There's a good reason you shouldn't overplan your itinerary when you're getting ready to finally take that vacation in Europe you've been dreaming about.

Enjoy those sort of precious little moments where you get to try on being a European just for a little while.

Coming up, we look at the benefits of becoming a temporary European when you travel in the old world.

There's so much you want to see and do, but I got to tell you it's very clear to me the very best memories come between the stuff that's on your itinerary.

It's those magic moments in the middle.

There's a lot to look forward to in an in-between city. Find out what you can enjoy on a weekend stop over in Brussels, halfway between Paris and Amsterdam.

And it's a breeze getting around.

One of the advantages to public transportation in Brussels is that most of it is over the surface and so taking the tram is a very nice way to visit town.

A hometown guide to the Belgian capital, the fun of becoming a temporary European and listeners tell us what special about where they live.

It's all just ahead on travel with Rick Steves.

For most of my adult life, I've been raving about the need for us to plan our overseas travels in a way that gets us genuinely closer to the cultures we're visiting.

In just a bit, we'll explore what my senior writer at Rick Steves Europe has discovered from his own travels on what it means to become a temporary European.

And listeners tell us what they like best about the place they call home a little later in the hour at 877-333-Rick.

Let's start today's travel with Rick Steves with a weekend getaway to the heart of the European Union, Brussels.

During the week, Brussels is busy with diplomats and bureaucrats, but it has plenty for weekend visitors to enjoy as well,

where you'll find the cutting edge of Europe in so many ways dressed up in old-world charm.

Hilburn Buys is an American who's made his home in Brussels, and he joins us now on travel with Rick Steves to show how to best enjoy and appreciate his adopted hometown.

Hilburn, thanks for being here.

It's a pleasure to be here.

So it's a little more complicated than that. Tell us your story how you and American ended up in Brussels.

Yes, so in fact, I'm Dutch and American. My father worked for NATO, and NATO is headquartered in Brussels,

and just south of Brussels is where they have their operational headquarters.

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