These are two different airports, not two terminals
Brussels Airport (often called Zaventem, after its location) and Brussels South Charleroi Airport share "Brussels" in their branding but are not close to each other or interchangeable in practice. Zaventem sits a short train ride from central Brussels; Charleroi is a separate airport near the city of Charleroi, used heavily by low-cost carriers, and getting from it into Brussels itself takes close to an hour by road. Check which airport your flight actually uses before planning your onward journey — the names are easy to confuse if you're booking quickly.
From Brussels Airport (Zaventem): the train
The train station sits beneath the terminal, and according to Brussels Airport's own page, six direct trains run every hour from early morning until around midnight to Brussels' three main stations, with two further trains per hour serving the European Quarter directly. Airport-listed journey times are roughly 18 minutes to Brussels-Central, 11 minutes to Brussels-North and 23 minutes to Brussels-South.
Tickets can be bought online through NMBS/SNCB, at machines on level -1 or in the baggage hall, or by scanning a QR ticket or MOBIB card at the access gates. The airport's page also notes a Brussels Airport Supplement applied to train tickets from the station, which NMBS/SNCB collects rather than the airport itself, and which is often already built into the ticket price you're quoted rather than charged separately at the gate.
From Brussels South Charleroi Airport: shuttle or train-and-bus
Charleroi Airport is not connected to central Brussels by rail directly. The airport's own access page lists Flibco.com as the shuttle operator running scheduled coach services from the airport to Brussels-Midi station and other regional cities, with timetables built around flight schedules and fares starting from roughly €14.99 one way, bookable through flibco.com. A shared door-to-door option branded Door2Gate is also listed through the same operator for travellers who want pickup closer to their final address.
The alternative route uses TEC's bus line A1, which the airport's page describes as covering the roughly 20-minute run between the airport and Charleroi-Central train station about four times an hour between 4:30 a.m. and 11:30 p.m. From Charleroi-Central, SNCB trains connect onward to Brussels, and combined train-and-bus tickets are available through SNCB.
Getting around once you're in Brussels
Brussels' public transport — metro, tram and bus — is run by STIB/MIVB. The network uses the MOBIB card system alongside single tickets and a GO mobile app; STIB's own site directs riders to its transport-rules-and-fares page for current pricing, which this guide could not independently confirm to a specific figure at the time of writing — treat any fare you see quoted elsewhere as provisional and confirm the current price on STIB's site or at a ticket machine before you travel. A day or multi-day pass is usually worth it if you're moving around the city more than two or three times.
Compare by what matters to you
| Option | Best for | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Brussels Airport train | Most arrivals into Zaventem, frequent departures | Airport supplement adds to the base fare |
| Charleroi shuttle (Flibco) | Arrivals at Charleroi heading to central Brussels | About an hour, fixed timetable tied to flights |
| Charleroi TEC bus + train | Arrivals at Charleroi heading toward Charleroi itself or connecting onward | Requires a transfer at Charleroi-Central |
Late arrivals and large luggage
Brussels Airport's page describes train service running from early morning until around midnight, which covers most scheduled arrivals but leaves a late-night gap worth checking against your specific flight time on the NMBS/SNCB planner. Charleroi's Flibco shuttles are scheduled around flight arrivals rather than running on a fixed clock-face timetable, which works in your favor for a delayed landing but means checking the specific departure tied to your flight rather than assuming a fixed frequency.
Two suitcases are manageable on either route — the Zaventem train station sits directly under the terminal, and Flibco's coaches are designed for airport transfers with underseat and hold luggage space — but a long walk or tram change at your final Brussels address is worth weighing against a taxi if you're arriving very late or travelling with a group.
Before you leave the arrivals hall
Confirm which of the two airports you actually landed at, then follow the signed route to either the train station (Zaventem) or the shuttle desk and bus stop (Charleroi) rather than approaching anyone offering an unofficial ride inside the terminal. This guide does not cover taxi fares from either airport, which vary enough with traffic and exact destination that a quoted range would not be reliable without a fetched, current source.