The Charleroi Airport — officially known as Brussels South Charleroi Airport, IATA code CRL — is Belgium’s second-busiest airport by passenger traffic and one of Europe’s most active low-cost airline hubs. It’s located in the municipality of Gosselies, approximately 6 km north of Charleroi and 60 km south of Brussels, in the Walloon region. Despite its commercial name evoking Belgium’s capital, the distance from Brussels is considerable and should be carefully factored into your travel planning.
The airport is Ryanair‘s principal European hub, operating an extensive network of routes to destinations across Southern Europe, Spain, Portugal, Poland and Eastern Europe. Flights from across Europe arrive at Charleroi, often at highly competitive fares. Beyond Ryanair, Wizz Air, TUI fly and various seasonal charter airlines also operate from this airport. The airport handles between 7 and 8 million passengers annually, with peaks during summer months and holiday periods.
To reach your hotel or the centre of Brussels once you’ve landed, book an online transfer, which is the most convenient option.
Charleroi Airport is well connected with Belgium’s principal cities and surrounding areas, offering passengers a range of transport options.
The most convenient and direct connection between Charleroi Airport and the capital is the direct TEC coach to Brussels-Midi station, Brussels’s main international railway hub from which Eurostar trains depart for Paris, London and Amsterdam. The coach takes approximately 60 minutes under normal traffic conditions and departures are synchronised with major flight arrival and departure times, with services running from early morning until late evening.
Tickets can be purchased on board or booked online in advance via the operator’s website. The fare is approximately €20 for a single journey. This is a dedicated airport shuttle service with limited stops along the route, which ensures predictable journey times compared to regular city buses that pass through urban centres. If you’re arriving late in the evening or in the early hours, checking the timetable for the last and first departures is essential to avoid problems.
The nearest railway station to the airport is Charleroi-Central, accessible by shuttle bus from the airport terminal in approximately 20 minutes. From Charleroi-Central, SNCB trains reach Brussels-Midi in around 55 minutes with one or two trains per hour depending on the time of day. The shuttle plus train combination is slightly slower than the direct coach, but can be convenient for those continuing to other Belgian destinations directly on the rail network, without passing through Brussels.
From Charleroi-Central you can also reach Namur (around 40 minutes) and Liège (approximately 80 minutes), making it a useful gateway for those whose final destination is eastern Wallonia. Tickets can be purchased from automatic machines at the station or via the SNCB app.
Official taxis are available outside the arrivals terminal in a clearly marked area. The fare to central Charleroi is around €15–20; to Brussels the fare rises considerably, ranging between €90 and €120 depending on the time of day and traffic, making this option considerably less economical for transfers to the capital than the direct coach.
The Door2Gate service offered by Flibco is also available. Door2Gate operates like a regular taxi but must be booked online in advance. The service is cheaper than the average official taxi as cars are shared with other passengers heading in the same direction.
An alternative to TAXIs is to book in advance a private transfer to or from Brussels airport. A driver will pick you up at the airport arrivals (thus avoiding taxi queues), at your hotel or wherever you prefer, to take you to the desired address.
It is the best solution if you do not want to waste time, do not want to use public transport, have a lot of luggage or are travelling in a group. To book a private transfer to or from Brussels airport visit this site.
Those hiring a car directly at the airport — where major international operators such as Hertz, Europcar, Avis and Budget are present — can reach Brussels in approximately 45–60 minutes via the E42 motorway heading north-west, in normal traffic conditions. During peak hours, journey times increase noticeably on the motorway ring road around Brussels.
Charleroi’s location makes car hire a particularly strategic choice for those wanting to explore Wallonia and the Ardennes without passing through the capital: villages such as Dinant, Namur and Durbuy are reachable in under an hour’s drive, as are the forests and river landscapes of the southern Ardennes. The airport has an extensive car park for short and long-term stays with a shuttle to the terminal, with rates varying according to length of stay and offering good value for stays over 24 hours if booked online in advance.
To rent a car in Belgium we always recommend comparing the rates of all companies with DiscoverCars because in our opinion it offers the best prices, allows cancellation up to 48 hours before rental and offers a very cheap comprehensive insurance policy.
Below you can see real-time departure and arrival times at Charleroi Airport.
By entering the dates of your stay in the following form, you can check the rates and availability in real time of the facilities near theCharleroi Airport.
Below is a list of recommended hotels near Charleroi Airport.
Below are the cheapest prices for car hire at at the charleroi Airport, to book click here.
According to reviews by other travellers, the following are the best car rental companies at the charleroi Airport. To compare rates click here.
Charleroi Airport is located in the municipality of Gosselies, 7 km north of Charleroi and 46 km south of Brussels. It is approximately 80 km from Namur, 95 km from Liège and 105 km from Antwerp.
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