July 21, Aug 15, Nov 1, 11, Dec 25 (or approx.)

time zone
GMT+1hr

additional time zone details
From last Sunday in March to last Sunday in October GMT+2hrs

local voltage
220V

tipping
Informal restaurants, leave 10%, elsewhere just round it up. Taxi fares in Brussels include a tip but drivers tend to expect one anyway.

Local press
Bulletin is a weekly English language magazine.
Le Soir, La Libre Belgique and La Derniere Heure are local newspapers.

Shopping
Brussels offers elegant and effortless shopping in a compact town centre. The hub is the beautiful Grand Place and around the corner is the Galeries Royale St Hubert, Europe's oldest covered shopping gallery, lined with ultra-expensive designer shops. Other good shopping centres in the area are Galeries du Centre, Galerie Saint Honore and Galerie Agora.
Local specialities are many, the best known and loved being the world-famous Belgian chocolate. There are praline shops every few yards in the centre of Brussels, so there's no excuse for not treating those back home. Most shops stock the same variety of sweets but Neuhaus (Galerie de la Rein) wins out for its packaging. But also try Planete Chocolate (24 Rue Lombard) for chocolate-filled sculptures or Pierre Marcolini (39 Place du Grand Sablon), which has won awards for its chocolate.
For beer, the Bier Tempel (56 rue Marche aux Herbes, tel 502 1906) has some ideal gift sets of bottled beers and matching glasses. Another good beer stop is Beermania (174 Chausee de Wavre) which has about 400 beers - and you can try before you buy! Just down the road is Euroline(Grasmarkt 52), piled high with blue and yellow Euro souvenirs ? from mouse mats to yo-yos.
In the antiques district of Sablon, call in at Rosalie Pompon (65 rue Lebeau, tel 512 3593) and Collectors Gallery (17 rue Lebeau) for something different.

Country Notes

government
Belgium is a Federal parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarch,

Albert II.

head of government
Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt

major industry
Electronics, telecommunications

business etiquette
Belgians can be difficult to get to know. However, it helps to invite them out for a meal. Long business lunches are still common, but not as common as they once were. It is important to recognise the differences between the Dutch-speaking, Flemish and French-speaking Walloon communities. If in doubt, it's safer to speak English. The Flemish operate in a no nonsense way. They are friendly and welcoming, and like to overcome problems quickly. The Walloons have a more social way of doing business, but it's just as effective. Appointments must be made in advance, and punctuality is important. Request permission before smoking in offices, cars and restaurants.

Hotels
Dorint Brussels EE
Hotel Aris E
Conrad Brussels EEE
Hyatt Regency Brussels-Barcy EE
Montgomery Hotel Brussels EEE
Ibis Brussels
Crowne Plaza Brussels
Hotel Le Plaza
Novotel Brussels Centre - Tour Noire
Hotel Astoria
Le Méridien Brussels
Radisson SAS Hotel Brussels

restaurants
There are 1,800 restaurants in Brussels and the quality is generally high, but it's best to avoid the touristy rue des Bouchers off the Grand Place with its array of Greek eateries.

restaurant reviews
Le Pain Quotidien
In t' Spinnekopke
Belga Queen
La Maison de Maître
L'auberge du Nord
Kasbah
Bonsoir Clara

Entertainment
Click here to read our feature on Brussels. The city, of course, is famous for its beers so it would be rude not to try some of the local brew. Try a lambic, a gueze, or a fruit beer such as framboise. There are over a hundred beers to choose from, costing around ?2.50. Be warned of beers with religious sounding dames (such as "Duvel" meaning "devil") as these have twice the alcohol content of their British and American counterparts.
Probably the most famous bar in Brussels is the Roy d'Espagne, with the prestigious address of 1 Grand-Place. It has a large terrace and attracts a buzzing crowd. Close by is the traditional A la Mort Subite, meaning "sudden death" (7 rue Montagne aux Herbes Potageres) and the art deco Le Falstaff (17-23 rue Henri Maus).
Less traditional, but more fashionable are the bars around place Saint-Gery. The best known are Zebra where young and trendies discuss the world and Mappa Mundo, a dark hedonistic venue where the biggest discussions are about the next drink.
L'Archiduc (6 rue Antoine Dansaert) is where Brussels most fashionable drinkers choose to hang out.
Le Roi de Belges (35 rue Jules Van Praet) is a civilised cafe-bar ideal for entertaining.
Round the corner Bizon 915 rue Pont de la Carpe) is a lively bar with an excellent array of live music.
For live sport and the chance to see English football head to O'Reillys (1 place de la Bourse) in the city centre or go to the European Quarter with expats pubs bulging with English-speaking drinkers.
Brussels' club scene is relatively small as bars tend to stay open for most of the night, but there is something to suit most tastes.

local attractions
The best place to start exploring is the Grand Place, perhaps the best preserved city square in Europe. The Hotel de Ville dominates the square and inside you can view the dazzling official rooms and beautifully ornate guildhouses. A short walk up the rue de Montagne is the city's cathedral ? a Brabant-Gothic structure begun in 1220 and notable for its magnificent 16th-century stained glass windows and lavishly carved wooden pulpit.
Nowadays Brussels is probably best known as the home of the European Parliament (rue Archimede). The vast steel and glass building may be regarded as pretentious by locals, but is impressive none-the-less. Nearby, the Arc de Triomphe (parc du Cinquantenaire) is a cross between The Arc de Triomphe in Paris and the Brandenberg Gate in Berlin.
Other buildings to visit in the centre include La Bourse (2 rue Henri Muas), the extravagant neoclassical stock exchange and the gothic Cathedrale St-Michel-&-St Gudule (15 rue du Bois Sauvage).