🇧🇪Belgium

Health

• Tap water is safe to drink across the country and restaurants will readily provide free tap water (though it is not automatic everywhere).
• Routine vaccinations should be up to date; consult a travel clinic about hepatitis A and B or any boosters relevant to your personal immunization schedule.
• There are no altitude or tropical heat risks; however, prepare for cold, damp weather in winter and carry waterproof layers in shoulder seasons.

Watch for

• Pickpockets operate on the Brussels metro, trams, and in crowded spots around Grand Place and Gare du Nord — keep bags zipped and phones secured.
• Overcharging and inflated bills can happen in restaurants and bars in the tourist-heavy Sablon and Saint-Gilles areas of Brussels; check the menu price or ask for the bill before being seated.
• A common scam is someone approaching you on the street with a petition clipboard to get you to sign and then asking for money — politely decline and walk away.

Solo / women

• Belgium is generally safe for solo female travellers; standard European city awareness at night is sufficient, and public transport runs reliably even after dark.
• Avoid isolated parks or quiet side streets very late at night in Brussels, as you would in any European capital.