Your Belgian Adventure Starts Here: Car Hire at Ostend-Bruges Airport

If you hold an EU/EEA driving licence, you can drive in Belgium directly. Non-EU licence holders need an International Driving Permit (IDP) alongside their national licence—without it, you risk a fine of up to €4,000. An IDP costs around £15-20 and is valid for one year. Most rental companies will not hand over keys without one if your licence isn't in one of the EU languages.

Belgian motorways max out at 120 km/h, dropping to 90 km/h on regional roads and 50 km/h in built-up areas like Ostend city centre. Speed cameras (marked with a yellow camera icon) are common on highways and urban roads, with fines starting at €50 for exceeding the limit by 10 km/h. Unlike the UK, Belgium uses average-speed checks on certain stretches, so don't speed up after passing a camera.

Yes—parking in central Ostend and near the beachfront costs €2-3 per hour in summer (June-August), and many meters only accept card payment. Beach-area car parks charge up to €25 per day during peak season. Your cheapest option is the Park & Ride at the coast tram station (around €3 per day), then take the tram into town. Always check signage carefully—parking on yellow lines incurs an instant €50 fine.

Winter tyres are not legally required in Belgium, but they're strongly recommended from November to March if you're driving inland to the Ardennes or crossing into Germany or France where they are mandatory. Coastal Ostend itself rarely gets heavy snow, but icy patches on bridges and minor roads are common after frost. Snow chains are not practical on Belgian roads—opt for winter tyres instead. Rental companies charge approximately €15-20 per day for winter-tyre equipped cars.

Most Belgian petrol stations accept credit and debit cards, though some unmanned stations only take Maestro or local Bancontact cards. Diesel (gazole) is significantly cheaper than petrol in Belgium—expect to pay around €1.50-1.70 per litre. Unleaded 95 costs approximately €1.65-1.85 per litre. If you're renting, check whether the car runs on diesel or petrol before filling up—mixing the wrong fuel will cost you dearly.

The minimum age to rent in Belgium is generally 21, though some premium and sports cars require 25. Drivers aged 21-24 are classified as young drivers and typically pay a surcharge of €25-35 per day on top of the rental rate. Drivers under 21 cannot rent from most companies. If you're over 70, check with the rental company—some apply a senior driver surcharge or require additional documentation.