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.