Getting there

How to get to ’s-Hertogenbosch

Visitors from outside the Netherlands take note: ’s-Hertogenbosch and Den Bosch are the same place!

Although most people in Holland use the shortened form in conversation, all road signs and train timetables use the full name. Google Maps recognises both names!

On footOn foot: From ’s-Hertogenbosch Centraal station it is about an eight-minute walk to the conference hotel situated on Burgemeester Loeffplein 98. Exit the station on the City Centre side. Walk along Stationsweg, over the canal and continue on Visstraat. At the T-junction, turn right into Hoogesteenweg, then left into Scheidingstraat and, finally, into Achter de Tolbrug, which becomes Burgemeester Loeffplein, where you will see the facade of the Central Hotel. There is a bus stop for a bus to the station 50 metres from the hotel (Markt or Loeffplein).

 

By bikeBy bike: Bicycles are ubiquitous in the Lowlands, and no wonder. With over 32,000 km of bike paths and an extensive cycling infrastructure, more than 36% of Dutch citizens use their bike as the main means of transport. Bicycles are available for rent at several shops close to the conference hotel and in cities all over the Netherlands. For those with a personal OV-chipkaart (see the next section below), public transportation bikes, called OV-fietsen, are available for rental at ’s-Hertogenbosch Centraal station and 300 other locations around the Netherlands. The price is € 3.85* per OV-fiets (OV-bike) per 24-hour period, purchased with your OV-chipkaart. General advice for visitors about biking in the Netherlands can be found at Holland and Holland-Cycling. IamAmsterdam also has a subsite devoted specifically to biking in and around the city.

 

By carBy car: ’s-Hertogenbosch is located on the A2 Amsterdam-Maastricht motorway, between Utrecht and Eindhoven. There is multi-storey car park ‘De Tolbrug’ next to the Hotel Central with reduced rates for hotel guests (use the entrance on the left), or you can park at the ‘Transferium’ on the outskirts of the town and travel to the centre by bus or taxi. More details about parking on the hotel website.

 

trainBy train: there are two direct trains (recommended) every hour from Amsterdam Schiphol Airport to ’s-Hertogenbosch (and two more each hour which require changing trains in Utrecht). Journey time is just over one hour. Take the train with an end destination of Venlo (for direct connection) or an end destination of Nijmegen (if changing in Utrecht). Fares €16.50* second class, €27.70* first class.

From Amsterdam Centraal and Utrecht Centraal stations, there is train service every ten minutes throughout the day and every second train (end destination Heerlen or Maastricht) goes directly to ’s Hertogenbosch. Journey time just under one hour, fares from Amsterdam €15.50* second class, €26.00* first class. Trains from Eindhoven Centraal run every ten minutes (journey time about 20 minutes), take trains with an end destination of Schiphol Airport, Alkmaar or Enkhuizen. Fares €6.40* second class, €10.70 first class*.

You cannot reserve seats on Dutch trains, and it makes no difference in price to buy in advance. Timetables (in English) can be found on the Dutch Railways website. Tickets can also be purchased from ticket machines in the baggage reclaim area at Schiphol Airport. There is also a (staffed) ticket office in the main concourse inside the airport and at Amsterdam Centraal. There is usually a small surcharge for using a credit card. Tickets can be booked online, but as payment requires a Dutch bank card it will be of no help to overseas visitors!

Remember to keep your train ticket on you as you leave or enter a station! It has to be scanned at the turnstiles to give you access or egress.

 

high speed trainBy high-speed train: the Thalys high-speed trains from Paris, Brussels, Lille and Antwerp will take you quickly and efficiently to Rotterdam Centraal, but from there you need to take two trains to reach ’s-Hertogenbosch. An easier option is to stay on the train as far as Schiphol Airport or Amsterdam Centraal stations and then take a direct train to ’s Hertogenbosch (see above).

The much-promised Eurostar direct service from London should be operating by the time the conference takes place; currently, it involves changing trains in Brussels. Fares are available for travel to any station in the Netherlands.

If the Eurostar is not travelling beyond Brussels at that time, then, from Brussels, take an InterCity train to Schiphol Airport and Amsterdam Centraal. Easy options to reach ’s-Hertogenbosch are:
• to change at Roosendaal station and take a train bound for Zwolle via Breda and Tilburg to ’s Hertogenbosch (journey time about one hour; trains depart hourly; first class €20.80*; second class €12.40*); or
• to stay on the train as far as Schiphol Airport or Amsterdam Centraal stations and then take a direct train to ’s-Hertogenbosch (see above).

Deutsche Bahn (DB) operates ICE services to Amsterdam and Utrecht from Basel (CH), Frankfurt, Köln and Düsseldorf. Fares for high-speed trains vary, reservation is required, and the earlier you book the cheaper it will usually be.

 

planeBy air: Amsterdam Schiphol Airport and Eindhoven Airport are both about one hour from ’s Hertogenbosch by public transport. Schiphol is the major hub airport of the Netherlands, with intercontinental flights by all major airlines. Schiphol is also a central hub for the Dutch rail network, with the train platforms situated just below the main arrivals and departures lobby, so it’s very easy to get from there to ’s-Hertogenbosch or anywhere across the country. Tickets can be purchased from ticket machines in the baggage reclaim area and in the main entrance above the train platforms at Schiphol Airport.

Eindhoven is a low-cost destination with over 70 routes from most European countries as well as from Turkey, Morocco and Israel. While Eindhoven is geographically closer (35 km), it requires a bus trip to Eindhoven station. Airlines using Eindhoven include Ryanair, Wizzair, Transavia and several charter airlines. There is an airport bus service from Eindhoven Airport to ’s-Hertogenbosch for passengers with an airline booking; however, it will not take you into the centre of ’s-Hertogenbosch but to a ‘Transferium’ on the outskirts of the city, where you can transfer to a local bus or a taxi to the city centre.

Rotterdam-The Hague Airport also offers flights from several European cities, but public transport connections with ’s Hertogenbosch are not so convenient.

 

ferryBy ferry from UK ports: Overnight sailing from Newcastle to IJmuiden (for Amsterdam) with DFDS, Hull to Europoort (for Rotterdam) with P&O, and day and night sailings from Harwich to Hoek van Holland with Stena Line offer a relaxing way to travel to the conference, and also offer the possibility of taking your own car. Public transport links from these three arrival ports are also available. Don’t consider cross-Channel routes to Calais and Dunkerque unless you are travelling by car, because there are no good public transport links to ’s-Hertogenbosch. By car from Calais or Dunkerque, it is about a 3½ hour drive to the conference location (via Antwerp), depending on traffic.

 

coachBy coach: There are services from many European cities operated by Eurolines, Flix Bus, Terravision and Deutsche Bahn (German Railways) to Eindhoven or Amsterdam. Fares are cheap, but timetables are not always convenient and reports about the services vary. The Deutsche Bahn service from Düsseldorf and Antwerp to Eindhoven is, however, reliable.

 

9292Transport information: Door-to-door English-language information public transport to and around the Netherlands (not including flights and ferry routes) is available through www.9292.nl. It also contains information about any disruptions to travel. 9292 has apps for Apple or Android. The Dutch National Railways’ NS JourneyPlanner is also available in English with apps for Apple and Android

 

chip cardPublic transport smart card: If you are staying longer in the Netherlands, it is worth buying a public transport smart card, called an OV chipkaart, which you can top up and use on all public transport throughout the country. Locals and long-term visitors can purchase a personal OV-chipkaart, valid for public transport bike rental. If you are just travelling to the conference and back, buying a ticket at the airport or station is the easiest option. You can buy single tickets on most buses but increasingly you cannot pay in cash, only with a debit or credit card – and it’s more expensive.

 

Tourist informationVisitor information: English-language information for visitors about ’s-Hertogenbosch can be found at the city’s tourism website, Bezoek ’s-Hertogenbosch. The local VVV Tourist Information Office is just a 2-minute walk from the conference hotel. The Netherlands Board of Tourism and Conventions has put up a comprehensive Netherlands tourist information website at Holland.com. Most Dutch towns have their own websites with detailed visitor information. Here are a few: Amsterdam, Delft, Eindhoven, Gouda, The Hague, Leiden, Maastricht, Rotterdam, Utrecht. If you are planning a trip elsewhere, do run an online search for the relevant local city tourist website. Visiting one of the many VVV tourist information offices can also be a real help.

 

 Fares correct at time of publication. SENSE cannot be held responsible for any subsequent changes.

* All train fares in the Netherlands are for a single journey; return fares are double the single fare.