By Harriet Baskas

On the Web Airport Web site Ground transportation To celebrate Brussels' role as host of Expo '58, the first post-World War II world's fair, a new airport terminal was built at Zaventem, eight miles from downtown Brussels. Improvements didn't end there: Over the years the terminal size has been doubled (1994), concourses have been added (2002), and the amenities and art collection have been steadily growing, making this airport a delightful place to shop, see great artwork, and, oh yes, embark on an air adventure.

Get oriented Take care of yourself Take care of business Explore the airport Go into town

Get oriented BRU Note Luggage carts are free at BRU. Lockers are located outside Terminal Level O. There are also lockers on Concourse A and in the airline lounge areas. Brussels Airport (BRU) has one terminal with two concourses (or "piers"): A and B. Concourse A (the airport's newest concourse) is used for Schengen/EU flights and is about a 10-minute walk from the main terminal area. Concourse B is used for non-Schengen/International flights and is closer to the ticket counters. Take care of yourself Eat: In the departure hall of the main terminal you'll find table service available at the Flying Tigers American Diner. On level 4 of the Departure Hall (the Promenade level), table service is offered during lunch at the Pilot Club Restaurant and throughout the day at the informal Brussels Café. This level also has a Pizza Hut Express, a café serving coffee and pastries, and Wingtips, a self-service cafeteria with a great view of the airfield. On Concourse A, your choices include Milestone (self-service cafeteria), the Seafood Island, the Wine and Tapas Bar, the Belgian Beer Café, Trattoria, the News Café, and Pizza Hut Express. On Concourse B, look for the self-service Buffeteria, the Aviator's Bar, Seafood Island, Trattoria, and several Coffee Corners. Relax and refresh: There are plenty of comfortable seating areas throughout the airport and lots of art and architectural details designed to please the traveler with a bit of time to linger. BRU Note Best bet for carry-on/takeout: Take your pick from the self-service cafeterias. Best sinful snack: Belgian chocolate from the Chocolate Company or Candy's Corner. A unisex hair salon, DAVIDT Hair Line, is located on the upper level of the departure hall and is open Monday through Saturday from 9 AM to 7 PM. Several hotels at and near the airport offer day rates and amenities for travelers with early and late flights or long layovers. The Sheraton Brussels Airport Hotel and Conference Center is adjacent to the terminal and offers day rates to travelers. The hotel has several restaurants and lounges ranging from casual to gourmet, as well as a business center and fitness room. The Crowne Plaza Brussels Airport, in the nearby Corporate Village, is about five minutes away from the airport via free shuttle bus. Day rates are available. The hotel's fitness center has saunas, a steam room, and a jogging track. The lobby has a business center and overlooks a terrace and a park. A grocery store is next door. Brussels Airport has a non-denominational meditation area as well as rooms designated for Jewish, Muslim, Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant worship. Of special note is the altar made out of an airplane wing in the Catholic chapel. Smokers can light up in restaurants and bars, and in specially marked areas throughout the airport, most notably on the upper level of the Promenade (Level 4 of the departure hall) and on the Mezzanine level of Concourse B, in the Gallery of Light. Take care of business BRU Note Airline club rooms are clustered together in their corresponding concourses. Many airlines share facilities. Check with your airline for club access. A bank and post office is located in the arrivals hall and is open Monday to Friday from 8 AM to 6 PM and Saturday from 8 AM to 1 PM. Cash machines are located in the arrivals hall, level 4 of the departure hall, and in the Concourse A shopping area. The Communication Center is located on the arrivals level and offers Internet access kiosks, wireless Internet access, laptop connections, prepaid phone cards, fax and copy services, and mobile phone accessories. Mobile phones can be rented or purchased from kiosks in the arrivals hall. The Regus Skyport Meeting Center on Level 4 of the departure hall has 10 meeting rooms that rent by the hour, with a wide variety of business support services. VAT refund information is available in the departures hall, to the right of the passport control. Airline lounges are grouped together out on the concourses. Many airlines share facilities, so check with your airline for which lounge may be available to you. Note: There's a general use pool table in the lounge area in Concourse A. Wireless hotspots are available at this airport. Explore the airport Shop: In the public area of the departure hall you'll find a well-stocked newsstand, Candy's Corner, and the Airport Shopping store, which has luggage, crystal, toys, and souvenirs. Tie Rack is located upstairs, on the Promenade level, amid restaurants, kiddie rides, art exhibits, and an amusement center. More serious shopping opportunities are located past the security checkpoints, on the concourses. Both concourses have shopping areas with well-stocked newsstands and Sky Shops offering perfume, candy, alcohol, and tobacco. BRU Note Best souvenir under $10: Giant chocolate Manneken Pis coins (the famous Brussels statue of a little boy) sold in Candy's Corner and elsewhere in the airport. Highlights on Concourse A include Bally (shoes), the Bookshop, Coronel Tapiocca (travel and accessories), Delvaux (leather goods), Gobelins Art (lace and tapestry), Gourmet's (Delicatessen, wine, etc.), For Leaders Only (electronics), Gautam (diamonds, jewelry), Hermes (scarves and fashion items), The Chocolate Company, and Kid's Planet. On Concourse B, look for Airport Shopping (jewelry, fashion, watches), Bally (shoes), The Chocolate Company, Gautam (diamonds, jewelry), Swarovski (crystal), Leaders (electronics), Sunglass Hut, Gobelins Art (lace and tapestry), Gourmet's Corner, and The Chocolate Shop. Small Alligators of Switzerland (toys and gifts) is upstairs, by the Buffeteria restaurant and has a window filled with trains and stuffed animals. Sightsee: The airport has an extensive art collection which includes more than 200 works by 72 artists: 71 Belgian artists and one English artist. The works are scattered throughout the airport facility and include sculpture, painting, tapestry, glasswork dealing with themes of aviation, transition, air, flight and escape. The artworks are described in a brochure available at the airport and in the "Art at the Airport" exhibit room on level 4 of the departure hall, where there are small pictures of each work of art in the collection. Look out: There are great views of the airfield and gate activities from the tables in the Wingtips self-service cafeteria and from the Brussels Café on Level of the departure hall and from the Buffeteria self-service cafeteria on Concourse B. Play around:Small children will want to hop on the climbing structures and coin-operated rides located throughout the airport, especially the rides at the Kiddieland Airport, located on Level 4 of the departure hall, just before the cafeteria. Kids will also enjoy the toy stores, especially the showcase window of train sets and large stuffed animals in Small Alligators of Switzerland, on the Concourse B mezzanine level. Older kids will enjoy the video game center on Level 4 and all kids might enjoy a treasure hunt in search the 211 works of art scattered around the airport. Go into town Brussels Airport is located about eight miles from downtown Brussels. Cab fare for the 20–25 minute ride into town will cost more than $35. Other transportation options: Trains to downtown Brussels and elsewhere leave from the lower level of the terminal building about four times per hour and make the trip to town in about 20 minutes. Express buses (Bus 12) run weekdays from 7 AM to 8 PM and connect the airport with the NATO site and European quarter in Brussels. Express buses make five stops: Schuman (the metro station near EU headquarters), Diamant, Genève, Germinal, and NATO. Before 7 AM and after 8 PM, the bus only goes as far as Schuman, the metro station.

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