Holidays can be stressful, but departing from Charleroi Airport can bring you into a whole new dimension of inconvenience.
Between booking hotels, flights, renting a car, and even planning activities, there is much to stay on top of. So, it is perhaps no surprise that many people forget to factor in the cost of getting to the airport, which can sometimes be more expensive than the flights themselves.
Enter stage the deceivingly named Brussels South (Charleroi Airport) – which is in fact over 50 kilometres away from the capital. Most holiday goers in Belgium can attest to the stress of reaching Belgium’s leading low-cost airport in time for their flight.
On the other side of the country, poorly served by public transport, and ranked as one of the worst in Europe, Charleroi Airport is often viewed as an unavoidable obstacle one just has to overcome before getting in the holiday mood.
With its poor connections, taxis often take advantage of desperate tourists and locals to charge exorbitant fees for their airport transfers. As such, it is best to consider transport options well in advance.
Despite this, there are many options for getting to the airport, many of which cost relatively little.
While the cheapest route is not necessarily the fastest, there is an array of options to cut down on your holiday commute, some of which are not well known to the public. The Brussels Times outlines just a few of these options.
SNCB + TEC
While Charleroi Airport does not possess its own train station, at least for the time being, Belgian rail company SNCB still offers passengers a means of getting to the airport on public transport.
On its website, as well as at stations and on the mobile app, SNCB sells a combined Charleroi Airport Ticket, which combines a train ticket to or from Charleroi-Central station and a TEC bus ticket between Charleroi-Central and Charleroi Airport.
Credit: Belga
Compared to the most popular means of getting to the airport, which is the Flibco coach from Brussels-Midi station, this SNCB route is slightly faster. For a single ticket, the SNCB and TEC route costs €16.80 compared to €17.90 for the Flibco bus. It is also possible to buy the TEC bus ticket separately, using the TEC app, a ticket machine, or with the driver for the same price.
There are also official bus connections to the airport via the Walloon village of Luttre and the city of Fleurus for €6. Passengers can also take a bus from Fleurus station to an area roughly 10 minutes away on foot from the airport grounds. This bus costs considerably less than the official airport routes at €3.
Using the combined SNCB and TEC ticket is also possible when travelling from other cities to Charleroi Airport. Taking the train from Ghent is slightly faster than the coach, but is slightly more expensive. From Bruges to the airport takes around the same time as on the bus, but is also slightly more expensive.
The combination of the train and bus is especially useful for Belgians who cannot easily reach a Flibco coach pick up spot. This allows passengers to take a faster route to Charleroi, followed by a quick journey on the bus.
BlaBlaCar
This inexpensive option is a good solution for those travelling with only small pieces of luggage. BlaBlacar, a car sharing application, allows users to pay to use spare seats in vehicles. For example, if a BlaBlaCar user is heading to the airport in his car alone, he could put four seats up for grabs on the app, typically for a small fee.
On the app, many users offer seats for journeys between Brussels and Charleroi Airport for as little as €6 when booked a few days in advance. The app features pick-up points across Brussels and offers rides between most major Belgian cities and Charleroi Airport.
Credit: Eric Tschaen/BlaBlaCar
To avoid disappointment, it is advisable to book well in advance to ensure the availability of spaces. Drivers will often drop passengers off just outside of the airport to avoid incurring airport drop-off fees.
Private cars
For more daring travellers, there are some private car operators who offer journeys from Brussels-Midi station to the airport. These are not officially sanctioned and will also leave passengers nearby the airport, as opposed to in designated drop-off zones.
The pricing of these private transfers can vary greatly, but tend to be only slightly more expensive than those offered officially through the BlaBlaCar app.
It is advisable to ask around for the best price for these services and to avoid being ripped off or pressured into an offer. Some drivers are willing to give out their contact information to arrange transfers in the future, often ensuring a better price.
Flibco
Perhaps the most commonly used form of transport between Brussels and Charleroi Airport is coach company Flibco. The operator offers single journeys between Brussels-Midi station and the airport for €17.90 and return tickets for €35.80.
These can be used on any service on the day that the ticket was purchased for.
Credit: Belga/ Ine Gillis
Buses leave from Brussels-Midi station every 30 minutes and go directly to Charleroi Airport without stops. The company also offers services from several other cities across Belgium. The last bus to Brussels-Midi from the airport leaves at 00:40. If you miss the last bus you will have to purchase a new ticket and wait until the first bus in the morning at 04:40.
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The company also offers a shuttle bus service, called door2gate, which collects passengers directly from their home and takes them to the airport. This service is not direct and features many more stops, but can be convenient to those travelling with heavy luggage or with reduced mobility.
These shared shuttles start at around €39.99 when booked in advance. The company claims to offer guaranteed punctuality, but it is advisable to leave plenty of time for any eventuality.
