At a glance
How do you find parking at or near the airport? At what price? Are all car parks reliable? What criteria should you use to choose?
Heading off on a flight and looking for a parking spot near the airport? Are all car parks equally reliable? How much do they cost? Are there alternatives?
Sam, the admin of the travel blog Check Out Sam, did some digging for us.
The different types of car parks in and near airports
First of all, it should be noted that there are different types of car parks in and around airports (here we're looking at Brussels and Charleroi airports). Some are managed by the airport itself, others belong to private companies.
Airport car parks offer the most convenience, as they're within walking distance of the check-in desks. But they're also the most expensive.
You can also opt for car parks a bit further away and take a shuttle to the airport. These car parks are often cheaper, but you need to allow more time to reach the airport.
Here's more detail on these two options.
Airport car parks
Brussels-Zaventem Airport can accommodate 10,000 cars spread across several car parks. You can park at P1, P2 or P3. Depending on the spot you choose, it takes about three to six minutes to walk to the terminals. A short-stay car park ("Kiss & Ride") is also available, which is handy if you want to drop someone off.
At Charleroi Airport, there are also three options. You can park your car at the Low Cost P3 or at P4 (a 20-minute walk from the airport). The P2 car park is a 10-minute walk from the airport. Finally, there's the Premium P1 car park, the only car park right next to Charleroi Airport. From there, you can reach the terminals on foot in just two minutes. Needless to say, this is the most expensive option.
At both airports, you won't need to worry about a lack of parking spaces. There are plenty. Be sure to keep the ticket you receive at the entrance barrier, as it's essential for paying and being able to leave the car park.
Want to be sure of your spot? In that case, you can book a space online: on this site for Charleroi Airport and on this one for Brussels Airport. At both airports, the car parks are under permanent camera surveillance.
Car park prices
As mentioned above, airport car parks are the most expensive. They cost between €100 and €200 per week. Prices at Charleroi and Brussels-Zaventem airports are similar.
Car parks near the airports are cheaper. If you look carefully, you'll find prices starting from €30 per week. For more comfort and better security, budget €60 to €80 per week.
Car parks near the airports
If you're willing to take a shuttle to get to the airport, you'll have quite a few options. This option is often much cheaper than airport car parks, and these car parks and garages are ten to twenty minutes' drive from the airport.
The cheapest car parks are usually uncovered and very basic. If you have a higher budget, you can choose a covered car park where security is generally better. On top of surveillance cameras, there are usually security patrols. If that's the case, it will always be mentioned.
The entrance and perimeter of car parks are (almost) always monitored by cameras, but the car park itself isn't always. So don't leave valuables in the car and park in a well-lit, visible spot.
Finally, you can also opt for "valet parking", where you drop your car off at the airport. A driver will come and take care of it and drive it safely to a parking spot a bit further away. Some luxury services even offer to wash the car while you're away. When you return, all you need to do is let the car park manager know and tell the driver they can bring your car back to the airport.
Where to find car parks near airports?
Google's search engine will help you a lot, but unfortunately small car parks aren't always easy to find or always reliable. I've put together an overview of car parks at Brussels and Charleroi airports and posted it on my blog. These articles are updated regularly.
You can find them here (as my blog doesn't exist in French, you can open the pages using Google Translate):
- Parking near Zaventem Airport (machine translation)
- Parking near Charleroi Airport (machine translation)
- Parkeren bij luchthaven Zaventem (original text in Dutch)
- Parkings bij luchthaven Charleroi (original text in Dutch)
Of course, you can also fly from airports outside Belgium. My blog "Check Out Sam" gives you lists of car parks near the airports of Eindhoven, Maastricht, Cologne and Düsseldorf (machine translations). (For the original text in Dutch: Eindhoven, Maastricht, Keulen and Düsseldorf).
Are car parks near airports reliable?
Here too, Google offers an answer. As soon as you find an interesting car park, all you need to do is type its name into a search engine to get customer reviews or ratings.
I find Google reviews particularly handy. They give a good idea of what you can expect. Since there are often photos, you can also get a sense of what the car park looks like.
Facebook also often helps with publishing consumer reviews. Some car parks have a social media account and allow critical reviews to be posted there.
A few things to consider when choosing a car park
Value for money
Price is probably one of the most important criteria. More expensive car parks generally offer better service (security, they're covered, larger, closer to the airport, etc.), but this isn't everyone's top priority. If you'd rather save a few dozen euros a week, you'll need to choose a car park offering fewer services.
Book early enough
If price matters, it's best to book a few weeks in advance. In peak season, I'd even recommend booking one or several months ahead.
Found a good price but don't want to leave your car somewhere shady? Google Earth or Google Maps will let you see the spot where you'll be parking your car.
The number of parking spaces
This number varies a lot from one car park to another and is usually clearly stated on the website. As soon as there are no spaces left, bookings are closed.
Payment method
In most cases, you pay online and can cancel (free of charge) up to 24 hours in advance.
Car parks at Brussels-National Airport and Charleroi Airport work both with a booking system and a pay-on-return system (when you get back from your trip).
The distance between the car park and the airport...
... and the time needed to get from the car park to the airport. It's important not to waste time on departure and arrival. Remember that you sometimes need to check in two hours in advance at the airport desks.
Most car parks offer shuttles, but in some cases you'll need to arrange your own transport. Also factor in possible delays due to the journey between the car park and the airport (traffic jams).
Security
You obviously want your car to be safe while you're away. Most car parks have surveillance cameras at the entrance, but this isn't necessarily the case in the car park itself. Some car parks also have security guards and run patrols.
Car park opening hours
It's very important to check the car park's opening hours. Many car parks are open 24 hours a day, but some close for a few hours during the night. Check your flight times against the car park's opening hours.
Always make sure you get a phone number for the car park manager and keep it handy. You'll normally get it after booking, but it's never a bad idea to ask the shuttle driver for it again. You never know if your flight will be delayed or if you'll run into another problem.
It's not just about car parks... Alternatives for getting to the airport
"Park Sleep Fly" hotels
Did you know there are "park-sleep-fly" hotels? These are places where you can spend a night (or more) before your flight. On the day of departure, you leave your car in the hotel car park and a shuttle takes you to the airport. When you return, you can pick up your car and drive home. So you won't need to spend another night at the hotel when you get back.
This service is included in the total price of the hotel stay. There are options at Charleroi and Brussels airports. I've made an overview of these on my site too:
- Hotels near Brussels Airport (machine translation)
- Hotels near Charleroi Airport (machine translation)
- Hotels bij luchthaven Zaventem (original text in Dutch)
- Hotels bij luchthaven Charleroi (original text in Dutch)
Taxi
If you're travelling with a (large) group of people, a taxi can be financially worthwhile. Depending on your starting point in Belgium, you'll pay between €75 and €200 for a one-way trip to the airport.
Public transport
The cheapest option is to get to Brussels or Charleroi airport by public transport.
Brussels Airport in Zaventem is easily accessible by train. On top of the standard fare, a Diabolo surcharge is charged (currently €5.40). The station is right below the terminals, so once you arrive, all you need to do is take the escalators up to check-in.
Unfortunately, travelling by train to Charleroi Airport is a bit more complicated. You first need to go to Charleroi-Sud station. From there, you walk to the nearby bus station and take line A to get to the airport. The TEC bus will get you there in about twenty minutes.
Do you know Flibco?
Flibco's comfortable coaches leave every day from Liège-Guillemins, Brussels-South, Antwerp-Berchem, Bruges and Ghent-Saint-Pierre stations and drop you off at Brussels or Charleroi airport at attractive rates.
And finally, perhaps the best tip of all... Ask your friends or family if they can drop you off and pick you up at the airport! This will save you money and a lot of hassle, and on the way back, you'll get to share the adventures you had on your trip!
About "Check Out Sam"
Sam is a globetrotter at heart. Since the age of 18, he's been travelling the continents as a true "digital nomad". Sometimes he just stays put, but he never stays idle for long. Wherever he goes, he gathers information which he writes up on his blog as practical travel guides: places to visit, useful tips, original places to stay and, of course, wonderful travel stories with beautiful photos. To find the inspiration and information you're missing, just head over to Check Out Sam!
