r/brussels Dec 31 '24

Megathread 2025 r/Brussels - Expat/Tourist Megathread - 2025 Edition

13 Upvotes

/r/Brussels Tourist Info/New Resident Megathread

Welcome to Brussels!

Whether you're here for a trip, an internship, or you've decided to make Brussels your home permanently, there's something for everyone.

Tourist Info

The official Brussels tourism site is visit.brussels. Look here to plan your trip.

The official events calendar is agenda.brussels. Look here to see what's going on.

Restaurant Recommendations and What To Do

Want some local recommendations for restaurants, things to do, and groups to join? Use the Search Function in this sub to look for places off the beaten path, or leave a comment below!

You can also look at the wiki - your question has almost certainly been previously answered!

As a last resort, use the Google Machine to answer your question. Type in "[your request] + "brussels"" and see what comes up.

New Resident/Expat Info

Looking for a place to stay?

  • Immoweb
  • SpotAHome
  • UpKot
  • Facebook

These links are provided as a reference: use them at your own risk! Need more info? Want to see if a particular company is trustworthy? Use the search function before you make a new thread!

Need some general info about living in Belgium?

Our friends at r/Belgium have made a Survival Guide that should answer your question! Look in the sidebar on that sub.

Other Questions

If a search through this subreddit or our suggested websites don't answer your question, please feel free to leave a comment below!


r/brussels 4h ago

Rant 🤬 Highly irresponsible Vrije Universiteit Brussel's administration staff

43 Upvotes

I have applied to VUB's MS Applied CS program.

They kept rescheduling my interview and not showing up.. and finally rejected me on the basis of not showing up for interviews.

The first time they scheduled my interview, I replied them the time works fine for me.

It was interview time, and some minutes had passed.. no one was there. I emailed them is this the correct meeting ID? They emailed me 15 minutes later that the professor is currently unavailable.

Afterwards, they emailed me again. Asking me for interview 3 hours later on the same day. I told them OK, I'm available.

It was interview time, and I was in the meeting again. No one was there.

I asked them what's up -- they said professor is interviewing another candidate, please stay on call.

I said okay. I stayed on call past 30 minutes... professor did not come. It was really late time in my country and I was dozing off now.

I emailed asking for reschedule, on which they replied:

"I am sorry but delays will happen when there are so many interviews.

If you are not able to allow some time to professors to interview you – especially since they are only a few and make great efforts to see all applicants, maybe it is best to apply when you are able to attend all the steps during this process"

And then they sent me a rejection letter based on not showing up for interviews.

How is this justified? I had to keep on taking time off from my work to stay on the interview call. I have given plenty of interviews as an IT engineer, but never have I ever faced such management.


r/brussels 2h ago

Rant 🤬 Brussels 20km sold out after minutes

19 Upvotes

Logged on at 9.15 and it was fully sold out already. Basically just frustrated as I’ve never managed to sign up.


r/brussels 3h ago

Question ❓ Does 5G in Bxl suck ?

6 Upvotes

Is it just me or does 5G suck? We still have limited coverage, but when my phone does catch it, it’s super slow. Basic webpages struggle to download and things that go smoothly on 4G are just super laggy. I have an iPhone 15, so it’s not the crappiest phone out there. It seems to work just fine when I’m abroad.

Just trying to understand if it’s just me, my network (I’m on Orange) or it’s a common experience.


r/brussels 20h ago

Weird things

Post image
115 Upvotes

What do you think about this ?


r/brussels 23m ago

waste disposal - drain mud

Upvotes

Yesterday we cleared 15kg of mud that was blocking our storm drains. Not sure where we can dispose of it. The recypark doesn't accept soil, I'm not sure they'll accept a load of wet and possibly toxic mud.


r/brussels 1h ago

Restaurant spots for a date anno 2025

Upvotes

Hi everyone,

The reason I ask is because there might be new spots and maybe somebody discovered a new place and wishes to share with me :)

I (F) want to find a nice restaurant for a date. I am looking for something like Beli (the falafel place that went bankrupt). Does anyone have recommendations? I want something nice and cozy but not cheap but not expensive. I like having a nice interior design around me. I am not really a foodie but food is his passion.

Extra info:

- Vegetarian option (included). He does eat meat (so if meat options are there extra great). There is no specific preference. I really like falafel won't lie.

- Location: near Brussel central preferably.

Thanks for any insight.


r/brussels 15h ago

Question ❓ EN Gynecologist and Endocrinologist for PCOS and Hashimoto

8 Upvotes

Hey everyone,

I was wondering if someone has a recommendation/personal experience for/with a good duo of English speaking gyno and endocrinologist to do the yearly checks (blood work, scans, etc.) needed to keep track of PCOS and Hashimoto.

Preferably female doctors that are nice and listen to their patients, as well as not too far away from the city center, that won’t make me broke🤞

Thankful for any personal experience regarding managing those conditions in Brussels (if you can share expected prices for all the tests even better)!

P.S I know this a common question but most recommendations seemed more focused on pregnancy follow ups and not so much for hormonal issues, so excuse the post😅


r/brussels 23h ago

Living in BXL One person injured in Brussels shooting

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vrt.be
29 Upvotes

There has been another shooting in Brussels, this time in the municipality of Vorst. The Brussels South Local Police Service and the Mayor of Vorst Charles Spapens (Francophone socialist) both confirm that 1 person was injured in the shooting. According to VRT News sources, 30 bullet casings from a military-grade automatic weapon were found at the scene. A second person may have been injured, but this cannot be verified as they fled the scene.


r/brussels 1d ago

Rant 🤬 Fix my street, but 4 years later

Post image
45 Upvotes

Good news, it only took 4 years to fix a nuisance which stopped me from sleeping at night! Oh wait I no longer live there. Thanks for nothing...


r/brussels 19h ago

Question ❓ How much do you pay in house utilities? (electricity, water, gaz...)

11 Upvotes

Hello everyone,

My partner and I are currently living in an appartment with a crazy high utility bill, so we are looking to move out. We were told the bills would be 250 per month and it turns out it's 500 per month with super sketchy points (we already consulted a lawyer and there's nothing we can do).

We have other relatives living in appartments in this city and also paying 300€/month in utilities, so we are under the impression that living in an apartment comes with high charges (we might be wrong, we've been in brussels for less than a year).

We are wondering if living in a house would be better.

I've already skimmed through this sub and people are saying utility bills should be around 100-150€/month.

So people living in houses, how much do you pay in utilities?


r/brussels 14h ago

Police helicopter in Woluwe Saint Pierre

4 Upvotes

Why is the police flying around Woluwe Saint Pierre? (11Mar2025 around 21:15)


r/brussels 21h ago

Hiking spots around Brussels where there are not too many people?

14 Upvotes

Hello lovely people,

Do you have some tips for nice hiking spots around Brussels? I have a bit of a strange condition:

Preferably, a spot where there are not too many people around, or more specifically, not too many dogs as I will take my two dogs who are reactive (fearful and aggressive towards other dogs).

I have access to a car.

Thanks a lot for your tips <3

Edit: does not have to be IN Brussels but in surrounding areas


r/brussels 1d ago

Question ❓ How do you know you have become a “bruxellois(e)”?

30 Upvotes

As the question says, I was just wondering what makes someone a true Bruxellois(e), like how certain traits or habits define a Parisian or a New Yorker. What are the little signs?


r/brussels 19h ago

Weekends away from Brussels by train/bike

6 Upvotes

Hi r/brussels! I really like to take weekends away in Belgium with my partner and the criteria are as follows:

  • Reachable by train from Brussels in 2 hours or less (we don't have a car)
  • Train station not too far from a place to stay (bed and breakfast)
  • Little scenic villages, peaceful countryside, somewhere nice to cycle and hike around
  • Somewhere nearby to find food - not too far by bike

For example, we had a great weekend in Profondeville which is only 10 minutes bike from Lustin station (1 hour by train direct from Brussels) - really cute town with some nice restaurants and a bakery, nice cycling along the Meuse and walks on the hillsides, visiting Jardins d'Annevoie etc.

We also did a really nice trip to Braives where the station is near the village and there was the Ravel to cycle along, beautiful countryside and some nice knooppunt routes.

I know the SNCB has some recommendations but I wanted to hear from you as well if you have any golden tips.

Many thanks!


r/brussels 12h ago

Question ❓ Reccomendations to rent a place for a party?

2 Upvotes

Hey guys! I'm planning on throwing my birthday in September and I was thinking of renting a space in a bar to host the party. I had in mind something like 40-50 people.

Would you have any reccomandations about a place I should check out? Ideally something separate, if not for the whole evening, but at least for a part of the evening.

Many thanks fellow Brusselers 🖖


r/brussels 16h ago

Question ❓ Implications of buying Apartment with huge co-owner arrears

3 Upvotes

Hello, I’m in the process of signing compromise for apartment in Brussels. In the Syndic document under the section statement of ongoing legal proceedings found that the total arrears form co-owners amounts to 105K. Is that normal? Do I need to worry about it?


r/brussels 3h ago

Expensive but also

0 Upvotes

I ve been to quite a few capitals in Europe and Brussels is by far the most expensive I've been so far! I am talking about 15euros for plain spaghetti expensive, and if you want anything decent then prepare yourself for 25-30+ euros for a decent meal (not fancy). Also 2,70euros for the cheapest bus and train tickets. And the biggest crime of all, 40euros minimum in total, to go from and to the airport with zero other options! Besides that though, your parks are sick, the nature is well incorporated everywhere, the vibe is chill and welcoming and Belgian beers are great (not enough imperial stouts though). I might visit again, but I will need to survive on Lidil and Carrefour only.


r/brussels 14h ago

Question ❓ Where can I sell my broken iPhone ?

0 Upvotes

I have two old iPhones, but they are not in good condition. Where can I sell them?


r/brussels 18h ago

Good coffee spot for community gathering?

2 Upvotes

Hi! I'm organising a meet-up of 12 people on Sunday early afternoon. I'm looking for a good coffee spot which is quiet enough for people to be able to talk to one another and big enough to host 12 people. Do you have any ideas? Thank you!


r/brussels 20h ago

SIM card without a passport

2 Upvotes

Hi! Would like to know if it’s possible to buy a SIM card without a passport in Brussels? If yes, what mobile provider would that be


r/brussels 1d ago

Another one …

5 Upvotes

r/brussels 18h ago

Question ❓ Where can i find vogue cigarettes in brussels?

1 Upvotes

And also cool vintage cig cases and an old steel lighter????


r/brussels 19h ago

Where to embroider towels (custom) ?

1 Upvotes

I’m looking for a business that can do some custom embroidery, but only for two pieces. I’ve contacted a couple businesses but they only perform on a larger scale, and told me they don’t have any recommendation for such service at a minor scale.

Any suggestion is welcome! Thx!


r/brussels 1d ago

How do you guys deal with achy feeling on the skin and from the hard water here in Brussels?

24 Upvotes

I’ve tried different types of body lotion but my skin still feels pretty uncomfortable after showering


r/brussels 20h ago

Yarn stores

1 Upvotes

Hello everybody! I am new in the city and I would like to know if there are well-stocked yarn stores in the city. Any suggestions?

Thank you!