Brussels Zaventem Airport

I use Brussels airport a lot and it is a good airport which has got better over the past couple of years. The cafes are good and not too expensive when compared with places like Heathrow. The train service should be improved though as it only accepts Belgian debit cards and normally only 1 machine works. As everyone is coming from abroad this doesn't make much sense.

A well run and well maintained airport with friendly and efficient staff. Frequent and reasonably priced train link into central Brussels. Didn't use the shops or catering so can't comment there. If your flight comes in at the far end of pier A then you're in for quite a hike to the train station/taxi pick up and the signing seems to fizzle out towards the end but otherwise a very good experience.

The negative aspects are high prices in restaurants and car parking. Although there is a single terminal there are two departure areas - "A" for Schengen zone countries (i.e. no passport controls) and "B" for non-Schengen (including the UK and Ireland). Passengers travelling through area "B" have a far shorter walk to/from the 'planes. Flights occasionally arrive at area "A" from non-Schengen countries - this is usually when bus transfers are necessary (so that passengers have to pass through passport control). A good recent development are the direct trains from the airport to Leuven as well as Brussels. A little known bus link is the hourly De Lijn service 359 to/from Roodebeek Metro station - useful for the east side of Brussels.

Zaventem is good clean and friendly. The food is pricey. The train connection is excellent but the taxis are a crude rip off. We are stuck with the never-ending tunnel to terminal A but the terminal is nice when you get there. Do something about people parking on the forecourt. And bussing when you land is hateful time consuming and stressful.