A strike on the 12th, a demonstration on the 9th: Belgium in October, and what to check
What happened
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office updated its travel advice for Belgium on 25 September 2026 to add information about a planned strike. The advice states that a public sector strike is planned for Monday 12 October, and that this may affect public transport and other public services. Separately, the advice notes a large-scale demonstration scheduled for Friday 9 October in central Brussels. The impact of that demonstration on public transport and services is not yet clear. The advice also makes a broader point that matters more than either individual date: Belgium has seen repeated strike action, with general strikes taking place several times across 2025 and 2026, and strike action may be announced at short notice. The FCDO's advice is to monitor local news and to check with your travel provider about possible disruption before you set off. There is no advice against travel to Belgium.
Why this matters
Belgium is not somewhere most British travellers think of as a risky destination, and it is not. But it is one of the easiest places for a British traveller to get caught out by a strike, for a specific reason: a very large number of people pass through it rather than stopping in it. Brussels is a Eurostar terminus. Brussels Airport and Charleroi are common connecting points. Belgium sits between the Channel ports and Germany, so anyone driving to or from the Netherlands, Luxembourg or Germany is likely crossing it. A public sector strike in Belgium can affect trains, buses, trams, metro services, airport ground handling and border staffing. That means a strike can disrupt your journey even if Belgium is not your destination. Monday 12 October is a Monday, which is when a great many business trips and short breaks begin. Friday 9 October is a Friday, when people are heading home. The more useful point in the advice is the general one. When a country has had repeated general strikes over two years and the official advice warns that action may be announced at short notice, the right response is not to memorise two dates. It is to build a habit of checking before you travel to Belgium at all, at any time. And for the practically minded: a strike is usually not an event that gets you compensation. Knowing in advance is worth considerably more than claiming afterwards.
What the evidence actually says
A few important distinctions. These are planned events, not confirmed disruption. Strikes are announced, negotiated over, and quite often called off, scaled down or extended. A strike on the calendar on 25 September may look very different by 12 October. 'Public sector strike' is a broad description. It does not tell you which services will be affected or by how much. Belgian strikes vary enormously - some see near-total shutdowns of rail and air services, others cause only patchy delays. The FCDO advice reflects that honestly by saying it 'may' affect public transport and other public services, rather than predicting what will happen. The demonstration on 9 October is described as large-scale, with an unclear impact. Demonstrations in central Brussels are common and usually peaceful, but they routinely close streets and reroute trams and buses in the city centre. The FCDO has not advised against travel, and nothing here suggests anyone should cancel a trip. The most reliable information will not come from the FCDO at all. It will come from the operators themselves - the airline, the rail company, the ferry or coach operator - because they are the ones who know which of their own services are running. The FCDO advice is the prompt to go and check; it is not the timetable.
Practical advice
If you are travelling to or through Belgium in October, these steps take about ten minutes and save a great deal of trouble. Check directly with your airline, train operator or ferry company in the days before you travel, and again on the morning of travel. Operators publish strike-day timetables, and these are the only source that actually tells you whether your specific service is running. Sign up for free FCDO email alerts for Belgium so changes to the advice reach you rather than you having to remember to look. If you are connecting in Brussels, leave more time than usual between services. A tight connection on a strike day is the single most common way a trip unravels. If you are booked on a Eurostar or a flight on 9 or 12 October, look now at what your ticket allows. Flexible tickets, or the ability to change dates without a fee, are worth far more on those days than the saving from the cheapest fare. Read your travel insurance policy for what it says about strike disruption. Many policies exclude strikes that were already announced and publicised before you booked - which is exactly the situation here. Knowing that now is better than discovering it later. If you are driving through Belgium, check for fuel and border staffing disruption, and carry more fuel than you think you need. If you take regular medicines, pack a few extra days' worth. A delayed return is the most likely consequence of a strike, and running out of medication because of a missed train is an avoidable problem.
What to know
The FCDO updated its Belgium travel advice on 25 September 2026. A public sector strike is planned for Monday 12 October and may affect public transport and other public services. A large-scale demonstration is planned for central Brussels on Friday 9 October, with unclear impact. Belgium has had repeated general strikes across 2025 and 2026, and action can be announced at short notice - so checking before travelling there is worth making a habit rather than a one-off. There is no advice against travel. The FCDO's guidance is to monitor local news and check with your provider. The practical steps: check directly with your airline or rail operator on the day, sign up for free FCDO alerts, allow longer for connections, look at how flexible your ticket is, and read what your insurance says about strikes announced before you booked. Sources: GOV.UK (Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office), 'Belgium travel advice - Warnings and insurance', updated 25 September 2026, https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/belgium/warnings-and-insurance; GOV.UK, 'Belgium travel advice', https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/belgium; GOV.UK, 'Foreign travel advice email alerts', https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice. This article is for general information and does not replace advice from a doctor, pharmacist or other qualified healthcare professional.
Related articles
Twenty separate flare-ups: the French mosquito season nobody expected
France has had an unusual mosquito season, and the figures are now in. Santé publique France, the country's public health agency, published its enhanced survei…
Fever, rash and sore joints: a northern virus turns up in Germany
The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control has reported something that had not happened before: Germany's first known case of symptomatic Sindbis vi…
259 of them in one county: the dengue you can catch in Florida
On 12 October 2026, the UK's National Travel Health Network and Centre – the service behind TravelHealthPro – added dengue in the United States to its outbreak…