More tips from readers on getting the most out of living in Belgium.

Solving cross-border problems

SOLVIT is a user-friendly online service, free of charge, designed to help EU citizens and businesses find solutions to their internal market problems.

SOLVIT is located online at http://ec.europa.eu/solvit/

Best regards,
Kathrine Jacobs
Hill & Knowlton International Belgium

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Car insurance

In regard to your excellent article on car insurance in Belgium, you might also like to warn your readers that contracts are valid for a year and can only be rescinded if three months notice is given.

Hence, the UK idea of shopping around when the policy is due for renewal does not apply in Belgium.  Even if you change companies having given the appropriate notice, you can only make the transfer effective when you show the old company the insurance policy with the new company.

I was recently caught out by this stipulation and have had to continue with an outrageously priced policy just because I did not give the three months notice. 

Regards,
James Howie

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Cheap phone calls

Here is an easy to use alternative for Belgacom users looking for cheap international calls.

Unfortunately, the website is only in French and Dutch, but the system is easy to use.
 
http://www.belkraker.be/index2.php
http://www.belkraker.be/index2.php?language=francais
 
Charge an amount of money to your account by dialing one of the numbers:
 
0909 99 105 (EUR 1 per call), 0909 99 305 (EUR 2.48 per call) or 0909 99 406 (EUR 6.2 per call). The amount is immediately available and will show as one call for that amount on your account.
 
Then you dial a toll free number 0800 50043. Wait to get a dial tone and then dial 00 and the rest of the international number as per usual.

There is a complete list of fees on the site, but here are some of the prices:

Australia (landline) 1 cent / minute
Australia (mobile) 25 cents / min
Ireland [national rate] (landline) 25 cents / min
Ireland (landline) 4 cents / min
Ireland (mobile) 25 cents / min
UK (landline) 1 cent / min
UK (mobile) 16 cents / min
UK [0845 rate] (landline) 9 cents / min
UK [national rate] (landline) 9 cents / min
UK [personal] (landline) 9 cents / min

There is a 5 euro cents connection cost.
 
Regards,
Liesel.

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Life in Ghent

Living in Ghent is very unlike being on holiday here, it's very expensive and hard to meet and make friends.

Students go home during the weekends and the people leftover are in their late 20s onwards and if you aren't in a group, it's hard to get into one.
 
But it's a very safe city and on the whole it's friendly!
 
Telenet is simple and fairly priced. There are numbers and advertisements everywhere for them!
 
Yours sincerely
R. B. Jones

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Fitness nutrition

I have a tip for fitness aficionados because when I arrived in Belgium to live in Brugge two years ago, I couldn’t find any supplements related to sport nutrition and fitness such as protein milkshakes, low carb bars when you skip a meal, etc.

I have to watch both what I eat and my weight and gained quite a few kilograms in the first few years here. But I have now found a small shop with health and nutrition supplements that will help you when you are into working out, weight lifting, aerobics or just taking better care of your body.

The shop is called Nutriplanet and is located at Gentpoortstraat 62 in Brugge. Ph: +32 (0)50 338 600. Online: http://nutriplanet.be.

It has a great selection of protein milkshakes, pre-workout shakes and bars and also vitamins, etc. Very complete. The shop knows all you need to know, even giving information on workout plans and nutrition advice.

It is perhaps not for everyone, but at least people who live in Brugge and vicinity. I highly recommend it!

Best regards,
Claudia Mills.

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Food from home

Just thought you might like to know where you can get British, American and other products, including Vegemite, bagels (you can even get bagels in Delhaize) and lots more …

http://www.stonemanor.uk.com/Home.htm

Regards,
Name withheld

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15 August 2006

[Copyright Expatica 2006]

Subject: Living in Belgium