Belgium is a good place to visit for the solo traveller. It’s a safe country. There are a lot of things you can do that don’t take up that much time. When I’m travelling alone, I prefer to do lots of different things in a day. So it doesn’t get boring.
How do Belgians react to people travelling alone?
Belgians are not the most sociable, which makes it difficult to connect with them. But when you’re travelling solo you’re usually bonding with other solo travellers and not so much with the locals. So I don’t think it’s that much of a downside.
Belgians tend to stare when they see someone eating alone. And that’s not very enjoyable. If you want to avoid these kinds of situations, I would recommend that you book a room that has a place to eat. During summer a room with a balcony is ideal, so you can eat outside.
Belgians also don’t have a hookup culture. Belgians never go out to bars on their own, but I don’t think they will judge someone for doing that. They know it’s not weird in other cultures.
In Belgium, you can buy a Museum Pass (€59) to go to all museums. People who have this pass, often visit museums on their own. This makes visiting a museum on your own nothing unusual.
Hiking or biking alone isn’t that unusual either.
Where to stay
There are not a lot of youth hostels in Belgium. They can be fully booked. It’s better to book them as soon as you can.
You can also book a room in a hotel or a B&B. In a B&B, there is more contact with the owner, and that makes it more likely that someone will notice that you went missing. B&Bs in Belgium can be a real B&B, but some of them are more like small boutique hotels. They have luxurious rooms and an exquisite breakfast.
You can also book a room in an abbey. You will need to book this far in advance. It’s a great place to stay if you want peace and quiet, but they have very basic and modest rooms. It’s not a hotel, you need to respect their way of life. Most of them expect you to join them for prayers. And that you eat with them. They have fixed schedules and you need to respect that. You can’t arrive too late.
For the female solo traveller
Belgium is ideal for short walks in nature
If you’re a woman travelling alone, you can only go as far as your bladder wants you to. And when you’re walking in nature it can be a problem when it takes a long time to get to the next restroom.
In Belgium, there are a lot of short walking routes or routes that can easily be shortened. You’re also never that far from public transport, so if you can’t finish your hike before dark, you can easily take the bus or train to get home.
Just enough people to make you feel safe
From 10 am to 5 pm there are always enough people going for a walk, so you will never be completely alone for too long. It’s also hardly ever overcrowded. Only the Hallerbossen will be overcrowded when the bluebells are in bloom.
After dark, most Belgian women avoid pathways where there is no car traffic. If you’re all alone and nobody can see you, then you have a problem when you encounter the wrong person. If you can’t avoid these pathways, make sure that there is someone who knows where you are.
It’s safe to walk alone at night in most city centres, but it depends a bit on how desolate a street is at night. In case of doubt, it’s better to take a taxi home.