Mobile phones can be hired from Locaphone. Tel: 652 14 14, www.locaphone.be

Cars can be hired from Avis car rentals. Tel: 720 09 44, Email: customerservice@avis.co.uk Office rental is available from Regus Europe. Tel: 714 02 00, Email: help@instant-offices.com Secretarial and translation services are often offered through the big hotels, and also from Manpower Interim. Tel: 639 10 70, Email: info@manpower.be. Also available from Brussels Language Services. Tel: 217 23 73.

LOCAL PRESS

The Bulletin news weekly, published every Thursday, is read by many English-language speakers. In existence for more than 40 years, it covers Belgian news and personalities and provides listings as well as reviewing restaurants, bars and films.

It also includes television listings. Most newsagents across Brussels stock the magazine.

The new kid on the block is Up Front magazine, a free monthly guide that lists concerts, previews films and reviews countless bars and eateries. It’s available in more than 150 bars, cafes, hotels and venues across the city. Visit www.upfrontlive.com The Bulletin’s parent company also runs the English website www.xpats.com But the best-quality and most comprehensive website available for expats is undoubtedly www.expatica.com For those with a smattering of French or Dutch there’s Agenda, a free magazine covering leisure activities. It’s available from stands in shopping centres, cinemas and elsewhere. Visit www.agenda.be The daily Metro, which everyone reads on their way to work, is also printed in French and Dutch versions. It’s mostly news content, but events are covered too.

INTERNET

Internet cafes are starting to spring up across the city, although one large one in the centre closed down recently. They are mainly small and independent, many surviving by offering cheap continental phone calls from booths located in their shops. Most of them are grubby little places and you would be better off using a hotel service. A list of current internet cafes in Brussels is available at www. world66.com/europe/belgium/brussels/ cybercafes

MONEY

Most businesses in Belgium accept all the usual credit cards. Banks are open between 09:00 and 15:30, Monday to Friday, with some staying open until 17:00. Some banks open on Saturday mornings.

TIPPING ETIQUETTE

This can be a confusing issue in Brussels as tips are included in taxi fares and restaurant bills. It’s up to you, but staff will be amazed if you leave more than 10%.

Quite frankly, service in Brussels is often haughty and, at worst, downright rude. It’s all part of the charm, some say, but don’t feel obliged to leave anything in those circumstances.

One Brussels oddity is “Madame Pee-Pee”. Many bars, museums and bars have a little lady sitting down outside the loo waiting to deprive you of between €0.25 and €0.50. You are hardly in a position to argue. Also, bear in mind that many nightclub and bar doormen expect a tip on the way out. Again, it is easier to acquiesce.

VISA/VACCINATION

For residents of EU members states, a valid passport is all that is required.

PUBLIC HOLIDAYS

January 1st – New Year’s Day
April 17th (2006) – Easter Monday
May 1st – May Day
May 25th (2006) – Ascension Day
June 4th (2006) – Pentecost
June 5th (2006) – Whit Monday
July 21st – National Day
August 15th – Assumption Day
November 1st – All Saints’ Day
November 11th – Armistice Day
December 25th – Christmas Day

WEATHER AND CLIMATE

The Brussels rain has a certain depressing quality and, coupled with what seem like interminable grey skies for weeks on end, even die-hard British expatriates struggle to keep cheerful. An umbrella is a must, pretty much all year round. From October to May, the capital can be a cold, dark place, with temperatures as low as 3-4ºC. The summers, however, have been getting warmer, with regular temperatures in the high 20s. And that’s perfect weather for sitting on bar terraces.

SUGGESTED READING

Brussels for Pleasure, by Derek Blyth.

A description of thirteen walks through the historic city, including plenty of hidden corners that even many long-term residents aren’t aware of. Blyth has lived in Brussels for years and knows his stuff.

A Throne in Brussels, by Paul Belion. A eurosceptic’s view of Belgian federalism involving a trip through the history of the Belgian royal family, the country’s political history and European integration. Packed with plenty of facts and anecdotes.

The Politics of Belgium – A Unique Federalism by John Fitzmaurice. A short history of the country, covering its economics and society, how the state was reformed politically and the author’s view on what the future holds for Belgium. For the serious reader.

Victor Horta, by Aurora Cuito and Cristina Montes. A delightful pictorial history of the great architect’s works, which shines a welcome light on one of Belgium’s best-loved sons.