<p>Leuven-mom, I live about two hours from Leuven (in Germany), and we're getting ready to send our daughter off for her first year of college in PA. We've been gathering advice for a while, and the consensus seems to be to pack light and get most of what is needed upon arrival.</p>
<p>Does your son know his living arrangements yet? That would be a factor in what he decides to bring, but in any case, keep in mind that beds, pillows, all that kind of thing will be slightly different in size than what is standard in the states, so if bedding is not supplied in his housing, it would be better to purchase when he gets here. We have 220 v all over western Europe, so anything electric from home must be dual voltage (most hair dryers, shavers, computers, Ipod chargers, etc. are dual voltage). If what he has already is not dual voltage, I would wait and get it here. I also would get a printer here if it is needed, since it is much easier to replenish ink cartridges for something purchased locally. Also cell phone--best to wait and see what the best plans are in his area.</p>
<p>Belgium is truly a biker's paradise, but once your son gets a contact person at the university he should ask about the chances of picking up a good used one here (unless he has a really special bike that he doesn't want to be without for a couple of years). It seems like something there would be a brisk trade in at a university. I'm not familiar with Leuven itself, but in general the entire Brussels area is well served by public transportation. </p>
<p>Clothing--the weather is unpredictable; it was in the forties last night and cool with winds to 35 knots today, but it was in the eighties over the weekend. Layering and raingear are both good, and a nice warm coat might be needed by early October.</p>
<p>As for airlines, he should be able to get a flight directly to Brussels and try to work with the university for ground transportation. If they don't offer anything to help him get from the airport, he can manage alone on public transportation with one suitcase and a carry-on, but it really is pretty hard with more than that, because there are often stairs to the train or subway platforms. Oh, and a good small light-weight rolling carry-on is adviseable, because your son will probably want to do some weekend and vacation traveling using trains or low-cost carriers such as Ryan Air (which has a very small cabin luggage allowance and charges an additional fee to check a bag--check their website for details and shop to match the size/weight allowance)</p>
<p>In addition to the university, another possible source of local assistance for your son might be English-speaking churches in the greater Brussels area. There is a pretty good sized American/British community, some working in business and government, and others associated with the NATO base at Mons. I'm assuming some kind of religious affiliation since your son is a Wheaton grad, so you could check with your own denomination to start with and then broaden your search from there.</p>
<p>Except for a long weekend in Brussels a few years ago, I've never done more than go to my some of my daughter's cross country meets in that area, so I don't have any specific insight. I do like to go to an antique market town in that direction, and the people are always very warm, friendly, and forgiving of my bumbling French/German that somehow gets mixed up with Spanish. I'm sure your son will love Belgium!</p>