How is BRU?
 

I will be flying to Brussels next month on my next European trip and was wondering how the airport is. Does it have any unique stores or features that should not be missed? Is there an observation deck, etc? I will also be flying into both Shannon and Dublin. Any opinions on those airports too would be appreciated.

BRU airport is devided into two concourses. One (the old part of the airport) is mainly flights to southern Europe. The other one (newly built) handles the rest of the flights. The newer one (concourse B) is OK, the older one (concourse C) is something that you would want to avoid. The two concourses are divided by a passport and security check point.

You can buy Chocolate from Belgium at rather good prices at the airport. You will have a good view of the aircraft from most longes. There are longes on the second floor at both concourses. For more info check out their website:
http://www.brusselsairport.be/

[This message has been edited by nilsman (edited 08-17-2000).]

Be prepared, unless you are on a Sabena widebody, you'll probably be bussed to Customs or the terminal if Shengen.

I think one good point about BRU is the new TravelClub Lounge (B Concourse) is excellent.

A bad-point is that the immigration delays at the non-Shengen terminal (Concourse B) can be very long, and in my view are a discgrace for the so called 'heart of Europe'. This has become so bad recently, that my company now pay BIAC to meet all their senior employees at the plane and wisk them though immigration and to the BIAC lounge - well worth the money in my view!


Nick

Applefan ..you seem to indicate you are not exiting in BRU? Lucky you. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

I've travelled to every continent, to over 100 countries, and I have always said that Brusells must be THE most boring city on earth! Not sure what others think, but boy it had a character bypass IMHO!

I couldn't agree more ozstamps. Except for the very centre around the Grand Place, Brussels is boring, ugly and mostly miserable crowded with too many stiff eurocrats. When my company was setting up a new European hq two years ago, they had two options, Brussels and A'dam.

... my prayers worked!

Greetings from my happy village, R2

some of you seem to have a no real idea/expierence about Bruxelles (or one of you may be from a 'jealous' neighbour country?), belgium beers (THE specialty beer country of the world), belgium chocolates (and that is a swiss to say this), belgium Restaurants (even Michelin, France, rates Bruxelles as high as Lyon and Paris!), belgium fries (the most famous of the world, I have never heard any other judgment).

Well I certainly am not from a jealous neighbouring country - Give me LINDT choccies ANY day (made in some other tiny Euro country)- Giuylain no comparison. German Bier, DUTCH pommes frittes from around Centraal Station, and FRENCH resturants kill them any day IMHO.

R2 as I recall the prime tourist attractions of this city is some 3 foot high boy statue fountain pissing on his feet, and a whole pile of stainless steel balls welded together. Hot stuff!

Lindt&Sprüngli (Kilchberg, Zurich, Switzerland) is a (good) chocolate factory - chocolate affeccionados go for daily fresh- and hand-made from Sprüngli or Teuscher (and others) in Switzerland (former OMNI price-winners, PIP-chocolates-tasting-session-participants and many others from Flyertalk know trough personal experience and tasting about what I am talking here).

I don't know Bruxelles very well as I spend most of my Belgium time in Antwerpen which is a fun city, especially in the summer. I highly recommend visiting there rather than Bruxelles.

And I totally agree with Rudi about the excellent Belgie restaurants and beer! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

Never been to Brussels but I believe that the beer Chemay is made by the Trappist Monks in Beligium and for my money it is one of the best non stout beers.

That being said you surprise me Rudi, the reputation that Belgian cooking has (at least in the UK and Italy) is that all they do is mussels and not very well at that.

Just returned from Brussels a few weeks ago.

Our DL MD-11 from ATL had a real gate, but it was a Sabena gate/Sabena codeshare flight. Six days after that flight, DL/SN officially went splitsville, so DL probably doesn't have a real gate anymore.

Customs was a breeze, baggage claim took forever (BizElite bags came out right away, but the TPA agent didn't have any priority tags http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/frown.gif).

I highly recommend you get some Neuhaus chocolates. We got a box (you can pick out your own or get a pre-picked one) and are still enjoying them today. They are served on DL BizElite FWIW.

Food was excellent. Between Brussels and Brugges, I don't remember have such good food in a long time! Well, London rivals it.

Why can't Tampa have any world-class restaurants! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/rolleyes.gif

Rudi, I agree that BELGIAN beer and BELGIAN chocolate is good (don't really care about frites). I just don't like Brussels. A lot of the other cities in Belgium are quite nice; Antverp, Brugge, Gent. But Brussels, no thanks for me.
By the way, I really like Belgians, most of my nicest collegues are flamish-belgian and extremely friendly and sympathetic. I'm not Dutch myself so no nationalistic jealousy from my part! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

Vriendeligje groetjes from the happy Amsterdammer!

Brussels boring? Only if you don't like to eat or drink, I suppose.

You can eat and drink in Cleveland too I suppose! Doesn't make it exciting.

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~ Glen ~

Hey -- don't dis Cleveland! I'm headed there this week!

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

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~ Glen ~

I'm goint to have to agree on two points:

Belgian beer is the world's best. Fortunately, one does not have to go to Belgium to find plenty of good belgian beer becuase Brussels is terribly boring.

It's one thing to say that the beer in Belgium is great, but the best? I think that honor goes to the Czech Republic. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

I (personally) agree that the Czech have (one of the best or the best) Pilsener type of beers (Pilsener Urquell or Budvaar).

Belgium probably has the most exciting variety of beers worldwide.

what about belgium waffles? I love those waffles!
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

Rozy .. 10 points for the waffles! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

And as an Ozzie, my Oath Of Alliegance to this country requires me to swear Ozzie beer beats all. (Then German, for taste and the sheer variety and number of local brews, which I have no doubt eclipses many fold those of ANY other country).



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~ Glen ~

Don't forget the Dutch! They've brought us 3 of the best -- Amstel, Heineken, and my personal favorite -- Grolsch!

Reminds me of an old joke...

Why are American beers like having sex in a canoe?

Because they're both f**king close to water! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif

ORD12 .. ROTFL .. funniest thing I've read here for 24 hours!

I owe you a Fosters if our paths ever cross. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

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~ Glen ~

I did't find anythink interesting at the airport. However' I don't think Brussels is boring: Very good food, nice places and Antwerp is only 30 miles away, Bruges 60 miles.

Touche Rudi. Belgium does have the best variety. There are more small batch beers in that tiny country than the whole U.S. And they are mostly very good.

Read what the N.Y. Times writes about Brussels.
http://www.nytimes.com/library/trave.../wd000521.html

What' Doing In Brussels

There is a new and more upbeat spirit in the old town of Brussels, and it is not just because the city is one of Europe's nine Cities of Culture in this millennium year.

One reason is the new, right-of-center government, more spirited and outspoken on the national and international stage than its weary predecessor. Another is the ongoing beautification of Brussels. Sidewalks have been repaved, and flowers and trees planted in profusion.

This thread has gone all over the place!

My friend CATMAN has NOT been to brussels or Belgium yet but someday he will. IT seems like an OK airport. But he tells me he's interested in going there someday.

Commander Catcop

Here is the website for all Belgium Breweries:
http://www.beerparadise.be/

Then go to 'en' = english

Salut, prost!

cheers with a belgium 'mort subite!' = a 'sudden death'!

Does anyone know if Brussels airport has installed shower facilities yet? They had not about a year ago but the airport office said they were considering it.

Thanks for all of the information. Ozstamps, to answer your question, I am just transfering from an American flight from ORD to a Virgin Express flight to Shannon on the way to Ireland. I have a layover of three hours so I hope everything goes right. On the way back to the States I am staying the night in Brussels. I get in BRU about 2 PM and leave about 3PM the next day. I have decided to stay at the Sheraton at the airport instead of messing with baggage on the train to town. I have only been to Brussels once and that was for only a few hours about 10 years ago. I guess people have some really strong opinions about this city. Is there anything worth seeing? Also, I am flying Business class on the way back to ORD. How is the lounge that AA uses (I believe it's BA's). Thanks again for the advice.

Applefan .. whatever you do, don't miss seeing that tiny statue in a backstreet somewhere of some young boy pissing on his feet.

It is their No#1 tourist attraction, (true!) which kinda sums up Brussels neatly. After that, it is all downhill! Enjoy, and IMHO rejoice you only have ONE day there!



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~ Glen ~

AAAH... the joys of the Google.com search engine!

Here to whet your appetite about the touristic joys of Brussells are 2 websites depicting the legendary Mannequin De Pis. Do bear in mind there are "leading" restaurants, and indeed a beer named after this cultural icon, and historic piece of sculpture .. I swear that is true!

Click on these and "enjoy"! PS .. neither website is mine or anything to do with me, but the first one kinda sums up my view! The person who posted the pissing statue pics says later on:

"Belgium is generally considered so uninteresting, that competitions to think up interesting things about the country are farcical in their brevity. Chocolate, lace, Jean-Claude Van Damme, and Tin-Tin, and that's it, folks - same time next year. Equally, Brussels is not considered a top tourist destination. The only reason I went was a free air ticket. "



http://www.sobi.org/photos/places/Brussels/pis/


http://home.san.rr.com/xshao/photo/phoe_index.html

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~ Glen ~



[This message has been edited by ozstamps (edited 08-22-2000).]

Brussels is great for a couple days but thats about it. One thing I would say for it is that it is a good place to end a trip because it is easy to get into, easy to get to the airport and the city is "manageable". When I am on the last day of a 21 day trip the last thing I want is to deal with the crowds, congestion, etc of Paris or London. If you do end a trip in BRU and need to spend the night I highly recommend the Montgomery Hotel, it is relatively close to BRU and in a nice quiet neighborhood near EU and NATO, feels like a private residence, very relaxing.

The Hilton Board has now discovered the joys of Brussels!

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum57/HTML/000789.html

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~ Glen ~

On my last stay in Brussels I waited for my case about 45mins (all they had to do is to unload a tiny Swissair A321), and there wasn't even an announcement. Just a TV screen saying "baggages retardées" (baggage delayed). Great! On the other hand, they have a nice restaurant/observatorium on the top deck, and the GODIVA chocolates - also available at the airport - are at least as tasty as the swiss Sprünglis, although still less exclusive than Teuscher.

If you are in Brussels, and have a little time, then take the train to Brugges. This is one of my wife's and my favorite places. It is quaint and beautiful. The food is outstanding and there is so much to do.

The Amsterdam Huis is a great place to stay and has one of the best breakfasts available ANYWHERE, and it is included in the price of the room. This hotel is decorated with pieces of art throughout all the rooms (some dating back hundreds of years.)

Brugges is also home to the only sculpture by Michaelangelo which is located outside of Italy.


[This message has been edited by FlyingRev (edited 10-28-2000).]