Life in Brussels (original) (raw)
Life in BrusselsOlivier Demeurisse2021-07-22T17:06:28+02:00
Accommodation
Finding a place to rent in an unknown city might be a tough task, so here are some tips to ease your research!
An affordable option would be a “kot” – a room or a “colloc” – a shared apartment in the “Belgian” French vocabulary. Check the options listed below in order to find a great place in Brussels!
You can try to find accommodation near your campus:
- Schaerbeek (1030) for Reyers campus (audiovisual and communication department) : https://www.helb-prigogine.be/campus-reyers/
- Anderlecht (1070) for Erasme campus (social and health departments) : https://www.helb-prigogine.be/campus-erasme/
- Ixelles (1050) again for La Plaine campus (computer programming and applied electronics department) : https://www.helb-prigogine.be/campus-plaine/
Or, if you’re looking for a student neighborhood:
Head to Ixelles, which is the heart of the student life. You can catch the student vibe near the “Cimetière d’Ixelles”, or near “Place Flagey”.
Or, if you’re coming for an internship:
Maybe the best idea is to find accommodation near your placement.
Bus, subway, tramways
The student STIB subscription will allow you to take the subway, the tramways, and the bus, inside the Brussels-Capital region for €50/year.
What do you have to do? Grab your registration papers (given by the school administration department) and go to a STIB Bootik in order to create your subscription!
Want to know more about the student STIB subscription?
Trains
You can travel all around Belgium with the SNCB (FR)/ NMBS (NL) Do you want to visit Belgium, and you are under 26 the Go pass is made for you! Want to know more about the GO pass? Check this
Cabs
Collecto is a €5 taxi ride-sharing service, available 7 days a week between 11 pm and 6 am in the Brussels-Capital region. Want to know more about Collecto? Check this
Heetch is the cheapest pro driver app: available 24/7, fixed prices, cash or credit card payments allowed. Want to know more about Heetch? Check this
Uber is an app that offers 24/7 rides credit card payments or PayPal allowed. Want to know more about Uber? Check this
Two-wheeled vehicles
Electric bike :
JUMP app : €1 to unlock the bike then the ride is €0.15/min. Credit card payments. Want to know more about JUMP? Check this
VILLO app : €4.15/month Debit card or credit card payments. Want to know more about VILLO? Check this
Electric scooter :
Lime app : You pay €1 to unlock the scooter then the ride is €0.28/min. Credit card payments or PayPal Want to know more about LIME? Check this
Health
Don’t forget your European health insurance card!
If you’re not European, check your health insurance policy before leaving.
♥ Health Emergency?
Call an ambulance at the 112 phone number.
Treatment Centre for Poisoning Cases call the 070 245 245 number.
♥ Searching for a doctor?
Visit Geomed website and find the specialist you need.
♥ Looking for a hospital?
- Public hospitals: The IRIS network includes 11 public hospitals in Brussels.
- Private hospitals: The CHIREC network includes 7 private hospitals in Brussels.
Activities
The city of Brussels is very dynamic, cosmopolitan and young!
Want to know all about its nightlife, its restaurants, and other activities?
- Check br u ssels’s website to discover the major must go places and activities!
Want to be updated on the cultural activities in Brussels?
Download the I goto App!
Afraid to feel alone?
Join the Erasmus Community!
Looking for student parties?
Join us in Ixelles, in the famous student neighborhood called “Cimetière d’Ixelles”. There you’ll find many bars, restaurants and of course one of the campuses of the University of Brussels.
Want to discover the local student culture?
From Monday to Thursday, go to a famous “TD”, located at la Jefke, or in the Alma Campus for the “mémés”, drink cheap beer and discover the local students’ culture…
If you prefer to share a drink with some friends, go to the “Cimetière d’Ixelles”, or its neighborhood, or to the city center of Brussels, where many nightclubs are located to awaken your inner dancer…
Want to discover typical Belgian dishes?
Want to discover typical Belgian beers?
Smart Shopping
Want to go grocery shopping? Looking for a good deal? Need some new clothes?
Check out our recommendations:
1/ Supermarkets
Maybe for some of you it seems an obvious choice, because you have the same ones in your country, but certainly not all of you!
Here are the ones we have:
Cheap: LIDL, Aldi
Affordable: Carrefour (5% discount at Carrefour Ixelles Chaussée de Boondael!)
A bit more expensive: Delhaize
2/ Marché du midi
Do you like choosing your favorite vegetables and fruits by yourself? One of the most popular markets in Brussels (and quite crowded!) is Marché du midi, a place where you can go grocery shopping or buy useful objects at very affordable prices. You can find there the first necessity products, clothes, plants… everything at a low price!
3/ L’épicerie sociale ULB
Located on the Solbosch Campus of the ULB in Ixelles, it proposes groceries for only 4 euros for those most in need.
Meeting point: every Saturday at 5:30 PM. More information in just one click
4/ Too good to go and OptiMiam
These apps available on AppStore and Google Play propose a list of restaurants, hotels and other grocery stores which don’t want to waste food, so they sell it at very low prices. You book, you pay, and you receive a notification when the time to pick up your food has arrived. Cool, huh?
5/ Shopping at Rue Neuve
If you need some new clothes or a gift for a friend, a good place for shopping is Rue Neuve, located in the heart of Brussels. You have plenty of choices: the well-known clothing brands such as Zara, H&M or Primark but also smaller shops.