A US travel series comes to Belgium
In May, our Brussels-based fixer Virgile Demoustier joined the crew of a US travel series as location scout and production assistant for IN Visuals.
The show: 1st Look Presents: Extra Mile Club, the NBC luxury-travel series produced with Global Travel Collection, which this season set its two-part story in Belgium.
The format is simple and fun to watch. Two top luxury travel advisors from Global Travel Collection, June Kleier and Julie Shotmeyer, each design a bespoke itinerary for a celebrity couple. The couple lives both trips, then picks the winning advisor. This time the couple was marketing executive Bozoma "Boz" Saint John and her fiancé Keely Watson, on a romantic pre-wedding escape.
Filming at the Corinthia Hotel, Brussels © Fab Fixers
From the Corinthia to the Château de Bioul
The itinerary took Boz and Keely across Belgium's most cinematic corners:
Brussels: a stay at the Corinthia Brussels, the city's grand palace hotel, plus street scenes in the capital (including a visit of the Marolles neighbourhood and mural featuring Boz and Keely in Saint-Gilles).
Bruges: the canals, cobbles and medieval façades that make it one of Europe's most photographed cities.
Dinant: the riverside town on the Meuse, framed by its cliffs and citadel, in Wallonia.
Château de Bioul: a château and wine estate in the Namur countryside, ideal for slower, intimate scenes.
In a few days the series moved from a capital-city luxury hotel, to Flemish heritage, to the Walloon valleys and vineyards. That variety is one of Belgium's biggest assets for travel and lifestyle content.
Filming in Dinant in front of the Charles de Gaulle statue © Fab Fixers
What the fixer actually does on a shoot like this
On this production, our role covered location scouting and on-the-ground production assistance, which in practice means:
Scouting and recce: finding and checking the spots that match the advisors' itineraries, and thinking about light, access, noise, crowds and backup options.
Liaising with venues: hotels, châteaux, restaurants and experience providers
Local knowledge on the day: keeping the schedule realistic, anticipating traffic and parking, and solving the small problems before they become big ones..
Practical tips for filming a travel series in Belgium
If you are a producer, production coordinator or host planning a Belgian shoot, here is what we would tell you over coffee.
1. Belgium is small, use it. Brussels, Bruges, Ghent, Antwerp, Namur and Dinant are all reachable within a couple of hours by road. You can realistically cover two or three regions in one shoot, which makes Belgium a great "many looks, one country" destination.
2. Permits are local. There is no single national filming permit. In Brussels, permission for public space depends on the commune you are filming in (the city has 19), and historic cities like Bruges have their own rules and are very protective of their centres. Start the requests early.
3. Know your language region. Flanders is Dutch-speaking, Wallonia is French-speaking, Brussels is officially bilingual.
4. Plan around the crowds. Bruges and the Grand-Place in Brussels are busy most of the year. Early mornings and weekdays give you cleaner frames and happier locals.
5. Private venues open doors. Châteaux, wine estates and luxury hotels can give you exclusive, controlled settings. They respond best to a clear, well-prepared request from someone local.
6. Watch the weather. Belgian light changes fast. Build flexibility into the schedule and always have an indoor alternative.
A mural depicting Boz and Keely in Saint-Gilles, Brussels © Fab Fixers
Watch the episodes
The Belgium episodes are available online:
A big thank you to Ilinca Neagu for her trust on this production. And congratulations to Boz and Keely!
Filming in Belgium? Let's talk
Fab Fixers has been providing fixing, location scouting and production services since 2014, with teams in Brussels, Paris and Lyon and a fixer network across 10 European countries. We have worked with broadcasters, streamers and brands including PBS, BBC, National Geographic, The Washington Post, Apple TV+ and Chanel.
Whether you are planning a travel series, a brand film, a documentary or a news shoot, we can help you find the locations, secure the access and make the days run smoothly.
Get in touch at virgile@fabfixers.com to start planning your Belgian shoot.