Take the Family holiday rating 
| Capital City | Brussels |
|---|---|
| Flying Time | 1.25 hours  |
| Carbon Footprint | 0.41 tonnes CO2 |
| Timezone | GMT +1 |
| Local Currency | Euro |
The reputation of Belgium as a destination has suffered somewhat recently, linked as it is to a spate of decrees issuing from Brussels on the appropriate size of bananas, toilet seats etc, but it is a great place to visit with a family. There are the attractive, historic towns of Bruges and Ghent, the dramatic scenery of the Ardennes and the dynamic Flemish centre of Antwerp. It is a convenient place for a family; great transport links, mainly English speaking hosts, excellent accommodation and easy to travel to.
Belgium has a similar climate to the UK, which as we all know can be pretty changeable, so pack a bit of everything. Rainfall is mild and fairly consistent throughout the year. Summer has pleasant conditions with days averaging in the low 20°Cs with a decent amount of sunshine. Winters are mostly overcast and, apart from the coast which experiences slightly milder winters, are generally frosty, often dropping a couple of degrees below freezing.
Belgium's main international airport, Brussels airport (formerly called Zaventem), is 14km (8.7 miles) northeast of Brussels. Many airlines regularly fly from main and regional uk airports, including British Airways. Eurostar regularly departs from London to the Gare de Bruxelles Midi Station (Brussel-Zuid in Flemish), in the heart of Brussels, and takes less than 2 and a half hours. Car/passenger ferries also operate to and from Britain, which can be an exiting and cost effective way to travel to Belgium, for example P&O ferries Hull to Zeebrugge from £98 each way, for 5 days including car, 2 passengers, ensuite cabin and taxes. If you're already in Europe, a bus or train to Brussels is an easy option.
High quality accommodation throughout Belgium is easily available at very reasonable rates and can easily be booked through organisations such as partners Active Hotels. Self-catering is another really popular option, from a variety of city apartments, to country cottages. Check Cottages4you for self catering accommodation in Belgium. Holiday parks are another really popular holiday for families, for example, De Vossemeren Center Parcs Europe, or Sunparks Oostduinkerke
Visit the historic city of Ghent. Nowadays the third largest city in Belgium, it is full of old churches, great museums, excellent cafes and restaurants and endless day outs for children of the mini pony farm variety that we do so well here.
Take energetic children canoeing in the Ardennes, scenic, exhilarating but pretty safe and lots of great places to camp to if you are inspired by the wilderness.
If you are feeling strong and are of a science bent then Heysel is a must. A 500 acre theme park, although it is difficult to tell exactly what the theme is, it is full of a variety of different attractions, for example; the Atomium, a model of an exploding molecule that you can travel around by lift, or mini-Europe, scaled down versions of famous European cities, or a water theme-park, its all a bit tenuous but your children will love it.
Buy your children and yourselves some chocolate/ice cream/pastries in the Grand Place, a beautiful old square in the heart of Brussels, full of historic buildings and criss-crossed by lunching diplomats, it’s a perfect snapshot of the city.
Belgian food is excellent, much of it similar to its French neighbour but with northern regional varieties more akin to the Dutch. Meat, fish and vegetables are served with rich sauces and mussels are a speciality. Great soups, fish dishes (especially mussels) and delicious breads feature on most menus. Smoked ham and pates are a speciality of the Ardenne region and you can eat cheaply in most areas on omelettes, steak and chips (invented here). The beer is delicious, the coffee too and personally I would make the trip just to eat the chocolate.
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Sunparks holiday parks
1 mile from the most beautiful Belgian beach. Superb 40 acre park; One of the best equipped in Belgium More
* from £199 for 4 nights per accommodation
Spacious forest park, ideally suited for water sport fanatics and nature lovers More
* from €415 for 4 bedroom villa for 4 nights
Family resort, in Peer, surrounded by the Limburg forest, with children's play world on site More
* per person for 9 nights including 2 nights onboard ship in an en suite cabin, 7 nights at Center Parcs Erperheide in Belgium (can be extended), Carriage of a standard car, Live entertainment onboard
