Brussels S. Charleroi (CRL)

...in itself.

Brussels South Charleroi is similar to other airports served by Ryanair - 40 minutes by bus from the airport to Maalbeek tube station (just a few stops from the Grande Place). The bus service connects with the Ryanair flights (the only scheduled airline to use the airport) so it has to wait for passenger collect their luggage and clear customs before departing. My attempt to get away quickly by only taking hand luggage was ...
...a few each hour from Brussels Central Station to Charleroi. The official journey time was listed as 40 minutes, but on the Sunday when I travelled it was closer to 55 minutes. This was a very pleasant trip in a comfortable train costing 365 Belgian Francs (although I believe that it would have cost the same if I had come from further afield), and which passed close enough to see the famous monument at Waterloo.

To get back to the airport ... more

A weekend trip for £25 ! There must be some catch - maybe the airport would be a complete disaster ? It certainly is a fair distance outstide the city, but I would have to recommend Charleroi for anybody visiting Brussels.

As a regular Ryanair traveller I am used to arriving at small airports in the countryside and an hour's journey to the city. I find that the inconvience of the journey into the city is more than offset by the cheaper ticket prices and the more relaxed atmosphere of the airports. The transfer to the city can even be an interesting trip in itself.

Brussels South Charleroi is similar to other airports served by Ryanair - 40 minutes by bus from the airport to Maalbeek tube station (just a few stops from the Grande Place). The bus service connects with the Ryanair flights (the only scheduled airline to use the airport) so it has to wait for passenger collect their luggage and clear customs before departing. My attempt to get away quickly by only taking hand luggage was scuppered by having to wait half an hour before being allowed to board the bus (I did get an excellent seat at the front of the double-deck bus).

There is no ATM machine or Bureau de Change in the terminal to obtain Belgian Francs from, so travellers should really get some currency before departing for Brussels. The bus does accept payment in both sterling and Irish pounds (£5 for either) but it is much cheaper to pay the fare with 250 Belgian Francs.

On arrival at Maalbeek there is an ATM just opposite the bus stop, so if you can't get local currency before arriving it isn't disastrous. It is then just a short walk to the tube station which connects easily with the rest of the city.

Returning to the airport I decided to take a train - there are a few each hour from Brussels Central Station to Charleroi. The official journey time was listed as 40 minutes, but on the Sunday when I travelled it was closer to 55 minutes. This was a very pleasant trip in a comfortable train costing 365 Belgian Francs (although I believe that it would have cost the same if I had come from further afield), and which passed close enough to see the famous monument at Waterloo.

To get back to the airport from the train station there is a bus service, but this is extremely limited and I arrived too late to catch it. There is a taxi rank beside the airport and the 10 minute journey costs 500 Belgian Francs, which isn't unreasonable.

Going through to departures, the facilities at the airport for flights to Stansted and Dublin are extremely limited. The small shop offers a range of beers, spirits and chocolates, but little else - not even a soft drink was to be had.

Flights to France seem to have better facilities (Schengen and non-Schengen travellers are strictly segregated) with a bigger shop, and the elusive soft drinks, in a fridge !

Overall I was fairly happy with the airport and would recommend it as a gateway to Brussels. I would emphasise the advantage of bringer local currency with you, and of not expecting a large range of goods in the departures shop. 

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