🎒🧭 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 💸 ⸻ 🧳 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 ⸻ 💡 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