Events
5 things to consider before your trip to Oktoberfest
Oktoberfest is the biggest folk fest in the world and a definitive expat bucket-list destination. Expat Club has been traveling to Munich for Oktoberfest for 3 years, and so we have learned a few things along the way. Here are a few you have to consider when planning your trip to Oktoberfest. There will be crowds It doesn’t get to be the biggest folk fest in the world without huge crowds descending into town to enjoy the festivities. The Wiesn (as the locals refer to the fairgrounds) sees thousands of visitors every single day during the 16 to 18 days-long celebration. With such crowds, it can be a bit overwhelming to try to enjoy this remarkable event. Careful planning will be critical for you to enjoy the experience fully. Famous beer tents will sell out fast They say Oktoberfest...
Time to sign up
A new year has begun. It’s not only time to think about new year’s resolutions, but also about the plans for Expat Club. Our international community is growing very fast. There are more events on the calendar than ever before, including local socialising events, lectures, workshops and walks. And there are more trips to increasingly more destinations. Most important, we have also more members hosting events. If you feel like becoming part of our members team, read this article. Also our online community is growing fast and especially for this aspect of Expat Club we have big plans. Some things will change on the website and our RSVP policy. Here are a few points: Every member will need a clear picture. No distant pics, no covered faces, no cats or any other item, just a neat pi...
Our coaches
Expat Club doesn’t operate its own coaches for obvious reasons. Just like airplanes need to fly, coaches need to be on the road as much as possible to justify their high purchase and maintenance costs. Did you know that a new bus costs anywhere between €250.000 and €500.000? Indeed, they cost as much as a nice apartment in Brussels. Such buses are real “workhorses”, travelling continuously between Belgium and holiday destinations in Spain, Italy and Croatia, adding up sometimes over 300.000 kilometers per year! Needless to say that coach manufacturers such as MAN, Setra and Belgium’s own top producer Van Hool are investing a lot in the technical quality the engines and other parts. Every two years Belgium hosts the world’s most important coach exhibition Buswo...
Expat Club Christmas Trips
In 2016 we organises for the 4th year trips to some of the best Christmas markets that we can reach in a day. We started in 2013 with fantastic trips to Düsseldorf and Paris. In 2014 we added Cologne and Lille. Last year (2015) we skipped Lille, but added Monschau, Canterbury and Aachen. This we year are proud to present Lille again on our calendar and add four new destinations: Maastricht, Trier, Valkenburg and even a weekend trip to Strasbourg. All our trips are carried out with 4* coaches with more leg space than the usual Belgian buses. All coaches have reclining comfort seats with footrests, an on-board toilet, air-conditioning and several flatscreens. We normally gather at Place Schuman, and depending on the destination we may also stop elsewhere in town (e.g. Louise, Midi and Yser) ...
Save on our daytrips
Expat Club delivers great value for money for its events in Brussels and its daytrips to every corner of Belgium and many destinations in surrounding countries. We travel with luxury coaches with extra leg space, you’ll be served some drinks and snacks, we arrange professionally guided tours, reserve lunches and diners, and organise (group) entrance to museums or other places. Most important you’ll enjoy this day with like-minded expats who love doing the same things that you do. Wouldn’t it be great if you could join these trips and save some money? Here are a few tips to pay less for your next Expat Club daytrip: New member discounts Early bird discounts Newsletter discounts Child discounts Special discounts Group discounts New member discount The quickest way to save €...
Two weekly coffee mornings
Good times happen over coffee! It’s a funny picture that we use for our coffee mornings on Monday at JAT’ Café. On a weekly basis we welcome between 10 and 25 people for some informal conversations and to start off the week in a positive way. Where else in Brussels can you find such a diverse mix of people from all over the world? We are frequented by a rare mix of entrepreneurs, trailing spouses, (doctoral) students, retired expats, writers and poets, expats in between jobs, lost travellers, and frequently by members with a regular job that just want to take a day off. So next time you are free on Monday, just hop in to that great bar on Rue de Namur (between Place Royal and Porte de Namur). In the past we also organised regular coffee mornings in the Natural Caffè on Rue Mont...
Christmas Trips 2015
Expat Club will again visit several wonderful places to celebrate the Christmas season. Our Christmas Markets trips are for everyone, from young to old. On our previous trips we welcomed single expats, couples, families and groups, in all age categories, from all walks of life and from all nationalities. This is what makes these days so memorable. On top of that we always arrange professionally guided tours, a lunch and an optional program, of course before we reconvene at one of the Glühwein stands. Getting curious about our program? Well, here it is! Saturday 21 November – Disneyland® Paris We visit Disneyland® Park and Walt Disney Studios® Park. We’ll be staying there until the closing of the park at 22h00, so you’ll have the chance to see the famous Main Street Parad...
The Early Bird Catches the Worm
Expat Club delivers great value for its trips and events we organise. And to give you the best value for money we encourage you to book early. For virtually all our (paid) events we have an early-bird offer available. For the trips you can get an attractive discount of €10 to € 30 if you book up to 10 days in advance. That’s easy money! For local events, such as museum and comedy nights, the early bird offer ends usually 2-5 days in advance and could be anywhere from €2,50 to €25. On our new website it is easy to see until when you can enjoy the lower fee. On the Events Calendar page and the individual event pages you can now simply see when the early bird offer ends. Always make sure to book on the date mentioned. So if it ends on Wed 2 Sepr, then make sure to book your ticket on th...
Now weekly: Café Lundi
Since fall 2014 we have been organising regular coffee mornings in JAT’ Café on Rue de Namur, close to Place Royale. As our group is continuously growing and many regulars were asking to organise even more coffee meetings, we are very pleased to announce a longer-term partnership with the JAT’ Café. From now on you are welcome to join us for your favourite coffee every Monday between 10h30 and 12h30. Please make sure to check our upcoming events calendar first as we may skip a week in special circumstances. The new name of our Monday coffee mornings is Café Lundi. It is frequented by a wide variety of international minds, including expat spouses, entrepreneurs and freelancers, temporarily unemployed, expat travellers, and locals. We welcome everybody with an open mind who just...