Our languages are FR,NL, DE but... English is widely teached and learned. There is a good chance you will be understood.
Will you be safe ?
Quick answer : 99% yes, but.
Longer answer : say you're sitting in a bar, sipping a sample of belgian beers and need to pee or poo ? Don't leave your precious smartphones, laptops, etc unattended. Use common sense, don't flash jewellery or valuables too much especially in the touristy area (around grand' place)
Emergency ? Call 112 (european version of 911) - there's an app for that : https://112.be/en
Area around Aumale metro station has recently grabbed the headlines recently by means of drug-gang on drug-gang violence and shooting. Don't book your AirBNB there.
How to get there :
- your STIB/MIVB single ticket allows you to travel as much as you want on all bus, tram, metro lines during one hour
- you can pay with a credit card, Bank card, smartphone or smartwatch as shown here : https://bx1.be/categories/news/la-stib-propose-le-paiement-sans-contact-avec-une-carte-bancaire-ou-un-smartphone-des-le-1er-juillet/?theme=classic - Tickets are either 2.20 euros (valid 1 hour) or 8 euros (valid one calendar day). Details here : https://www.stib-mivb.be/buy/your-bank-card-is-your-ticket - you need to validate your ticket to access the stib-mivb network. Metro-stations : you validate at the sliding metal gates. Bus/Tram : you validate by swiping your tickets at a red box. Just follow the locals' lead. - Do not expect orderly queuing at bus or tram stops. - In most stib-mivb vehicles an automated voice will tell you the name of the next stop
Bus 71 : the stib-mivb line carrying the most passengers. Expect some company while riding the bus with "Delta" written on the screen atop the windshield from the centre to the Fosdem Location.
On the spectrum ? Claustrophobic ? Crowd-phobic ? Ride the Metro line to the Delta Station and board an empty 71 Bus with "De Brouckere" on the screen/ as destination.
Thirsty ?
Waiting staff receives a monthly salary and does not expect a tip. A little extra money is always a pleasant surprise so feel free to leave a tip.
Delirium cafe https://www.deliriumvillage.com/bar/delirium-cafe/ is in the heart of the touristy area and has plenty of beers to sample.
Brewdog just outside Gare Centrale.
Moeder Lambik has two locations : https://www.moederlambic.com/?lang=en
Lots of watering holes around Flagey.
Hungry for delivery ?
Order through https://www.takeaway.com/be-en (Uber Eat and other usual suspects available)
Hungry - restaurants
Flagey Area (a few bus stops from ULB) has a famous belgian fries fritkot and trendy eateries.
Rue des Bouchers is the tourist traps area where no local would be caught eating.
https://wolf.be/ is a trendy food market
In need of a bit of quietness ?
Cimetière d'Ixelles is about 500m from FosDem location. It is a cemetary with a who's who of 19th century luminaries - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ixelles_Cemetery
What to visit ?
https://www.visit.brussels/en/visitors (yes brussels has its own TLD)