Brussels Zaventem (BRU)
Tel: 0900 70000.
Website: www.brusselsairport.be

Brussels Airport, operated by Brussels Airport Company (tel: (02) 753 4200), is situated 12km (8 miles) northeast of Brussels, offering flights to over 180 destinations worldwide. In 2006, more than 16.7 million passengers passed through the airport, which is a modern facility quite in keeping with the stature of the city it serves. Comprehensive free information guides are widely available around the airport.

Airport facilities: These include post office and medical facilities, bank and bureaux de change, ATMs, bars, restaurants, shops, tourist information and car hire from Avis, Europcar, Hertz, National/Alamo and Sixt.

Business facilities: The Regus Skyport Corporate Meeting Centre (tel: (02) 714 0200) is located on the fourth-floor ‘Promenade' level and offers 10 small meeting rooms and secretarial services.

Transport to the city: The Airport Line bus service, operated by MIVB/STIB (tel: (02) 515 2000; website: www.stib.irisnet.be), runs three to four times per hour daily (journey time - 40 minutes). The De Lijn bus (tel: (070) 220 200; website: www.delijn.be) operates every 45 minutes to the city centre Monday to Saturday (journey time - 40 minutes). Also operated by STIB, the Airport City Express trains to the city (journey time - 15 minutes) depart every 15 minutes to Brussels' three main stations - Gare Centrale, Gare du Nord and Gare du Midi. Services operate daily.

Taxis Verts (tel: (02) 349 4949; website: www.taxisverts.be) operates a transfer service to the city; prices start from around €35. Hotel courtesy coaches go to the nearby Holiday Inn, Novotel and Sofitel.

Brussels South Charleroi Airport (CRL)
Tel: (07) 125 1211.
Website: www.charleroi-airport.com

Brussels' second and smaller airport is located 55km (37 miles) south of Brussels, in Charleroi - a one-hour drive from Lille, in the north of France. More than 2 million passengers used the airport in 2004, and a new terminal opened in January 2008. The privately owned airport, which belongs to the Walloon region and private investors, is an international airport for passenger and freight traffic, a test and training flight base for aeronautical industry and a centre for general and business aviation. The acknowledged training centre of all Belgian airlines, Belgian Flight School, is also based here. Low-cost airline Ryanair serves destinations in the UK, Italy, France, Ireland and Spain, while Wizz Air offers links to cities in Hungary, Poland and Slovenia.

Airport facilities: Facilities include bars, shops, lost property, a bank and duty-free shop. Car hire is available from Avis, Hertz, TC Location and Europcar.

Business facilities: There is a first class lounge available in the terminal.

Transport to the city: The MIVB/STIB (tel: (02) 515 2000; website: www.stib.irisnet.be) bus 68 runs from Charleroi Airport to the nearby Charleroi train station (journey time - 10 minutes). From there, a frequent SNCB (tel: (02) 528 2828; website: www.b-rail.be) train service connects to Brussels' main stations (journey time - 45 minutes). A combined ticket is valid to any station in Belgium. There are plans to extend the rail link directly to the airport, but this is some years away.

There is a regular shuttle coach service to Brussels city centre, with up to 20 departures each way daily (journey time - approximately 1 hour).

Approximate flight times to Brussels: From London is 55 minutes; from New York is 7 hours 30 minutes; from Los Angeles is 13 hours 35 minutes; from Toronto is 7 hours 45 minutes and from Sydney is 27 hours.