Brussels in 10 hours?

Sure - you can take a train right from the airport to the downtown Brussels Central station & then either wander around the area or take a hop-on hop-off bus tour of the city. There is a bus pickup right across the street from the downtown station. 10 hours is more than enough time.

If it were me, I'd skip the HOHO bus and spend all my time in the Grand Place and surrounding streets. I'd window shop, have a beer or two, and enjoy a meal. The Grand Place is just incredible -- the most beautiful public space I've ever seen. Brussels has so many interesting store windows. I am not a chocolate eater, but I just loved browsing the chocolate shops. I'm not much of a beer drinker either, but I loved the beers in Belgium. The food is great too. I think walking and eating/drinking is the way to go with so little time.

I agree with going directly to the Grand Place and focusing on it and the nearby area. That's the creme-de-la-creme of Brussels. Also visit Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert, a 19th century covered mall with many good shops including chocolatiers, which is a couple of blocks off Grand Place.

I agree with the Grand Place as well. We drove through Brussles and only had about three hours (!!!) free. Based on Rick Steve's description we decided to go to the effort to see the Grand Place, but to be honest, I expected to be underwealmed. What a surprise then to find it was a truly amazing sight, full of eye candy, real candy, chocholates, waffles, and interesting side streets. On the drive into and out of the city, we saw nothing exceptional, though I'm sure, like most cities, there are plenty of hidden treasures. But with only hours to spend, I see no reason to wander more than a few blocks from the Grand Place.