Brussels
The city of Brussels is filled with history, architecture and site seeing delights. Brussels is located in Belgium and the region possesses an incredible landscape. Business travelers looking to conduct business in Brussels will find that there are plenty of things to see and do as well as ample business resources in the city of Brussels.
About Brussels
There is more than one thousand years of history behind the historic city of Brussels. Brussels, the capital of Belgium, consists of some nineteen communes that make up one third of the Belgian State. The official languages of Belgium and, therefore Brussels, are Dutch and French. All street posts and signs within the city are offered in both languages. In the center of Belgium one will find the Grand Place Market Square, a popular tourist destination in Brussels. Within the square sits Brussels Town Hall and many smaller buildings with amazing architecture.
Brussels has a population of 980,000 inhabitants. The primary ethnicity of many people living in Brussels is Flemish. Other ethnicities include Walloon, German, and French. There is at least one language spoken in Brussels in addition to the official Dutch and French languages: that is the German language, and many of the residents in Brussels are bilingual. If traveling to Brussels for business purposes, it may serve a business traveler well to take up another language like French or Dutch to make communicating while in Brussels a bit easier. English, however, is a language spoken in Brussels and it is possible to receive service and assistance while in Brussels if a business traveler has a mastership of the English language only.
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The Brussels Zaventem Airport
The Brussels Zaventem Airport is understood by a number of different names including the Luchthaven Zaventem Airport as well as the Aéroport de Zaventem. A public airport owned by The Brussels Airport Company, it is located in the city of Zaventem and serves the city of Brussels. The airport has two different Piers, A and B respectively, each which host a different series of airline specialists. Pier A offers service from a number of airline companies including Air France, Alitalia, Austrian Airlines, British Airways, Brussels Airlines, Clickair, EasyJet, Finnair, Iberia Airlines, Air Nostrum, Jetairfly, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, KLM Cityhopper, Lufthansa, Olympic Airlines, Ostfriesische Lufttransport, Scandinavian Airlines, SkyEurope, Sterling Airlines, TAP Portugal, Thomas Cook Airlines, VLM Airlines, and Vueling Airlines. Meanwhile, Pier B offers airline services from over 45 different airline companies. The size of the Brussels Zaventem Airport is considerable and currently some 20,000 people work at the airport.
The Brussels Zaventem Airport is northeast from the city, and just over ten kilometers in terms of distance. Business travelers can take advantage of the City Express Link: a system of transportation that can aide a business traveler in getting to a variety of destinations all over the city of Brussels. To use the system a business traveler will require Euros for payment. Meanwhile, other modes of transportation are present that business travelers can rely on to get around the city: a taxi, the bus, and the train comprise the alternative transportation options that business travelers can rely on.
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Necessary Documentation
If you are a business traveler and you are heading for Brussels you will certainly require the proper documentation before you can enter Brussels or Belgium. Business travelers can get special passports that are good for a six-month period after the first date of departure. If entering Belgium and one is a native of the United States, Canada, New Zealand, Australia or Japan, a passport will allow the individual to remain in the country for three months only. A visa will allow for a longer stay. Meanwhile, anyone that is British does not need a visa to get into Belgium no matter how long they plan to stay.
If a business traveler is still unsure about the necessary travel documentation needed to enter Belgium, the traveler can contact the Embassy of Belgium for further details. The Embassy can be called at 202-333-6900 or the traveler can write to the Embassy at 3330 Garfield Street, NW, Washington DC 20008. Whatever identification one requires to enter Belgium such identification must remain with the traveler all the time - an official may request identification and the individual must have it on hand in the event that it is requested.
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Finance in Brussels
The euro is acceptable currency in Brussels. In fact, the euro is fast becoming the official currency in Europe. The Belgian franc has since been replaced by the euro and the euro is offered in a variety of denominations. Euro notes come in denominations of 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200, and 500. Of course, one will also find that many of the major credit cards are accepted in restaurants, stores and hotels in Brussels as well. Travelers will have little difficulty using Diners Club, Visa, American Express, MasterCard or EuroCard credit cards and if one wants to rent a vehicle they will need a credit card to do so. If uncertain, a traveler should call establishments in Brussels in advance to see what credit cards are accepted by the establishment: if any.
If one is budgeting a trip to Brussels they will want to include a little extra cash for tipping in certain establishments. While no one is required to leave a tip it is still polite to do so, especially in restaurants, at the movie theater and for hotel help. A small percentage of whatever bill arises due to received services, right around ten percent is acceptable in terms of a tip.
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Health Considerations
Before heading off to Brussels on a business trip a full physical is recommended. A doctor can determine if a traveler is in healthy condition to travel and whether or not he or she should take any precautions before travelling. If one plans to fly for a long period of time, he or she may want to talk to a physician to determine if additional measures should be taken to prevent blood clotting or circulation issues. Learning a few simple exercises that one can do while seated on a plane may also help to alleviate tense muscles, muscle spasms, muscle fatigue or issues with the circulation system.
Upon arriving in Brussels a traveler need to have no fear of the water: the water is safe to drink and will not harm travelers. Some people rely on bottled water as a precautionary measure but the measure is really unnecessary. A business traveler may also want to bring a little extra cash along in case a health issue arises. Otherwise, it is wise to see if an existing health policy will cover the traveler while visiting Brussels.
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Climate and Appropriate Dress
Business travelers will eventually be concerned with what they need to pack. When planning a visit to Brussels it is a good idea to keep the climate in Brussels in mind. Weather is mild in Brussels, but there are times of the year when it can be quite brisk. Planning for the season is best - winter in Brussels is the chilliest, while summers are quite comfortable and warm. Sometimes it is rainy in Brussels too and proper attire will be necessary. The most rain falls in the Fall months.
As a business traveler it is recommended that formal dress be brought along on the trip. Suits and ties are perfectly appropriate for the business traveler and women can wear dresses, skirts or dress suits. Alternatively, if planning a little recreation time in Brussels less formal attire is appropriate. Meanwhile, some of the establishments in Brussels demand that people have on certain attire before entering. It's a good idea to bring along attire that is suitable for as many occasions as one can conceive - formal, semi formal and casual attire should be packed accordingly.
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Transportation in Brussels
When a traveler is in Brussels, he or she will have little difficulty getting around. Taxis are available that will take a traveler almost anywhere in the city. Taxis, however, are a bit different in Brussels than they are in other regions of the world. If a traveler desires the use of a taxi service in Brussels they cannot just get a taxi to pull over on the side of the street. A visit to a taxi stand is required. Rates vary upon the destination and the hour of the day.
Business travelers can also rely on the use of buses, the metro and even trams to get around in Brussels. Meanwhile, there are trains that can be taken outside the boundaries of Brussels if one needs to conduct business in a nearby city. There are three train depots in Brussels: the Midi-Station, the Thalys, and the Eurostar. Each train station offers different destinations at different rates and different departure times.
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Places to Shop in Brussels
A business traveler may find that they need to shop for necessities or they may desire to buy souvenirs for friends and family when they visit Brussels. To that end, there are plenty of shopping opportunities in Brussels. The best day to shop in the center of Brussels is Sunday because it is considered the market day. Flea markets and food markets are filled with vendors offering wares, foods, and other Belgian delights. Most markets start their hours of operation around nine in the morning and conclude business around six in the evening.
For regular shopping ventures a traveler can travel to the edge of the Brussels city limits where one can locate a number of shopping centers. Beer shops that specialize in a variety of beers and chocolate shops are amazingly popular in the city of Brussels. Belgian chocolates make a fine gift for friends and family. Business associates will also appreciate such gifts. Brussels has shops that focus on the selling of lace too, a hot selling item in Belgium. Meanwhile other items that are available while shopping in Brussels include wine and spirits, ceramics and glassware, apparel and accessories, and antiques.
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Eating and Other Accommodations
There is a variety of cuisine to be enjoyed while in Brussels. Business travelers love some of the restaurants in Belgium because they make a suitable place to conduct small business meetings and gatherings. Dress codes make the restaurants a nice place to meet and the food makes the experience one that is memorable and enjoyable.
Cuisine to be enjoyed in Brussels includes French, Belgian, Italian, Vietnamese, Japanese, Indian, Portuguese, Thai, Greek, Caribbean, and, of course, Brussels is famous for its variety in terms of beer. Cafes and small coffee houses make for a nice stop while touring the historic city of Brussels. Finally, as mentioned earlier, many establishments accept credit cards as forms of payment.
What about business resources? If in need of Internet access a number of cafes are available in Brussels that provide that resource to the public. Along the same lines, in terms of business resources, one can rely on FedEx if a package needs to be delivered and within Brussels there is a post office for mailing communication. Also, there are banks in Brussels and it is incredibly easy to locate an ATM machine if one is in need of some quick cash. Finally, if a traveler needs to visit a particular embassy they are all situated within Brussels; three in upper town including the US Embassy, the British Embassy, and the Australian Embassy, and one in Laeken which is the Canadian embassy. Meanwhile, the Irish Embassy is located in Etterbeek.
In terms of hotels and places to stay Brussels is quite accommodating. Hotels are situated all over Brussels and can be found in areas like Etterbeek, Genval
Ixelles, Laeken, Lower Town, St-Gilles, St-Josse, Uccle, Upper Town and Woluwe-St-Pierre. As with anything else in Brussels, the accommodations vary in terms of price, size, and amenities. Travelers should call in advance to see if a reservation is required or if they can simply approach the establishment upon arrival in Brussels.
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