They say: Charleroi is the most depressing city in Europe

[regi]

you see: you react as I expected. Low cost means that we are not allowed to make comparisons. I call 15 euro a day for parking not cheap for a low cost airport. Even if it is slightly cheaper than Zaventem.
And you do accept that facilities such as toilets may be dirty. I don't accept that. Not at Zaventem or Charleroi. Yes , it are the travellers who make them dirty. But there is cleaning staff to clean it. The way you put it, it is almost as if a toilet at Charleroi should not be cleaned by airport staff. Well, let's try it out: clean the toilet yourself if you want a clean toilet. Brush is in the corner. Succes.

[Stij]

- attitude of airport police : I can't judge here, I have never had any argument with airport policemen, either at BRU or CRL. If one remain calm, polite and considerate, one is generally treated in the same manner.

I have to agree with Regi on this point. Don't ask me why, but I never have problems with security staff anywhere, but at CRL, I had a discussion...twice. Could be blamed on FR's early morning departures.

It can't be the Carolo's because all the other staff at the airport treats you just right, the Skyshop-people are even extremely friendly and funny.

I don't know what their problem is.

Cheers,

Stij

[airazurxtror]

I don't understand why there is a difference in attitude between airport police at Zaventem and Charleroi.

regi was speaking of the police. I don't see how you can have an argument with the CRL police officers, as your only contact with them is to show them you identity card or passport, and only if you fly to a non-Schengen country.
As for the security personnel, if you have only one hand baggage of the right dimensions, and you follow the routine to go through the control, I don't see how you can have an argument with them either. Of course, if you try to pass with two or three pieces of baggage who don't fit into the gauge, they won't let you through ...

[Desert Rat]

I don't understand why there is a difference in attitude between airport police at Zaventem and Charleroi. .

You don't understand??

But there's a huge difference...in CRL so far, they did not killed anybody and so far they have not been dragged in court for racist comments and attitude...

Got it, mister I'm flemish and arrogant???

[Stij]

Got it, mister I'm flemish and arrogant???

I find your comment so misplaced I will no longer write in this discussion.

[Acid-drop]

Guys, the main difference with CRL, and it's the biggest mistake they have made, it's that the airport is already way too small. The success is incredible, the amount of pax is almost too important for the size of this new airport, this showing the limitations like unclean toilet (although i saw them very clean the last 2 time i've been there).

Now, this topic is about Charleroi city, and not CRL which I believe is a hell of a success.

[regi]

seems some people get a bit nervous...
I did not have problems against me by police and/or security staff at Charleroi.
But what I personally witnessed at CRL several times on arrival was that some people were set aside to wait for further control , without explanation. When these people asked questions, just a hand waving and something like "shut up" was the reply. The cue was pretty long and there seemed to be passport problems. ( flying from the UK doesn't mean that you automatically have a Shengen entry approval )
Exactly the same thing happened again some months after this flight. So my remark was based on a repetition of strange and impolite behaviour by police men checking passports. ( finger pointing, "shut up", "stay there", similar remarks, shouted at a loud and aggressive voice while those persons did not have argued at all, just given their passports)

On the contrary I witnessed at Zaventem some years ago how the airport police handled very friendly a lady with a baby who was too early on her visum. She was clearly not an illegal immigrant , had her visum, but arrived 1 day too early. The police gave her a drink, let her stay in their office instead of the glass cage ( detail to prove to you what I talk about ) , let her go to the other bathroom to treat her baby etcetera. Some phone calls to her embassy and the ministery and all was cleared in 1 hour.

To Desert Rat: I do absolutely feel very bad about what happened to Semira Adamou . I know that collegues of the concerned police men who were involved with her killing during her expatriation felt sorry in the first place for "their poor colleague who was in shock". But later on those collegues changed their minds when the movie was published and the reports came out. One of those police men asked for a transfer so he would never have to work with the concerned officials again.

Toilets:
good to read that the sanitary situation at CRL has improved. So positive/corrective remarks are also welcome - and appreciated.

[Comet]

I am a Brit who visits Belgium alot and makes a point of heading for places the average tourist has never heard of (they all do Brussels, Brugge, Gent and Antwerp - maybe Ieper and Oostende). I have never been to Charleroi but I have been to Mons, one of the places someone mentioned in an earlier post. To a British tourist, Mons is very pretty, especially the main square and the belfry to see what I mean, visit the Mons page on my website http://belgiumphotos.tripod.com/id25.html

I don't know why people think Belgium is boring, with an image problem - the food is the best I've had anywhere, the beer is the best in the world, the trains are better than they are in Britain and the towns and cities are better kept and often in a better state of repair than the places here. Coventry is the original dump, Newcastle is a depressing, drab hole an Scarborough has the ugliest town centre in North Yorkshire.

I have a big soft spot for Zeebrugge, so much better than Scarborough

[Acid-drop]

regi, I don't know, but it look that your experience was an exception ... I have never seen any behaviour close to that in any airport ... Beside the fact that CRL is too small, thus lenthening the queues and increasing the nervosity, there is no much difference with other airports in Belgium, imho.
Belgian police is what it is : a bunch of clowns, rather cool and understanding. I've had a lot more stress in London or in the US ...

[regi]

to Comet:
may I propose to change Coventry as worst place by Dudley?

To Acid Drop:
In fact you are right. Belgian airport officials and police are more polite and less aggresive than in many other destinations. I gave a comparison only with the Zaventem police. But I would put Amsterdam on top of the list of bad experiences with officials after very ennoying interrogation exercises, armoured vehicles cruising around, strict rules because of "security", ...

For detailed experiences with machine gun waving uniformed people at airports, I can go on for days. The usual places are Karachi ( it feels a bit unconfortable to see through the window a bunch of old Willies surrounding the Phillipine Airl. B747 with trigger happy guys standing behind a machine gun ), Dhaka, New Delhi, Dubai, but also Istanbul and so on.

What Heathrow concerns, I had a very alarming situation coming back from Asia. The BAA staff put me apart. But a real policeman released me after 10 minutes , after he checked the procedure of the faulty BAA staff - and scolded them for their mistakes. He did even excuse for the embarrasing situation.

[Comet]

to Comet:
may I propose to change Coventry as worst place by Dudley?

You may, though I've never been to Dudley I have heard about it. Not all the West Midlands are bad though - Warwick is very nice with mediaeval buildings and an old castle, it's just that the area is best known for places like Birmingham (which does have some great shopping and eating - especially for those who are fans of Indian food).

Scarborough makes me mad. It is a relatively big town but the town centre is hideous and the shops are rubbish. We can go to a nice little market town a few miles away and buy food better than anything you can buy in Scarborough, and lack of availability of goods and services is maddening - for example we don't have one independent travel agent here, just the usual high street rubbish, we are the only North Yorkshire town not to have a proper travel agent. We have plenty of "everything £1" shops though.

[Comet]

In my opinion the most depressing city on the continent is Paris. On the occasions I've been there I've always looked forward to getting away, I find it overrated and ugly, devoid of any charm, character and atmosphere.

I like other places in France, it's just Paris I don't like.

[regi]

Yep Comet, Paris is terrible.

• Always be careful for pick pocketting. ( saw it twice at the Notre Dame , police didn't move even an eyelid )
  Dirty, smelly underground
  Strange food & drink habits. ( you have to pay extra if you sit down )
  No toilets in pubs or they are extremely dirty.
  An anti tourists feeling. ( well, me as a real Brugian can understand that sometimes the tourists can be a nuisance )
  No parking space
  dangerous driving