Last updated: March 2026
Brussels sits at the crossroads of Western Europe, making it an excellent starting point for road trips through Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, and northern France. While the city itself is notorious for traffic congestion, a rental car lets you discover Belgium's remarkable density of medieval cities, battlefields, and beer-producing abbey towns, all packed into a country smaller than Maryland.
Brussels Airport (BRU), also known as Zaventem, is Belgium's main airport, located 12 km northeast of the city center. All major rental companies operate from the basement level of the terminal building. Brussels South Charleroi Airport (CRL), 55 km south, serves budget airlines and also has rental desks, though with fewer options. Rental rates in Belgium are moderate — expect €35-€55 per day for a mid-range car. Belgium is one of the few countries where automatic transmission is common in rental fleets, though manual is still the default and cheaper.
The entire Brussels-Capital Region is a Low Emission Zone (LEZ). All vehicles must meet minimum emission standards that tighten annually. As of 2026, diesel vehicles must be Euro 5 or newer, and petrol vehicles must be Euro 2 or newer.
Belgium is tiny — Bruges is 1 hour from Brussels, Ghent is 45 minutes, and Antwerp is 50 minutes. This makes day-tripping easy, but you can also loop the country in a long weekend. The Belgian Ardennes in the south offer forests, rivers, castles, and Trappist abbey breweries — Orval, Rochefort, and Chimay are all in this region. Luxembourg City is 2 hours southeast. For World War history, Ypres (Ieper) and the Flanders Fields are 1.5 hours west, and the Battle of the Bulge sites around Bastogne are 2 hours southeast.
Belgian motorways are famous for being fully lit at night (though this has been reduced for energy savings) and toll-free. Speed limits are 120 km/h on motorways, 70-90 km/h on main roads, and 30-50 km/h in towns. The priorité de droite (priority from the right) rule is unique to Belgium — on streets without priority signs, vehicles entering from the right have priority regardless of road size. This catches many foreign drivers off guard and causes accidents.
Fuel costs around €1.65-€1.80 per liter. Belgium has no motorway tolls, which is a pleasant contrast to France and Italy. However, the Liefkenshoek tunnel in Antwerp charges a toll. Road surfaces vary dramatically — some Belgian roads are notoriously poor, especially secondary roads in Wallonia. The blood alcohol limit is 0.5 g/l, and random roadside checks are frequent, especially on weekend nights. Belgium uses both fixed speed cameras and mobile units extensively.
Parking in central Brussels is expensive and complicated by the fact that each of the 19 communes sets its own rules. Pay careful attention to signs, which may be in French, Dutch, or both. For day visits, use underground garages like Parking Albertine (near Mont des Arts) or Parking Grand Place. For longer stays, the P+R Ceria (metro line 5) and P+R Kraainem (metro line 1) offer cheap all-day parking with direct metro access. If driving to Bruges or Ghent for a day trip, park outside those cities too — both have excellent park-and-ride facilities.
You can pick up a rental car at these airports near Brussels:
| Zone | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Zone Rouge (Pentagon/City Center) | €3.50-€5.00/hr | Most expensive zone covering the historic center within the small ring. Pay via 4411 SMS or meters. Maximum 2 hours. |
| Zone Verte (Inner Communes) | €2.00-€3.50/hr | Surrounding neighborhoods like Ixelles, Saint-Gilles, Schaerbeek. Maximum 4.5 hours. Check signs for commune-specific rules. |
| Interparking (Grand Place / Albertine) | €18-€28/day | Underground garages throughout the center. Parking Albertine near the Royal Palace and Parking Grand Place are centrally located. |
Traffic note: Brussels is one of Europe's most congested cities, regularly ranking in the top 5 for traffic delays. The inner ring road (Petite Ceinture) and major tunnels are frequently gridlocked during rush hours (7:30-9:30, 16:30-19:00). The LEZ (Low Emission Zone) covers the entire Brussels-Capital Region — vehicles must meet Euro 4 diesel or Euro 2 petrol standards minimum (tightening yearly). Registration is mandatory at lez.brussels for foreign vehicles. Belgian drivers are notoriously aggressive, and Brussels' complex governance (19 communes, 3 regions) means road rules and parking signs can vary block by block. The priorité de droite (priority from the right) rule applies on many streets without signs — vehicles approaching from the right have priority.
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Compare Prices →The Venice of the North, a UNESCO-listed medieval city with canals, chocolate shops, lace makers, and the Flemish Primitives at the Groeningemuseum. The Markt square and Belfry tower are iconic.
A vibrant university city with a stunning medieval center, the Ghent Altarpiece by Van Eyck at Saint Bavo's Cathedral, a lively food scene, and a car-free historic core along three rivers.
The site of Napoleon's final defeat in 1815. The memorial complex includes the Lion's Mound with panoramic views, the immersive Memorial 1815 museum, and the Hougoumont Farm battlefield.
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