Airport Guide to Charleroi Brussels So (CRL)

Airport Overview

Terminal Transfer | Getting into Town | Car Parking | Information Desks | Airport Facilities

A small, secondary airport for Belgium’s capital city, Brussels Charleroi Airport (CRL) is mostly served by budget carriers (it is, famously, one of Ryanair’s bases) connecting to popular holiday destinations on the Iberian Peninsula and in Eastern Europe, including Barcelona, Madrid, Faro, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Tenerife, Budapest, Prague, Sofia, Warsaw and Belgrade. There are a few connections to France and destinations in North Africa as well. A new terminal was built in 2008; however, the airport is already operating above its five million passenger capacity.

While flights to Brussels Charleroi Airport may be a few euros cheaper, complaints of unreliable public parking and transport, limited shopping and dining, and poor service chase many passengers to the larger Brussels International Airport in Zaventem. As Charleroi Airport is situated 46km (29 miles) out of town (45 minutes from Brussels City Centre), you’ll want to have your transport into Brussels arranged with certainty, as taxi rides get expensive very quickly.

While it doesn’t come recommended as a layover airport, Brussels Charleroi is a popular budget option for holiday makers looking to sample the delights of Brussels and Prague, or en route to a holiday on the Costa del Sol.

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Terminal Transfer

Not applicable, as there is only one terminal building.

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Getting into Town

Train: The nearest train station to the airport, Charleroi Sud Railway Station, is a 20-minute drive away, but there is a shuttle service to take you there, costing €2.70. An easier way to do it though, is to buy a “bulk ticket” for €12 from the ticket booths, which includes the shuttle fare and your train ticket into central Brussels. Connections can be made from Charleroi Sud Railway Station to stations all over Belgium.

Bus: The Brussels City Shuttle operates every 20 minutes to Brussels Midi, the main railway station in town. The fare is €13, and the trip takes about an hour. Tickets are sold outside the terminal.

Taxi: The fare to the centre of town will likely cost as much as your flight to Brussels Charleroi – about €100.

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Car Parking

There are four parking options at Charleroi: Express, locked, long-term, and regular. Express parking is located closest to the terminal, and charges €2 for 30 minutes, €4 for an hour, and €8 for two hours. Parking longer than that simply isn’t cost effective. The normal car park offers half an hour free, and then €3 per hour up to a daily limit of €18. Long-term rates are €3 for the first hour, and €2.50 per hour after that, with a maximum daily rate of €15.

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Information Desks

There is an information desk in the arrivals hall, and the multilingual staff is very helpful when it comes to advising passengers on transport options into Brussels.

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Airport Facilities

Money and communications: ATMs, currency exchange facilities, public phones.

Luggage: Baggage lockers are available outside the terminal building, near the taxi stands. Payment is automated, and accepts only euro coins. There is a lost and found near the baggage reclaim area, but lost luggage queries are handled by the individual airlines.

Conference and business: There are no business facilities at Charleroi Airport.

Other facilities: The airport offers other services and facilities, like travel agencies, flower dispensers, a petrol station, massage seats, tourist information, and handicapped facilities.

Wi-Fi: Wi-Fi is available throughout the terminal building. You can buy vouchers at Kitty Bar, Meli Melo and Cafe Liegeois in denominations ranging from €5 to €20, depending on how long you want to surf.

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