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Outdoorsy types tend to head straight for the Ardennes, Belgium's year-round outdoor playground. Here you can ski in winter and in summer kayak or go hiking or mountain biking (using a vélo tout terrain, or VTT) along a good network of forest tracks. Another worthy attraction are the prehistoric limestone grottoes and caves in the area (particularly around the towns of Han-sur-Lesse, Rochefort and Dinant), which offer plenty of scope for subterranean explorers.

Currency: Belgian franc, euro

Meals

• Budget: US$7-10

• Mid-range: US$10-25

• Top-end: US$25 and upwards
  
  Lodging
  

• Budget: US$30-40

• Mid-range: US$40-70

• Top-end: US$80 and upwards

Being a pocket-size sort of country, Belgium is cheap to get around in, but budget hotels are both rare and heavily booked - especially in summer. On the food front, eating out is far better for your palate than it is for your wallet. Travelling modestly, you could survive on $30 per day. But if you don't fancy sleeping in public toilets, figure on at least $50 per day.

Banks are the best place to change your money, charging around US$4 commission on travellers' cheques. Out of hours, there are the less generous exchange bureaus. All major credit cards are widely accepted. Tipping isn't obligatory, and haggling is not exactly a national pastime.