Stay Connected in Belgium
Network coverage, costs, and options
Connectivity Overview
Belgium's actually got pretty solid connectivity infrastructure, which makes sense given it's home to EU headquarters and a major business hub. You'll find 4G coverage across most of the country, and 5G is rolling out in Brussels, Antwerp, and other major cities. The main carriers—Proximus, Orange Belgium, and Base—all offer decent coverage, though you might notice some dead spots in rural areas or the Ardennes forest region. WiFi is widely available in hotels, cafes, and restaurants, often free but sometimes requiring a purchase. For travelers, the biggest decision is usually between grabbing an eSIM before you arrive or picking up a local SIM at the airport. Both work fine, honestly—it just depends on whether you value convenience or want to save a few euros.
Get Connected Before You Land
We recommend Airalo for peace of mind. Buy your eSIM now and activate it when you arrive—no hunting for SIM card shops, no language barriers, no connection problems. Just turn it on and you're immediately connected in Belgium.
Network Coverage & Speed
Belgium's mobile network is pretty mature, with three main players dominating the market. Proximus is the legacy carrier with the most extensive coverage—they reach about 99% of the population and have the best rural penetration. Orange Belgium and Base (which is actually part of Telenet) offer competitive urban coverage and tend to be slightly cheaper. All three have 4G networks that work well for streaming, video calls, and navigation. 5G is available in Brussels and other cities, though coverage is still patchy and you'll likely spend most of your time on 4G anyway.
Network speeds are generally good—you can expect 20-50 Mbps on 4G in cities, which is more than enough for most travel needs. That said, coverage does thin out once you're in the countryside or hiking in the Ardennes. It's not terrible, but you might find yourself dropping to 3G or losing signal entirely in valleys. Worth noting that Belgium is small enough that you're never too far from civilization, so extended dead zones aren't really a concern unless you're properly off the beaten path.
How to Stay Connected
eSIM
eSIM is probably the smoothest option for most travelers to Belgium. You set it up before you leave home, and the moment you land in Brussels, you've got data—no hunting for SIM card shops, no dealing with language barriers or shop hours. Providers like Airalo offer Belgium-specific plans and EU-wide options if you're visiting multiple countries, which is common given Belgium's location. Prices typically run around €5-15 for a week with 1-5GB, which is honestly decent for a short trip.
The main downside is cost—local SIMs are cheaper if you're on a tight budget. But the convenience factor is real. You can activate everything from your hotel the night before you fly, and you're not dealing with physical cards or worrying about losing a tiny piece of plastic. Your phone needs to support eSIM (most newer iPhones and Android flagships do), so check that first. For trips under two weeks, eSIM just makes sense unless you're really counting every euro.
Local SIM Card
If you want to go the local SIM route, you've got options at Brussels Airport right when you land—there are shops for all three major carriers in the arrivals hall. You can also find SIMs at supermarkets (Carrefour, Delhaize), electronics stores, and carrier shops throughout the city. You'll need your passport to register, which is standard EU procedure.
Pricing is competitive—prepaid SIMs start around €10-15 for a month with 5-10GB, sometimes more during promotions. Orange Belgium's "Holiday" prepaid cards are popular with tourists, and Base often has decent deals. Activation is usually straightforward, though some SIMs take a few hours to fully activate. The main hassle is just the time investment—finding a shop, dealing with the purchase, swapping your physical SIM card. It's not difficult, but it's another task when you've just landed and probably want to get to your hotel.
Comparison
Here's the honest breakdown: Local SIM is cheapest (€10-15/month), eSIM is most convenient (€5-15/week), and roaming depends entirely on your home carrier. If you're from the EU, roaming is included and costs nothing extra—that's obviously your best bet. For everyone else, eSIM wins on convenience while local SIM wins on price for longer stays. Roaming from outside the EU is usually expensive enough that you'll want to avoid it. The sweet spot? eSIM for trips under two weeks, local SIM if you're staying a month or more.
Staying Safe on Public WiFi
Belgium's cafes, hotels, and airports all offer WiFi, but public networks are inherently risky—especially for travelers who are constantly logging into banking apps, booking sites, and email accounts full of passport information. Hotel WiFi in particular tends to be poorly secured, and airport networks are notorious hunting grounds for data interception.
The issue isn't really about hackers in black hoodies—it's that open networks let anyone see unencrypted traffic. When you're checking your bank balance or entering credit card details for a train ticket, that data can potentially be intercepted. A VPN like NordVPN creates an encrypted tunnel for your connection, which means even on sketchy airport WiFi, your data stays private. It's worth having for travel generally, not just Belgium—think of it as insurance for your digital life when you're away from home. Not trying to be alarmist, but the risk is real enough that basic protection makes sense.
Protect Your Data with a VPN
When using hotel WiFi, airport networks, or cafe hotspots in Belgium, your personal data and banking information can be vulnerable. A VPN encrypts your connection, keeping your passwords, credit cards, and private communications safe from hackers on the same network.
Our Recommendations
First-time visitors: Go with an eSIM from Airalo. You'll land with working data, which means you can pull up directions, message your hotel, and call an Uber without the stress of finding a SIM shop in an unfamiliar airport. The convenience factor when you're jet-lagged and navigating a new place is genuinely worth the few extra euros.
Budget travelers: Local SIM is technically cheaper—you'll save maybe €5-10 on a week-long trip. If you're on an absolutely threadbare budget, that matters. But honestly, the time you'll spend finding a shop and dealing with activation might not be worth the savings. eSIM lets you hit the ground running.
Long-term stays (1+ months): Local SIM makes sense here. The monthly prepaid plans offer better value, and you'll have time to deal with the setup process. Plus you'll get a Belgian number for local contacts.
Business travelers: eSIM is the only real option. Your time is worth more than the cost difference, and immediate connectivity when you land is essential. Set it up before you leave and don't think about it again.
Our Top Pick: Airalo
For convenience, price, and safety, we recommend Airalo. Purchase your eSIM before your trip and activate it upon arrival—you'll have instant connectivity without the hassle of finding a local shop, dealing with language barriers, or risking being offline when you first arrive. It's the smart, safe choice for staying connected in Belgium.
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