Since moving to Spain, I’ve set a goal for myself: take one international trip per month. I went to Sardinia in September to visit Gaia, and I have trips booked for November and December already, but I wasn’t sure where to go in October.
As I was browsing Skyscanner two weeks ago, I found the cheapest flight I’ve ever seen in my life. A one-way ticket from Madrid to Brussels for $11.75. LESS THAN TWELVE DOLLARS. Somehow, a return ticket cost $200, and that wasn’t okay with me, so I booked a substantially cheaper flight back to Madrid from Amsterdam. (I’ll get a cheap bus ticket.)
Can you guess which airline offered this amazing price? If you guessed RyanAir, you’d be correct. A lot of travelers have a love/hate relationship with the Irish low-cost airline, but that’s a post for another day. Flying with RyanAir for this particular journey, however, meant that my flight to Brussels would arrive at a small airport about 40 miles outside of the city. So if you’re planning a similar trip, here’s everything you need to know.
Flying into Charleroi Airport
Brussels has two airports: Charleroi, and Brussels International Airport. The latter is larger and much closer to the city (only 6 miles away). Charleroi Airport, on the other hand, serves only six airlines: RyanAir, Belavia, Pegasus Airlines, TUI fly Belgium, Wizz Air, and Air Corsica (seasonal). So if your flight into Belgium arrives via one of these carriers, Charleroi will be your first stop.
The airport itself is pretty small, and it seems to be under extensive construction at the moment (October 2018). After deplaning via air stairs, we walked into a building for baggage claim. I’d brought only my backpack, so I followed the signs for the exit. Suddenly, I was… outside again. It was a cold day, and I desperately wanted to be back inside, but I couldn’t really figure out how to get there. I walked along the side of the building on a narrow sidewalk next to the parking lot, following the signs for the shuttle.
How To Shuttle from Charleroi Airport to Brussels
The shuttle ticket counter was in a small booth outside as well. From the airport, it departs every 30 minutes at the top and bottom of the hour. I arrived at 9:35, just missing the previous bus, which was okay because I wasn’t rushed. My one-way ticket to Brussels cost €17, and I was instructed to wait at stop #1, just across the street from the ticket counter. (You can also buy shuttle tickets to Bruges, Luxembourg, though those tickets are more expensive.)
With my 25 minutes to spare, I decided to find a way to get inside the airport instead of standing outside. Access to the departures terminal, it turned out, was through a large white tent with a makeshift security checkpoint, which was a little bit odd. I found some coffee and went back outside to catch the shuttle bus.
The bus was nicer than most public buses; it had good temperature control, seatback trays, and it even had a toilet onboard. Most travelers stored their larger bags in the cargo holds under the bus, but my backpack fit just fine in the overhead space. The drive to Brussels took just under an hour, and the ride was comfortable overall.
Arriving in Brussels
We arrived in the city at Brussels-South Railway Station. From there, there are many easy transportation options available to get you where you want to go. According to Citymapper — which I was super excited to see was in Brussels — my hostel was a 20-minute bus ride or 30-minute walk away. I didn’t feel like dealing with a bus just to save 10 minutes, so I walked. And I’m really glad I did! In less than 25 minutes, I was in the city center at the Grand Palace Square.
Overall, the experience of flying into Brussels-Charleroi airport was a good one. I must admit, though, I’m glad I’m not flying out from there. I think all the construction at the airport, combined with the long-distance shuttle, would be a little bit too stressful for me.
Have you ever traveled to Brussels? What do you think of RyanAir? Let me know in the comments!
-Cathy
Originally Published on October 25, 2018.
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