Brussels ★

Getting around: The airport train (Zaventem) to Brussels-Central takes about 17-18 minutes, roughly every 10 minutes until midnight, but requires a separate Airport2City ticket (~€7.90 contactless). Within the city, STIB-MIVB metro, tram and buses cover the tourist core well; a single ride is €2.60, with a ~€8.50 contactless daily cap, or an €8 24-hour pass. The historic core around Grand Place is entirely walkable. Uber and taxis operate too, but traffic often makes the train/metro faster to and from the airport.

Halal & prayer places: Among the highest halal densities in Europe. Molenbeek-Saint-Jean (21+ mosques, including Al-Khalil Mosque, Belgium's largest) and the Charleroi-quarter near Gare du Midi have abundant halal restaurants and butchers at low prices (~€7-15 a meal). Schaerbeek, especially Chaussée de Haecht, is the city's Turkish heartland, dense with halal bakeries, butchers and kebab restaurants. Brussels is estimated to have 300+ halal restaurants overall, reflecting its large Moroccan and Turkish communities.

Local safety: Same as country →

Cost figures: 2026 prices: a cone of frites €3.5-5, a casual/fast meal ~€10, a mid-range restaurant main ~€24 (traditional moules-frites €18-27), a single metro/tram ride €2.60 (contactless daily cap ~€8.50), the airport train ticket €7.90, an adult Atomium ticket ~€17-18.