How safe is Belgium for travelers?

Pickpocketing is the real risk

• Brussels-Central and Brussels-Midi stations are the hotspots, along with the Grand Place, the Atomium and the metro at night.
• Thieves work in groups and use distraction - bumping into you on a busy street, a spilled drink, a map held out for help.
• Brussels-Midi has a poor reputation after dark. It is the Eurostar station and the area immediately outside it is not where to wander with luggage late at night.
• Carry a small amount of cash and only the cards you need. Keep bags closed and in front of you on the metro.

The ID rule again

• You must be able to prove your identity in a public place - fines run from EUR 26 to EUR 500, and a foreign national without documents may be held up to 24 hours.
• This cuts against the usual anti-theft advice. The compromise most visitors settle on is carrying the passport in a secure inside pocket rather than a bag, so it is on you but not easily lifted.

Everything else

• Violent crime against visitors is rare and Belgium is a low-risk country overall.
• Demonstrations happen in Brussels regularly, particularly in the European quarter and around Gare du Nord. They are usually peaceful; walk away from any that is not.
• Traffic is the underrated danger. Belgian drivers have a poor European road-safety record, and the priority-to-the-right rule at unmarked junctions catches out visitors who assume a main road has priority. It usually does not.