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Sunset over lovely fields and meados in Oostende, Belgium

Van life country guides

πŸ‡§πŸ‡ͺ Belgium

Our route

Trip stats

  • πŸ—“οΈ 7. June 2025 - 29. June 2025
  • πŸ•’ Time spent: 21 d 21 h 57 m
  • 🚐 Distance driven: 784 km
  • πŸ’¨ Average speed: 53 km/h
  • πŸ—» Max elevation: 346 m
  • πŸ“ Overnight locations: 7

Our blog posts about Belgium

View of a river bank in Bruges
πŸ‡§πŸ‡ͺ Belgium🚐 Van lifeπŸŒ… On the road
BE25.1 Less stuff, more fries! Our first seven days in Belgium

We realised that we had far too much stuff. Way more than we needed β€” or even used! So we sold and donated a lot, and only packed what really mattered (ok, ok … we are now also the proud tenants of a self storage unit…). Finally, we gave up our apartment and moved into Wilma, our trusty van. Feeling tired from the last months but excited, we hit the road heading for Belgium. The land of chocolate, beer, and of course fries. We've eaten them three times in seven days – no shame!

15 June 2025Episode #6Kathrin
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View of a barn
πŸ‡§πŸ‡ͺ Belgium🚐 Van lifeπŸŒ… On the road
BE25.2 From Spa to Schlager – another week of Belgian bliss

What a week! The weather was chef's kiss, and we took full advantage of it. We explored the beautiful "Polders" on foot from our idyllic camping spot near Oudenburg.

23 June 2025Episode #7Kathrin
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Iconic view of Dinant river with houses
πŸ‡§πŸ‡ͺ Belgium🚐 Van lifeπŸŒ… On the road
BE25.3 Family week in Belgium – Playing games

This week was all about spending time with family. We caught up with my mum, aunts, uncles, cousins and my godchild. First stop: Westende. We played endless rounds of pΓ©tanque, embarrassed ourselves at mini golf πŸŒοΈβ€β™€οΈ πŸ€ͺ and took every opportunity to enjoy cake, coffee and a chat in cosy cafΓ©s while soaking up the sun.

1 July 2025Episode #8Kathrin
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What you need to know about Belgium

🧭 Country Basics

Safety

No concerns, we felt super safe.

Cultural Highlights

Well, it's obvious isn't it? Belgian waffles and double-fried French fries with any of the many outstanding local beers! I'd personally suggest a Kwak!

Language & Communication

Belgium has three official languages: Dutch, French and German. You will find that most speak Dutch and French, German is a bit more rare. While generally English will get you around, you might run into issues in Wallonia.

Local Etiquette

No tipping in Belgium, but you would round up to the next "even" amount.

πŸš— Getting Around

Road Quality & Driving Conditions

Road conditions are mostly excellent until you enter Wallonia, you can find some very nasty roads there.

Toll Roads & Vignettes

There are no toll roads (at least not for <3.5t).

Border Crossings

Belgium is part of the Schengen are, meaning no border checks when you enter from another Schengen country.

Police Attitude & Checks

We did not have any experience with the police.

πŸ•οΈ Where to Sleep

Free Camping Availability

We had little to no issues finding free sites to stay. We were very surprised to find many fellow campers who offered to stay on their grounds for free or at a (voluntary) donation.

Paid Campsites

You can easily find lots of paid campsites or smaller sites run by private individuals. The cost varies a lot.

Motorhome Infrastructure

It was very easy to find fresh water and dumpsites. Getting rid of trash, however, proved tricky at times.

Camping Costs

15€ and upwards

πŸ’Ά Budget & Daily Life

Groceries & Dining Out

Groceries are quite expensive compared to the rest of Europe as is dining out. You will need some extra budget for Belgium.

Fuel Prices

Diesel - to our surprise - is slightly less expensive than we are used to from Germany. At the time of traveling it ranged around 1.50€/l. LPG was ~ 0.95€/l

Mobile Internet Quality

4G/5G signal strength is exceptional in most places. We only broke out Starlink once and that was for its unlimited bandwidth feature, not due to connectivity issues.

SIM Card Access

You can find them pretty much at every corner.

Laundry

We did not have any issues finding great laundry services. We paid €8 for one load of laundry and one load in the dryer.

β˜€οΈ Climate & Tips

Best Time to Visit

I'd say pretty much all year round, it's your typical mid-European weather: wet in Winter without any real extremes, somewhat hot yet also wet in Summer.

Weather Extremes

Nothing worth mentioning.

Apps That Helped

Park4Night

Hidden Gems or Disappointments

Oostende and Westende host a couple of amazing events during summer time right at the beach, don't miss them!