Workers from Gosselies and Marchienne hop TEC A3 more than tourists
TEC A3 is a regular shuttle bus linking Brussels South Charleroi Airport (CRL) with Charleroi-Sud railway station and several suburbs, so it ends up carrying a lot of airport staff at shift change. The line runs on the public TEC network, not as a dedicated airport coach, and you’ll see it marked simply as "A" at the stop in front of Terminal 1 on the arrivals level. It’s a straight link into Charleroi city, not Brussels-Midi, and that’s where many visitors trip up.
A single TEC A3 ticket on board typically costs a few euros, cheaper than the dedicated Flibco Brussels coach that can run closer to €20. You can usually buy tickets directly from the driver in cash, and on most recent TEC buses contactless card payment is also rolling out across the network. The line follows a fixed route between CRL and Charleroi-Sud station, where you can connect to SNCB trains toward Brussels-Central and Brussels-Midi.
From Terminal 1, walking time to the TEC A3 bus stop is usually under 3 minutes; just follow "Bus" signs toward the main forecourt in front of T1 and look for yellow TEC branding. Buses share the same general curb space as other regional lines, so check the front display for the letter A before boarding. During off-peak hours, gaps of 30 minutes or more are common, since this is a regular regional route and not a high-frequency airport shuttle.
Charleroi-Sud station sits about 7–8 km from the airport, and the TEC A3 bus ride tends to run around 20–25 minutes depending on traffic on the N5. Trains from Charleroi-Sud to Brussels-Midi add roughly 45–60 minutes, so airport-to-Brussels with this combo can push 70–90 minutes door to door. If your flight from T1 or T2 lands after 22:00, check the last A3 departures and the final SNCB trains in advance, or you may be stuck with an expensive taxi run.
One useful trick: buy a TEC "multi" ticket or day pass at Charleroi-Sud or online before heading back to the airport, which can drop the per-ride cost below the single onboard fare. If you’re landing at CRL and planning to use TEC A3 plus an SNCB ticket to Brussels on the same day, price out a combined "billet Charleroi Airport" from SNCB to compare, and pick whichever combo comes out cheaper before you leave the terminal.