Belgium & Netherlands Good to Know

General - Countries in north east Europe. They are small. Both are each about the size of Maryland.

Language - Belgium - French, German & Dutch

Netherlands - Dutch

Crime - Relatively safe, watch for pickpockets and purse snatching

Money - Euros, 1 Euro = $1.08 USD (approximately)

Hint: Before you travel make sure you use a credit card that doesn't charge foreign transaction fees. There are a lot of them out there. Those can add up fast.

Water - Tap water is safe to drink

Electricity -  Check to see if you will need an adapter before you go.

Tipping - Check the bill to see if service was included, if not 5-10% is customary

Bathrooms - Like US but many have bidets. Keep Euro coins because it costs a Euro or 2 to use public bathrooms.

Driving - Right side, Belgium has a low blood alcohol tolerance, so be careful. No IDP is needed if your license is in Roman alphabet. Parking can be hard to find.

Trains/Buses/Trams - Cheap, easy to use and run on time.