When I moved to Spain for the first time in 2018, I set a goal for myself: take one international trip per month in my first year living there. In September, I went to Sardinia to visit my foreign exchange sister, Gaia. I had trips booked to Russia in November and Barcelona in December, but I wasn’t sure where to go in October.
So I sat down to browse Skyscanner, looking for inspiration, when 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 decided I’d just 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 three airlines year-round: RyanAir, Wizz Air, and Pegasus Airlines. 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 while it was under extensive construction during my trip in October 2018, I’m hoping that six years later, it’s in much better condition. 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 Get From Charleroi Airport to Brussels via Shuttle
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. A 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 or 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 (Bruxelles-Midi). 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 had to admit though, I was glad I wasn’t flying out from there. I think all the construction at the airport, combined with the long-distance shuttle, would have been a little bit too stressful for me. But knowing that RyanAir has direct flights from Alicante (where we live now) to Brussels, and Matt’s never been… maybe our next trip to Brussels and Charleroi airport will be in the near future.
Plan Your Brussels Trip
Best Hotels in Place: Brussels Hotels
Top Things To Do in Place: Choco-Story Brussels: Chocolate Museum Entrance with Tasting // Belgian Chocolate Making Workshop with Tastings // From Brussels: Ghent and Bruges Day Tour // From Brussels: Luxembourg Tour with Dinant Visit
Have you ever traveled to Brussels? What do you think of RyanAir? Let me know in the comments!
-Cathy
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Originally Published on October 25, 2018.
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