Belgium by campervan: food and supermarkets
Where to buy food in Belgium, which supermarkets to use, opening hours and practical tips for eating on the road. What to know before you go.
Published 18 September 2026Last checked 19 September 2026
Currency
Euro
EUR. Cards everywhere. Bancontact is the local scheme
Language
Dutch, French, German
Dutch in Flanders, French in Wallonia, both in Brussels
Driving
Right
Motorway 120 km/h, 90 km/h over 3.5 tonnes
Power
230V, type E
The socket has an earth pin. Check your hookup lead
Tap water
Safe to drink
Ask for kraantjeswater or eau du robinet
Emergency
112
Police 101. Doctor on call 1733
Food and shops
Food and shops
Shop before 19:00 and you will never have a problem, and if you miss it there is a night shop. Belgian supermarkets generally run from around 08:00 or 09:00 to 19:00 or 20:00, later in city centres and shorter in villages. What saves you is the nachtwinkel or night shop, a Belgian institution that opens in the evening and stays open late, in almost every town of any size. It is expensive and it is always there.
Where to shop
- Best value: Aldi or Lidl.
- Full range: Carrefour or Delhaize.
- Camper access: Carrefour hypermarkets and retail-park stores are easiest for larger vans.
Supermarkets, and what each is for
| Chain | Good for | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Colruyt | The cheapest full range shop in the country, and the one Belgians use for the weekly load. | Warehouse fit-out, crates rather than shelves. Big car parks |
| Delhaize | The widest range and the best fresh counters. | Proxy Delhaize is the small town centre format |
| Carrefour | Hypermarkets out of town and Carrefour Express in the centres. | The out of town ones are the easiest to reach in a van |
| Aldi and Lidl | Cheapest basics and good value fresh produce. | Smaller ranges, easy parking |
| Okay and Spar | The village and coastal shops. | Often the only shop in a small place. Prices reflect that |
Eating without spending badly
- The frituur is the point. Fries cooked twice, a paper cone, and a wall of sauces. It is the cheapest proper meal in Belgium and it is not a tourist thing.
- A dagschotel or plat du jour is the dish of the day in an ordinary cafe and the cheapest sit-down lunch you will find.
Stocking the campervan
- Beer, chocolate, bread and cheese are excellent and reasonable. Almost everything else costs about what it does in the Netherlands.
- Sort gas out at home. Belgian bottle fittings and exchange schemes are their own system, so refillable tanks with an adapter set are far less trouble than hunting for a swap.
