Keeping your car safe at Charleroi Airport parking

What happened in Gosselies in October 2026?

According to La DH, dozens of cars parked along Avenue Jean Mermoz, in the Gosselies business park right next to the airport, were broken into on the night of 18 to 19 October 2026 or on the Monday morning. Windows were smashed to search boots and glove boxes, wheels and tyres were taken, cars were left on blocks and number plates were removed. We summed up the facts in our news item of 19 October.

The paper suggests, without confirming it, that some of these cars belonged to travellers who park on the street to avoid paying for a car park. The free part of the article says nothing about an investigation or an arrest.

We found no public figures on car crime around the airport, so we give none. This guide relies on what the car parks write themselves and on what you can check. If you were planning to park for free nearby, read our guide to free parking first. For comparison, the cheapest private car park we track charges €34.30 for 7 days, at our price check of 13/11/2026.

Who pays if your car is stolen or damaged in a car park?

The internal rules of the airport car parks, published by the operator BSCA, say it provides a space without taking custody of the vehicle. They rule out any liability for an accident, theft, damage, explosion or fire in its car parks. On 7 November 2026 the airport website is running in a simplified version 'for security reasons' and no longer shows these rules, so we read them in the archived version from May 2024.

Private car parks generally use similar wording in their terms and conditions, and so do those in our listings: parking is at the customer's risk, and the car park commits to a duty of care, not to a guaranteed result, in looking after the vehicle. Read these terms before booking, whichever car park you choose.

An enclosed car park reduces the opportunities but guarantees nothing. If something happens, your insurance pays, provided your policy covers it.

Does your car insurance cover theft and vandalism?

Not necessarily. Wikifin, the financial education website of Belgium's regulator FSMA, points out that compulsory third-party motor insurance (RC auto) does not cover damage to the insured vehicle. It pays other people, not your car.

Theft and vandalism come under extra cover: omnium or mini-omnium, Belgium's comprehensive and partial policies. According to Wikifin, a mini-omnium generally covers fire, theft or vandalism, broken glass, natural events and hitting an animal. A full omnium also covers damage you cause yourself. In both cases an excess often stays with you.

Before a long trip, reread your policy with three questions in mind. Is a smashed window covered as broken glass? Does the theft cover include wheels, tyres or number plates? What excess will you still pay? If the answer does not suit you, raise it with your insurer now, not when you get back.

What should you check before choosing a car park?

We cannot tell you which car park is safest: none publishes incident figures. Here is what the airport writes about its own car parks, as of 7 November 2026.

For a private car park, if fencing, cameras or someone on site at night matter to you, ask by phone or email before booking and keep the written reply:

• Is the site fully fenced, with a barrier or gate at the entrance?
• Is anyone on site at night, outside opening hours?
• Do cameras cover the spaces, and how long is the footage kept?
• Who keeps the keys: you or the car park?
• What happens if your plane lands after closing time?

On keys, the terms of the private car parks in our listings ask you to park in the space the driver points out, so you park the car yourself. Fast Park states that its shuttles run from 4am to midnight and that, if your plane lands outside those hours, you make your own way back to the car park; our night shuttle guide covers that case. Our car park listings give each one's address and phone number.

How do you leave the car so it tempts no one?

The airport car park rules give the instructions themselves: lock the car with the key, switch on the alarm if it has one, and leave no valuables inside, even hidden and locked away. They also say the parking ticket must not be left in the vehicle.

Add a few habits that cost nothing:

• clear the cabin and parcel shelf of anything visible, including empty bags and charging cables;
• take any papers showing your address with you;
• photograph the car from every side as you leave it, wheels and mileage included, as your phone dates the pictures;
• note or photograph your space number;
• never leave a spare key inside.

For a very long stay, the same rules allow BSCA to move a vehicle left for more than 30 days without the management being told in writing. Our long-stay parking guide helps you choose for several weeks.

What should you do if you find your car damaged?

Do not drive off straight away. Photograph the damage on the spot, with the space and number plate visible, and report it at the car park's reception before leaving the site. Ask for written proof of your report, even though the terms exclude the car park's liability: it shows where and when you found the damage.

Then report it to the police. For theft or vandalism by an unknown person, your insurer will ask for this police report; the joint accident report form is for cases where another driver is involved. Tell your insurer straight away, with the photos from drop-off and return, the police report number and your parking booking confirmation.

If the car cannot be driven, ask the car park whether it can stay until a recovery truck arrives: their terms let them have a badly parked vehicle moved at your expense, so get their agreement in writing.