My daughter is traveling from Arizona to Senegal in June and her flights take her through Brussels where she will have a 5 hour layover. I know absolutely nothing about that area as far as safety, languages etc. Does anyone have any opinions on what sort of environment she will find there? Will there be airline employees who can give her directions in English? Would she likely have to change terminals (flying from Chicago and going to Dakar, Senegal) and if so, are any signs in English? I am more comfortable with her being in Africa since there she will be met by the program administrators than I am with her being alone in a foreign airport. Some of you are probably already rolling your eyes thinking I am nuts but hopefully some kind soul will take pity and answer my questions....haha

Airport signs are universal so she will see the same signs in Brussels that she sees in Chicago; universal symbols and English. The airport will have all the same shops, restaurants, etc. that you find in Chicago. She can check her flight to Africa on the monitors and converse with airline/security personnel in English. Please do not worry. The airport is completely safe. Airports have many security people walking around.

Have her check her bags through to her destination so she doesn't have to reclaim them in Brussels and re-check them. Is she on the same airline for both legs? If so then it's unlikely she will have to change terminals. It's been a while since I've been in the Brussels airport but I remember it as being small, much smaller than O'Hare.

Will she have an ATM card so she can get some Euros for snacks/drinks while she waits for her next flight?

Another thought - will your daughter have her laptop with her? If she's bringing one then she can call you on Skype when she arrives in Brussels to let you know that she is OK. It might be very late for you but you probably won't sleep with worrying. Or there might be an internet cafe she can email you.

Here's the airport website. She should get familiar with the layout so she can find what she needs.
http://www.brusselsairport.be/en/

Call the airlines as she might still be within the age limit to travel as an unescorted minor. If so, then she will be accompanied by an airline official until she boards the flight for Africa.

I understand your concern. I had one 15 year old travel alone via Singapore and Paris to Lyon, and another via Auckland and Santiago to Buenos Aires. You are a parent - it is your job to worry! I made sure my kids new as much about their layover airports as possible from internet airport maps etc. I also made sure they had international mobile roaming on phones that would work in their destination countries. They new how to select a local carrier on their mobile phones if it did not autonmatically display when they turned them on. They then texted me when they got to the airport to say they were safe. I then had the option to use cheap phone cards to call them on their mobiles and talk to them. It lets you sleep easier! But, remember, don't panic if you don'r hear from them - it could just be a technical hitch!

Pretty much everyone in Brussels airport-including the cleaners, will speak English.

It's not a huge airport and the shopping and eating options are adequate but not extensive.

I have to say I'de be bored if I was there for 5 hours. I'd get her a pass for one of the lounges, I think. She'll get TV, at least, there.

Brussels airport is very "credit card friendly".
She won't need Euros, even if she just gets a sandwich and a coke from a concession stand inside the airport.

Brussels airport has specific informations on how to transfer from a non-Schengen flight to Brussels Airline's flights to Africa:
http://www.brusselsairport.be/en/air...a/non-schengen

I'd suggest she keeps away from the oyster and champagne bar