🎒🧭 Backpacker Essentials for Brussels — Budget Travel in Belgium’s Capital!

#backpackeressentials

Welcome to Brussels — where Gothic cathedrals meet comic strips, waffles are everywhere, and backpackers can live large on a small budget. Here’s your must-have guide to doing Brussels right with a backpack, a good pair of shoes, and not much else 💸

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🧳 Packing Essentials
• 🧥 Light Layers + Waterproof Jacket – Brussels weather can change fast. Stay dry!
• 👟 Comfy Walking Shoes – The cobblestone streets of the Old Town will test your soles
• 🎒 Day Pack – For snacks, a water bottle, and spontaneous chocolate purchases 🍫
• 📱 Offline Maps App (like Maps.me) – Great for navigating alleys and transit without data
• 🪪 Student/Youth Card – If you have one, bring it! Many museums and attractions offer discounts
• 🔌 EU Adapter – Standard European two-pin plug
• 🧼 Solid Toiletries – Bar soap, shampoo bars = no liquids + eco-friendly

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💡 Budget-Friendly Backpacker Tips
• 🛏️ Stay in Hostels or Budget Guesthouses
Look around Saint-Géry or Ixelles for central & cool hostels. Some favorites:
– Sleep Well Youth Hostel
– Meininger Brussels City Center
– Jacques Brel Youth Hostel
• 🍽️ Eat Cheap, Eat Local
– Grab frites with sauce at Maison Antoine
– Snack on street waffles for €1–2
– Visit supermarkets like Delhaize or Carrefour for cheap picnic meals
• 🏛️ Free Things to Do
– Admire the Grand Place day & night
– Visit Parc du Cinquantenaire and chill like a local
– Hunt down comic strip murals around the city (there are over 60!)
– Free museums on the first Wednesday or Sunday of the month — including the Magritte Museum and Museum of the City of Brussels!
• 🚇 Get Around Smart
– Use a Brupass or day transport ticket for unlimited rides
– Brussels is very walkable — especially the Old Town and EU Quarter