How you read the label of the station in belgium when the language is in France and Dutch?

Yes, Gare Central means main station.

I don't find this map difficult.

You can easily use the citymapper app to find your route in the listed cities.

Rather than main station, I rather think it means city center station, as opposed to city south station (Zuid/Midi) and city north station (Nord/Nord), The real main station is Zuid/Midi, where high speed trains like Eurostar stop. They do not stop at Centraal/Centrale.

Gare Centrale Centraal Station stands for Brussels Centraal station, correct? I find it confusing.

That map uses italics for Dutch and roman font (upright) for French. Gare Centrale is French, Centraal Station is Dutch. I notice the map varies which language comes first, but it does seem to use italics consistently for the Dutch name.

Ghent public https://visit.gent.be/en/good-know/practical-information/getting-around/public-transport-ghent

Bruges public transport: https://www.delijn.be/en/routeplanner/

Antwerp public transport: https://visit.antwerpen.be/en/info/public-transport

A couple of warnings based on my recent experience:

Construction work outside Brussels Central Station has resulted in relocation of some bus stops. There is a large map posted at the original location (called "B") I expected to use, showing where the various buses have moved. The changes, which are not super-recent and look as if they will continue for some time, were not reflected in the CityMapper app. As I posted previously, the high construction barriers around the station to the northeast affect walking routes as well, with sidewalks non-existent. Allow extra time if walking to or from Cental Station on that side. I don't know whether CityMapper's (and Google's) walking routes have been updated, but I would doubt it.

I believe there has been a fairly recent, major realignment of local transit in Ghent. I don't know whether CityMapper's information has been updated for that city. I'd be very cautious about using any published routing information from sources other than the transit company, because it could well be outdated.

There has been a lot of construction work around Ghent station and some bus routes have changed. I believe there is disruption to the trams also. I don't know how bad it is (I don't live in Belgium) but I thought a lot of it would have been over by now as it was a good six months ago that I heard about this.

Lavandula

Thanks for your info - update in change in bus stops and construction around the main train stations and links. Thanks for citymapper app. I will check out asap.

I'm scared that i might be confused by French/Dutch language if i read the network station map there.
I prefer english version which may be helpful.

I got the impression the changes in Ghent were permanent at this point, but I could be mistaken.

J@p28al, the English version of a map might be easier for you to read, but when you are riding on the trains, the signs will all be in French and Flemish, not in English. So I would urge you to familiarize yourself with the names of the stations you are planning to use before your trip.

A Google search of any of the station names will give you more information. For example, if you search for Gare du Midi, you'll find out where it is and what it's called in English.

Brussels is officially bilingual so it’s extremely common to have both languages listed on signs. And sometimes German is thrown in the mix too as it’s the third official language of Belgium. Go with whatever language you’re most comfortable and look for that. The main tourist areas of Brussels are concentrated around Grote Maarkt/Grand Place and within easy walking distance of Centraal Station. The street signs will be in both languages.

Outside of Brussels, the signs will vary depending on which region you’re in. Flanders is all in Dutch, Wallonia is all in French. Everyone is used to both languages and it’s not nearly as confusing as it seems when looking strictly through a guidebook.

Some other major place names:
Brussels = Brussel, Bruxelles
Ghent = Gent, Gand
Bruges = Brugge, Bruges
Antwerp = Antwerpen, Anvers
Ypres = Ieper, Ypres
Mechelen = Mechelen, Malines
Liège = Luik, Liège
Leuven = Leuven, Louvain (there is also Louvain-la-Neuve, which is in Wallonia)
Aachen = Aken, Aix-la-Chappelle
Lille = Rijsel, Lille
Mons = Bergen, Mons

and the list goes on. However, you will probably find that you are more stymied by place names within Brussels (too many to mention here). Good luck, most names are a bit similar or guessable; some of the worst you will find in my list!

Lavandula

Thanks for your wonderful sharing of the Belgium language. It may come useful for me in case. Google translate is useful?

Still, i prefer to read in English. Just curious, I am wondering why Belgium does not prefer English language to be everywhere for the tourists to read for convenience's sake. Only French/Dutch bilingual language.

the English version of a map might be easier for you to read, but when
you are riding on the trains, the signs will all be in French and
Flemish, not in English. So I would urge you to familiarize yourself
with the names of the stations you are planning to use before your
trip.

Thanks for your advice. I'm trying to familiarize with the names of the stations as I can.

They'd need some mighty big signs if they were all in French, Flemish, German and English. Doesn't sound very practical to me.

Don't forget the need to have the signs also include Chinese, Japanese, Urdu, Spanish, and Italian among many others who send many tourists and visitors to Belgium - not least the 26 other members of the EU which is based in Brussels, GerryM

Curious, J@p28al, how many languages are on transport signs in your country?

I am wondering why Belgium does not prefer English language to be everywhere for the tourists to read for convenience's sake. >Only French/Dutch bilingual language.

There is already a lot of English spoken in Belgium, but the concession to have both Dutch and French in Brussels is because Dutch and French are the first languages of the people who live there. It is already complex enough to have two languages, and adding English would pretty much wipe out this concession (so people would not have their mother tongue represented). Language is a very delicate matter in Brussels and the reason for having both of these is so everyone feels like they belong. It is also symbolic, because Brussels as a capital is shared by Flanders and Wallonia (which speak Dutch and French respectively). You would want to live somewhere where you can read place names in your own mother tongue, right?

Lavandula

Apart from the complicated and delicate language issues in Brussels, I would think that most countries in the world are primarily organised in function of their own inhabitants, and not for occasional visitors. Plus, a kmowledge of English is not a requirement for being a tourist in Belgium, so why discriminate against non-English speakers?

Still, i prefer to read in English. Just curious, I am wondering why
Belgium does not prefer English language to be everywhere for the
tourists to read for convenience's sake. Only French/Dutch bilingual
language.

Because the official languages of Belgium are French, Dutch and German.

Why should they add English? The names of the stations are what they are and why are you having problems reading them? Both French and Dutch use the latin alphabet. You can easily look at the map and see how to get to Croix de Guerre/Oorlogskruisen. You don't have to know that the name means War Cross (if I'm not mistaken). I understand a bit of Dutch and my French is very limited, but I've managed to navigate the public transportation system in Brussels without any problems.

Thanks for your info and assurance that we can navigate the public transportation system in Brussels without any problems. I am worried that we might get lost in the maze of transportation and trains. Additionally, someone else advised us to get familiar with the names of the stations we are planning to use before our trip.

Actually my first time to know that Belgium transportation is in Dutch/French version because i had been to France before that transportation is in english, not France. So I thought Belgium may be the same as France. That's why i asked a curious question. That's all.

I mean no offence.

“ Actually my first time to know that Belgium transportation is in Dutch/French version because i had been to France before that transportation is in english, not France.”

In Paris and in the rest of France, the names of train stations are most definitely in French not in English. Gare du Nord, Gare de l’est, Gare de Lyon etc etc etc. So I’m really curious why you would think that they aren’t stated in French.

In France, Paris, I can recognise some familiar names - Effiel Tower, Champ de Mars, Notre-Dame, Versailles. Travel book also use these names of interesting places.

That's all. Thank you.

I'm not discriminating non-English speakers at all.

The fact that you can recognize these names written in French does not mean that they’re written in English. Notre Dame is French for Our Lady. Champ de Mars means Field of Mars etc.
You’ll see that once you’re in Brussels, you’ll start to recognize names there too.

The reason why Belgium is mainly bilingual has a historical reason.

In the 19th and early 20th century Wallonia was the most industrialised and wealthiest region and so French (it’s language) in Belgium dominant. Meaning that the upperclass in Flanders spoke (only) French too. The same for teaching at universities there. Flemish was more for farmers and the working class.

During the course of the 20th century, especially after WW2 Flanders became more industrialised and so more wealthy, while that of Wallonia declined. Flanders economy became dominant. With this the emancipation of Flemish became more and more important. Causing a serious language conflict, still having it’s influence till today.

If you know more about Belgium’s history than you know how tough and painfull this struggle was and still is. Especially defining the location of the language border caused many riots and political upheavel in the past. Nowadays Belgium has a gouvernement for Flanders and one as well for Wallonia, each with it’s own language. Brussels is an exception, has it’s own gouvernment too, but is bilingual, Having political reperesentatives from Flanders as well as Wallonia. To keep this working is a serious balancing act.

There is also a relativily small, but official community in the eastern part of Belgium close to the German border spreaking German. So adding English as an official language will make everything more difficult in an already mindbogling complicated situation. However Brussels being the capital of the EU and home to NATO headquarters it's obvious that English is much spoken there too.

In France, Paris, I can recognise some familiar names - Effiel Tower,
Champ de Mars, Notre-Dame, Versailles.

But there no station called Eiffel Tower. There is however an RER station called Champ de Mars - Tour Eiffel. The fact that you recognise the names doesn't change the fact that they are in French. And if you're able to use the metro in Paris, where the names are in French, I can't see why French names would be a problem in Brussels.

I am wondering why Belgium does not prefer English language to be everywhere for the tourists to read for convenience's sake.

Because it's their country and they use their own official languages.

Those few times I was in train stations in Belgium, I always read the signs in French, German, and English, if need be., likewise with listening and paying attention to the loudspeaker.

Relying on just English is not going to work, the signs now appear in France esp. Paris in Chinese and Spanish as do the loudspeaker announcements in Spanish.

On multi-lingual signs, explanations on plaques, etc. I was surprise to see in Nogent-sur-Seine, not too far from Paris, the explanations on this historical event in 1814 given in French , obviously, German, English, and Russian too. Lots of historical plaques, explanations are tri-lingual, French English, and German in France.

Thanks for your educational sharing. I appreciate it. I just realised that Gare du Midi (Brussels) is similar to Paris - Gare du Nord. Look at the word - "Gare". It is French word that i do not realise all along. I thought Gare du Nord is the name of a place. I learn something new.

https://www.brusselstimes.com/1182095/brussels-central-metro-station-to-nearly-double-in-area-by-2027
The final phase from late 2025 to autumn 2027 will focus on the station’s interior renovation, with the total cost of the renovation is expected to reach €35 million.

https://www.stib-mivb.be/travel/works-and-projects/works-in-progress/central-station

Brussels Central station will be ready by autumn 2027.

A question on my mind is, will the construction near Brussels Central station and hotels nearby be more noisy and more dusty and cause confusion if tourists come out of Central station to find the nearby hotels? Will the Grand Place be affected by the construction?

Gare means station in French, and you'll find a Gare du Nord (North station) in Brussels as well as Gare du Midi and many other station. But is seems like you managed to navigate Paris without knowing that.

Belgium has 3 administrative languages. In addition to the 2 mentioned above, the 3rd one is German.

For those of you wanting to understand a bit more about language tensions in Belgium, read Wil from Ijzendijke's comment above. It is a very good summary of the historical background.
Being Flemish and old enough to have participated in the political movements towards the establishment of the linguistic border between Flanders and Wallonia in 1962, and the split of the Leuven university in a Dutch/Flemish and French part in 1968, it is still an emotional issue for me, and I could never have made such a succinct and factual summary. Thanks, Wil.

veerle3 - Thank you for your moving response. You’re welcome. I feel sorry to hear how painful “de taalstrijd” (language conflict) was and still is for you.

The reason I know a few things about Belgium is, is that my parents had much contact with relatives in your country. So grew up with interest about things happening across the border. We often watched the BRT (Belgian Radio and Television) and so followed the news too and with that the issues about “de taalstrijd”. So I know about it’s complications, but reading your post I realise now how much it effects people’s lives.

Folks, this is a reminder to make sure that your replies remain polite. Most here were polite, but i've edited a few posts to make sure we're at our best. Consider that if English was your second language, and your first language did not use a latin alphabet, there will be a learning curve when visiting other countries with languages that use latin alphabets, especially for newer travelers.

Thanks to all the help everyone is providing the OP.