CRL : Brussels South Charleroi Airport (Belgium)

[atoutprix]

Charleroi (Brussels South) CRL / EBCI .

The airport website is rather complete, in French, Dutch and English :
http://www.charleroi-airport.com/doc.php?nd=o29&tid=29&lg=2&docid=1&site=1

The airport lies south of the small town of Gosselies, north of Charleroi - and some 65 km south of Brussels center.

One can reach it
- by car
http://www.charleroi-airport.com/doc.php?nd=140&tid=40&docid=234&lg=2&page=1&site=1
In my opinion, until a new access is built from the highway, the easier way is to go as usual to the old terminal and then go on around the eastern end of the runway to the new terminal (beware of some stretches of narrow road).
- by coach from Brussels, Lille (Rijsel) and Brugge (Bruges)
Brussels : the coach stop is rue de France, on the side of the "Bruxelles Midi" (Brussel Zuid) railway Station (rather far down the right side when looking to the front of the station). There is a coach departing from Brussels at about one hour interval from 04.30 to 20.30 - and from CRL the same between 08.30 and 23.30. Fare is at the moment (08/08) : 13 euros one way, 22 euros return. At Brussels, you pay on board; at CRL, at the desk near the door at far right. Register there even if you already have a ticket.
Brugge : stop is at the railway station; 4 return trips each day.
Lille : stop is at (or near) Lille Europe railway station; 4 return trips a day.
Tickets are sold on board for the trip to CRL; inside the terminal at CRL.
Timetables can be found on the airport website.
- by train to Charleroi Sud + bus TEC
A ticket is sold in all Belgian railway stations, costing 10,50 euros, and including the train to Charleroi Sud station and the bus A to the airport terminal. A similar ticket is on sale at the airport, at the bookshop.
Check if that price is actually interesting for you. For instance, if you go to Brussels, the gain in euros is nearly nil - but it's easy and swift.

The terminal is open 24/24.
Landside, it houses, from "Arrival" to "Departure":
- a desk that sells the bus tickets to Brussels
- a tourism information desk
- a pharmacy
- the arrival door
- a pastry shop
- customs
- lost and found
- a bank automat
- a Jetair travel center
- a newspaper- and bookseller, with a good choice of aviation magazines - at the back, left.
- the airport information desk
- an Irish pub
- near door 2 : a balance to check your baggage weight
- the check-in desks (and self check-in)
- the door to the security check
- the "Airport ticket desk"
Airside, past the security check :
- a skyshop with all the customary goods on sale in such shops : perfumes, alcohols, fashion, watches, sunglasses, and so on - also a few books and magazines
- where to eat and drink something
- and, of course, the boarding gates. (To the left, the passport control giving access to the gates for the non-Schengen destinations).
- with a goodview of the apron, all along
The apron is two floors down, by stairs or lift;
When arriving, the baggage claim area and the exit are two floors up.

Runway :
07/25
2550m x 45m (an extension of 650m, to 3200m, is planned)
ILS cat III (since end January 2009), radar, VOR/DME
http://airport.wallonie.be/CharleroiAero.html

The (new) terminal :


The check-in desks :


The arrival hall :


The skyshop :


A few departure gates :


From further on the right on the terminal, on can have a good view of aircraft coming in after landing :


... of aircraft going to the runway (behind, a light is landing on 07)


... and of the aircraft parking, in front of the terminal :


The terminal, as seen from a departing flight :


And from an arriving flight :


Runway 25 :



The beacon, near the 07 end of the runway :

[atoutprix]

Hand luggage : warning !
On the CRL web site :


We remind our passengers that you can only carry one handluggage per passenger whose dimensions can not exceed 55 cm - 20 cm - 40 cm.
The handluggage must be able to hold your laptop, your purse, your umbrella, and all of your purchases.
Any other piece of handluggage must be sent to the check-in.
At the gate, a second check will be conducted before entry into the aircraft.
Then, you will be able to leave one of your luggage at the airport and to retrieve it at the lost and found desk.
Recovery must be made within one month, in exchange for a fee of EUR 15 to cover our storage costs.

These measures are imposed by airlines to ensure maximum safety on board aircraft.

[amnesia]

OK, I'll visit CRL for the first time in 08 june. Has anyone got any tips about good places to sleep at the terminal building? We'll arrive at 2245 and leave at 0900 so sleeping at the middle of departure hall would not be good idea for us as we'd like to get some rest during this time
Also is there any good place to watch departing aircrafts during morning takeoffs? I saw some hills at the pictures above - is it far from the terminal building?
Two days later we have about 10 hours of stay at CRL. I'm thinking about Charleroi itself, or some area nearby? Could anyone recomend something for me? I mean some nice place to see, drink coffe, maybe eat some snack. I'm not thinking about something which get us tired as I'm traveling with my mother and this will be third day of our trip

[ruinair]

i think treat your mother and stay at the nearby airport hotel