Business studies school trips to Brussels
£379 to £745
A typical school trip to Brussels cost is £379 to £745 per person, depending on time of travel, transport, accommodation and inclusions.
With its transport links connecting it to several economic powerhouses in Europe, Brussels is the perfect location for offering business studies groups a unique insight into the economic development of the city and continent. From the National Bank of Belgium Museum and European institutions to factory tours, your group can gain valuable insights on the running of a business, and how those businesses can impact the wider economy.
SUGGESTED ITINERARIES
Day
1
- Travel to Brussels
- Free time to explore Brussels
Day
2
- Museum of National Bank of Belgium
- European Quarter and European institution(s)
Day
3
- Stella Artois Brewery
- Atomium
Day
4
- Chocolate workshop and tasting
- Return to the UK
GCSE Business Studies
A business studies school trip to Brussels provides students with real-world examples that support key GCSE Business topics, including:
Business in the Real World
Students can explore how multinational organisations operate across international markets and how external factors influence business activity.
Influences on Business
Brussels offers insight into how political, economic and legal factors affect organisations across Europe, helping students understand external business influences.
Marketing
Students can investigate how international brands adapt products, pricing and promotional strategies to different European markets.
Operations
Visits and case studies can demonstrate how businesses manage supply chains, logistics and international distribution networks.
Human Resources
Students can explore the importance of workforce planning, leadership, communication and organisational structure within large international organisations.
Finance
The trip provides context for understanding business growth, investment, profitability and financial decision-making in multinational businesses.
A-Level Business Studies
Brussels offers excellent opportunities to support advanced Business Studies topics including:
What is Business?
Students can examine how businesses balance stakeholder interests while operating within highly regulated international environments.
Managers, Leadership and Decision Making
Students can explore decision-making processes within multinational organisations and international institutions.
Decision Making to Improve Marketing Performance
Real-world examples of branding, customer engagement and international marketing strategies can be observed throughout the city.
Decision Making to Improve Operational Performance
Students can gain insight into global supply chains, efficiency, quality management and business competitiveness.
Decision Making to Improve Financial Performance
Students can understand how economic conditions, regulation and international markets affect financial planning and growth.
Analysing the Strategic Position of a Business
Brussels provides opportunities to examine how organisations respond to opportunities, risks and competition within global markets.
BTEC Business
The trip can support a variety of BTEC Business units, including:
- Exploring Business
- Developing a Marketing Campaign
- Personal and Business Finance
- International Business
- Principles of Management
- Business Decision Making
Students can see how successful organisations operate on an international scale whilst developing employability and research skills.
Economics Links
GCSE Economics
Students can explore:
- International trade
- Imports and exports
- Economic sectors
- Government intervention
- Globalisation
- Economic growth
A-Level Economics
Brussels provides excellent context for:
- Trade and globalisation
- Economic integration
- Market structures
- Government policies
- Labour markets
- Macroeconomic performance
- International competitiveness
This trip also supports the Gatsby Benchmarks by exposing students to a wide range of careers in:
- International Business
- Economics
- Finance
- Marketing
- Law
- Public Affairs
- Logistics
- Politics and Policy
Students gain valuable encounters with workplaces and learn how classroom subjects translate into future career opportunities.
A Business Studies school trip to Brussels enables students to apply GCSE, BTEC and A-Level Business Studies and Economics theory to real-world international organisations. As the centre of European decision-making and a hub for multinational business, Brussels offers unrivalled opportunities to explore globalisation, marketing, finance, leadership, trade and enterprise in action.
Features
ACCOMMODATION
Situated in an old brewery building, the Meininger City Centre is a unique space that'll get your students talking from the moment you walk in. Its central location means guests can quickly reach all the major sightseeing attractions in Brussels, including the Black Tower and several murals and sculptures. Impressively, the hotel also operates with carbon neutrality in mind.
-
- 24hr-reception
- Free Wi-Fi
- Baggage storage (extra cost, PIN-locks)
- Bicycle rental (extra cost)
Conveniently located a short walk from the central train station and the Grand Place, this hostel makes a great base for visiting Brussels. Typical of Belgian youth hostels, Youth Hostel Bruegel offers a mix of en suite rooms and rooms with shared facilities.
- TV room
- Common room/lounge
- Courtyard garden
- Internet access
Situated in an old brewery building, the Meininger City Centre is a unique space that'll get your students talking from the moment you walk in. Its central location means guests can quickly reach all the major sightseeing attractions in Brussels, including the Black Tower and several murals and sculptures. Impressively, the hotel also operates with carbon neutrality in mind.
-
- 24hr-reception
- Free Wi-Fi
- Baggage storage (extra cost, PIN-locks)
- Bicycle rental (extra cost)
Conveniently located a short walk from the central train station and the Grand Place, this hostel makes a great base for visiting Brussels. Typical of Belgian youth hostels, Youth Hostel Bruegel offers a mix of en suite rooms and rooms with shared facilities.
- TV room
- Common room/lounge
- Courtyard garden
- Internet access
Excursions
Atomium
Often referred to as the symbol of Brussels and Belgium, the Atomium is the city’s top attraction – and not just because of the futuristic structure’s viewing platform, which offers panoramic views of the city. Inside, students can also explore the Atomium’s structure, which is often compared to the inside of a spaceship and houses several exhibitions.
Planetarium
Discover the beauty of the dark night sky in one of the largest planetariums in Europe at the Planetarium of the Royal Observatory. Beneath a semi-spherical dome, school groups can embark on a magical journey where the Sun, the Moon, the planets, the Milky Way and more than 8500 stars can be projected.
Technopolis
Let your students fall in love with science at Technopolis. Whatever their age or ability, there’s a scheme set out to boost their imagination here, from the exhibits in the interactive Science Garden to learning about hydropower and the forces of the sea, and even the opportunity to carry out their own experiments! An excellent option for a science-centred school trip.
Mini Europe
Located on the outskirts of Brussels, Mini Europe is a miniature park made up of Europe’s best known landmarks including the Eiffel Tower, Big Ben, the Leaning Tower of Pisa and Brussels’ Grand Place. Mini Europe is a great place to spend a few hours, allowing your students to take lots of fun photos, marvel at the tiny structures and learn more about the significance of the European Union.
Museum of Natural Sciences
Visit the largest dinosaur gallery in the whole of Europe at Brussels Museums of Natural Sciences. Here, school groups can learn about how the human body has evolved, study over 1,000 different specimens and get close to gigantic dinosaur skeletons – an experience we’ve found is always popular among students.
National Bank Belgium Museum
Invite your students to follow the history of finance in this interactive museum. Here, school groups can explore the story of money, from the origins of the word ‘salary’ to the way payment methods have changed over time, while learning about the emergence of currency through the centuries.
Stella Artois Brewery - Leuven
Students can learn all about Leuven’s most famous beer at this brewery tour. From the history of Stella Artois to the brewing and manufacturing process, this excursion offers a great opportunity for school groups to find out what makes one of the city’s finest exports so popular.
Parlamentarium
Students with an interest in European politics will be right in their element with a visit to the Parlamentarium – the visitor’s centre of the European Parliament in Brussels. Here, school groups can learn anything they’d like to know about the European Parliament and the EU through interactive displays and hundreds of multimedia components.
Grand Palace
Surrounded by the opulent Baroque guildhalls, the Flamboyant Town Hall and the neo-Gothic King’s House building, Brussels’ Grand Place is a sight to behold – and we can’t wait to show it to you. The most important landmark in the city, this UNESCO World Heritage Site dates back to the 11th century, and offers the perfect base for your school trip, as well as giving your students a great opportunity to learn about Belgian history.
2-hour Antwerp Port Guided Tour
On this excursion, students will spend two hours learning about all aspects of the Port of Antwerp, from logistics, industry, transport, and energy supply, to work ethics, and existing challenges and obstacles. A knowledgable guide will be there to answer any questions your students may have, as well as help steer the conversation to any specific areas of focus.
Atomium
Often referred to as the symbol of Brussels and Belgium, the Atomium is the city’s top attraction – and not just because of the futuristic structure’s viewing platform, which offers panoramic views of the city. Inside, students can also explore the Atomium’s structure, which is often compared to the inside of a spaceship and houses several exhibitions.
Planetarium
Discover the beauty of the dark night sky in one of the largest planetariums in Europe at the Planetarium of the Royal Observatory. Beneath a semi-spherical dome, school groups can embark on a magical journey where the Sun, the Moon, the planets, the Milky Way and more than 8500 stars can be projected.
Technopolis
Let your students fall in love with science at Technopolis. Whatever their age or ability, there’s a scheme set out to boost their imagination here, from the exhibits in the interactive Science Garden to learning about hydropower and the forces of the sea, and even the opportunity to carry out their own experiments! An excellent option for a science-centred school trip.
Mini Europe
Located on the outskirts of Brussels, Mini Europe is a miniature park made up of Europe’s best known landmarks including the Eiffel Tower, Big Ben, the Leaning Tower of Pisa and Brussels’ Grand Place. Mini Europe is a great place to spend a few hours, allowing your students to take lots of fun photos, marvel at the tiny structures and learn more about the significance of the European Union.
Museum of Natural Sciences
Visit the largest dinosaur gallery in the whole of Europe at Brussels Museums of Natural Sciences. Here, school groups can learn about how the human body has evolved, study over 1,000 different specimens and get close to gigantic dinosaur skeletons – an experience we’ve found is always popular among students.
National Bank Belgium Museum
Invite your students to follow the history of finance in this interactive museum. Here, school groups can explore the story of money, from the origins of the word ‘salary’ to the way payment methods have changed over time, while learning about the emergence of currency through the centuries.
Stella Artois Brewery - Leuven
Students can learn all about Leuven’s most famous beer at this brewery tour. From the history of Stella Artois to the brewing and manufacturing process, this excursion offers a great opportunity for school groups to find out what makes one of the city’s finest exports so popular.
Parlamentarium
Students with an interest in European politics will be right in their element with a visit to the Parlamentarium – the visitor’s centre of the European Parliament in Brussels. Here, school groups can learn anything they’d like to know about the European Parliament and the EU through interactive displays and hundreds of multimedia components.
Grand Palace
Surrounded by the opulent Baroque guildhalls, the Flamboyant Town Hall and the neo-Gothic King’s House building, Brussels’ Grand Place is a sight to behold – and we can’t wait to show it to you. The most important landmark in the city, this UNESCO World Heritage Site dates back to the 11th century, and offers the perfect base for your school trip, as well as giving your students a great opportunity to learn about Belgian history.
2-hour Antwerp Port Guided Tour
On this excursion, students will spend two hours learning about all aspects of the Port of Antwerp, from logistics, industry, transport, and energy supply, to work ethics, and existing challenges and obstacles. A knowledgable guide will be there to answer any questions your students may have, as well as help steer the conversation to any specific areas of focus.
Trip details
All Equity packages are tailor-made to suit the needs of our groups. Here are our standard package inclusions:
- Return travel by air or coach (air packages include overseas airport transfer. Coach to UK airport from school is available as an optional extra)
- All security charges, airport and local taxes
- 1 free staff place for every 10 full paying passengers by air OR 1 free staff place for every 8 full paying passengers by coach
- Half-board accommodation
- Excursions
- Full use of your coach during your trip (this applies to coach groups only and is subject to EU drivers hours regulations)
- 24-hour emergency service support
- All travel documentation, luggage labels and resort information
- Lunches
- Meals en-route. While travelling to and from your destination you need to consider meals. These are not included in the package prices
- Tourist tax
Prices are subject to change based on intended dates of travel and final numbers, the Equity team are here to offer you advice and guidance from start to finish, ensuring your school trip runs smoothly and is a great success.
Travel by: Air or coach
Nearest airport: Brussels Airport (BRU)
Transfer time from airport: 40mins
Transfer time from Calais: Approximately 2hrs 20mins
Best times to travel: Year round
Suggested tour length: 4D3N
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Frequently Asked Questions About Business Studies School Trips to Brussels
Why is Brussels a great destination for a Business Studies school trip?
Brussels is one of Europe's most important centres for international business, trade and decision-making. Students can see how global organisations, policymakers and businesses interact within a major economic and political hub.
How does a trip to Brussels support the Business Studies curriculum?
The trip provides real-world examples of business operations, international trade, marketing, globalisation and economic decision-making. Students can connect classroom theory to the organisations and institutions that shape European business environments.
What can students learn about international business in Brussels?
Students can explore how businesses operate across multiple countries, adapt to different markets and respond to international regulations. Brussels provides excellent insight into the challenges and opportunities of global business.
Why is Brussels important to European business?
As the administrative centre of the European Union, Brussels plays a significant role in shaping policies that influence trade, commerce and business activity across Europe. This makes it an ideal destination for students studying modern business environments.
How does the trip support learning about globalisation?
Brussels provides a practical example of how economies, businesses and consumers are connected internationally. Students can see firsthand how global markets influence business strategy, competition and growth.
Can the trip support Economics students as well as Business Studies students?
Yes. Students can explore topics such as international trade, economic integration, market regulation, economic policy and the role of institutions in supporting economic growth.
What business sectors can students learn about in Brussels?
The city offers opportunities to learn about finance, technology, logistics, retail, tourism, public affairs, consulting and international trade, providing broad exposure to modern business operations.
How can students benefit from visiting European institutions?
Visits help students understand how policies and regulations are developed and how these decisions can influence businesses, consumers and economies across Europe.
What makes Brussels different from other Business Studies trip destinations?
Few destinations offer the combination of international business, European politics, economics and global commerce found in Brussels. The city allows students to explore how organisations operate within a highly interconnected international environment.
How can a Brussels business trip inspire future careers?
Students gain exposure to a variety of industries and professions while developing a better understanding of careers in business, economics, finance, marketing, law, politics and international organisations. The experience can help inform future university and career choices.
