7 Essential Tips for Commission Stagiaires: Surviving Your first weeks in Brussels 🇪🇺

 

We often welcome Schuman trainees at Morton Place during the busy March and October stagiaire season. Based on our 15 years of experience welcoming newcomers to Brussels, here are some of our most commonly asked questions and top tips for quickly settling into your new city.

 

🚇 Public Transport: Navigating the City with Ease

The Brussels transportation system goes by the acrobym STIB/MIVB, covering metros, trams, and buses. The metro has a bit of a 70’s feel, and the music playing in the stations is odd, but it works.

 

For trainees commuting daily, the MOBIB card is the best option. You can choose between a Personal MOBIB Card, which is linked to your name and allows for monthly or annual passes, or a MOBIB Basic Card, which is anonymous and only reloadable with individual tickets.

To make your arrival smoother, you can order your MOBIB card online in advance via the STIB website and have it ready when you arrive. Alternatively, you can purchase it at BOOTIK sales outlets, KIOSK service desks, or GO vending machines in metro stations.

If you expect to use public transport regularly, a monthly pass (€49 for under-26s, €58 standard)  pays off if you take more than 26 trips a month, which is easily reached if you commute to the Commission or Parliament every day plus explore the city.

Tip: The Mobib card does not get you to the airport, for that you need to buy a special Airport Supplement.

 

🚲 Cycling & E-Scooters: for the brave?

Brussels is getting used to sharing the road with bicycles and scooters, but it can some times be tricky! If you are one of the brave there are a couple of options:

Villo! provides both regular and electric bikes at docking stations across the city

Dott and Lime offer dockless e-bikes and e-scooters.

If you want a bike without the hassle of maintenance,  Swapfiets is a popular subscription service with signature blue wheeled bikes—offering a personal bike for a monthly fee, with free repairs included.

Tip:  Some communes, such as Uccle, Watermael-Boitsfort, and Woluwe-Saint-Pierre, don’t allow you to drop off shared bikes and scooters. Be sure to check the app map before ending your ride to avoid extra fees.

🛒 Where to Shop for Groceries & Fresh Food

Supermarkets in Brussels vary from budget-friendly options such as the international chains Lild and Aldi, Colruyt is a popular local alternative. Mid and higher end stores are Intermarché,  Carrefour and Delhaize.

 

A good way to discover the city is to take in the popular  markets in Flagey (Sundays), Chatelain (Wednesdays), and Parvis de Saint-Gilles (Thursday-Saturday) to stock up on fruits, vegetables, cheeses, and enjoy the popular drinks and nibbles stands.

🍽️ Eating Out & Food Delivery

Lunch at the commission can vary from eating in the staff canteen to heading out to the numerous cafés and restaurants in the EU quarter.

If you want to order food in for the evenings UberEats and Deliveroo are the more popular Apps.

🚑 Healthcare & Emergencies

Before arriving in Brussels, it’s a good idea to bring copies of your medical prescriptions, including those for glasses, regular meds, or essential treatments. While pharmacies are easy to find (just look for a green cross sign), not all are open late. If you need one outside regular hours, you can find the nearest on-duty pharmacy at Pharmacie.be.

For general healthcare, BruCare and MediTeam offer English-speaking doctors, while the emergency number 112 connects you to police, fire, and ambulance services.

💳 Banking: Avoiding Fees & Finding Cash 

Most places in Brussels accept contactless payments, but it’s worth checking whether your foreign bank charges transaction fees before you start tapping away. Some international banks also restrict Apple Pay and Google Pay abroad, so it’s a good idea to check yours before arriving. Paying with  QR codes is popular and is called “CONIQ”.

Many of our residents recommend Wise and Revolut for managing international payments with no foreign transaction fees, excellent exchange rates, and Apple Pay compatibility. If you prefer to open a local Belgian account, ING, KBC, and BNP Paribas Fortis are the most popular banks, but if you are only staying for a few months, its unlikely to be worth the hassle

Tip: If you need cash, banks no longer have ATM’s, look for a CASH point: an interbank ATM network all over the city.

🏡 Where to Buy Essential Bedroom & Home Items

If you need to quickly set up your bedroom with essentials, check out these affordable and easy-to-access stores:

• HEMA– Dutch shop which as all household essentials. Great for duvets, pillows, towels, and home essentials, with locations on Avenue Louise and Rue Neuve so nearby to the EU quarter.
• Action– A discount store selling cheap bedding, storage boxes, and kitchen essentials.
• Carrefour Hypermarket– Large supermarkets that sell bedding and homeware.

A bit further out is IKEA Anderlecht, if you prefer the Swedish superstore!

If you’re arriving late or don’t have time to shop in person, click & collect services at IKEA, HEMA, and Carrefour can be a convenient solution.

 

 

 

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