Travelling to Groningen
Travelling from Schiphol Airport (Amsterdam) to Groningen (190 km from Groningen) Most people fly in via Amsterdam International Airport Schiphol. From the airport, Groningen is easy to reach via excellent train connections (approximately 2 hours and 11 minutes). The train station is at lower level beneath the airport, within walking distance of the luggage claim areas. The Dutch railway system is run by the Nederlandse Spoorwegen (NS). You will recognize it by its yellow and blue colours. Just follow the yellow illuminated signs that direct you ‘To the trains’. Every half an hour (10.03, 10.33, etc.) there is a train to Groningen at platform 1 or 2. Trains at 10.03, 11.03 etc. go directly to Groningen. Trains at 10.33, 11.33 etc. go to Leeuwarden, but with a transfer in Zwolle you can connect to the train to Groningen, usually located at the other side of the platform, platform 7. More information about buying train tickets is provided below. You cannot purchase train tickets on the train.
Other alternative airports in the proximity of Groningen:
Travelling from Groningen Airport Eelde to Groningen (15 km from Groningen)
Groningen Airport Eelde has flights from and to: Copenhagen, London Southend, Antalya, Gdansk , Algarve, Gran Canaria, Crete, Lanzarote, Mallorca. Not all flights have a daily service.
Groningen is easily reached from Groningen Airport Eelde by shuttle bus. The bus connection between Groningen Airport Eelde and the centre of Groningen makes it fast and easy to travel to your destination within 20 minutes. The shuttle bus is scheduled in accordance with the scheduled flights to London, Copenhagen and Gdansk, and makes a stop at the Central Station, Zuiderdiep and Grote Markt in Groningen, among others. Unfortunately, it is not possible to fly from Schiphol Airport (Amsterdam) to Groningen.
Travelling from Bremen Airport (Germany) to Groningen (180 km from Groningen)
Bremen airport might also be convenient for cheap intra-European flights because it hosts discounters Ryanair, AirBerlin, Germania etc. There is a direct bus connection from the Bremen airport to Groningen. The bus stop is situated close to the entrance/exit of the Ryanair terminal of the Bremen airport. It takes about 3 hours to reach Groningen Central Station (CS).
Travelling from Weeze Airport (Germany) to Groningen (250 km from Groningen)
Weeze airport might also be convenient for cheap intra-European flights because it hosts discounters Ryanair, AirBerlin, Germania etc.
Travelling from Eindhoven Airport (NL) to Groningen (270 km from Groningen)
Eindhoven Airport might be another convenient option for cheap intra-European flights by Ryanair, CityJet, Wizzair etc. From Eindhoven Airport you can take bus 401 to the train station. From the train station you can take the train via Nerderlandse Spoorwegen to Groningen, this trip takes about 3 and a half hours.
Train schedules
Information on travelling by train is available on the NS website.
The journey from Schiphol Airport takes approximately two hours and Groningen city centre is the last stop. The trains are quite comfortable and (most trains) feature free wireless Internet in all classes and 220V AC outlets in first class. Food and drinks are not sold on the trains, please make sure that you purchase these beforehand at the airport. Buy Tickets
You will have to purchase a single-use chipcard (this is your train ticket) to Groningen and to activate this chip-card before you board the train. Be careful: passengers travelling without a valid ticket will be fined. You can buy either a first-class ticket or a second-class ticket.
There are two ways of purchasing a ticket:
1. The ticket counter and the yellow and blue ticket-vending machines that you will find in the luggage claim hall and by every entrance to the train terminal. You can purchase tickets from the machines only by using your Credit Card or a Debit Card with the Maestro logo.
If you use a single-use chipcard or OV-chipkaart please make sure you check in and out; hold your OV-chipcard up against the NS card reader in one of the gates or free-standing posts.
2. You can also buy your ticket online and simply print it yourself. This allows you to take care of everything whenever and wherever it suits you. All you have to do, is complete the journey details, pay for the order, download and print your e-ticket. This means that you can board the train straight away!
Please note that car traffic in the city centre is restricted and street parking is very limited. Also be aware of the numerous cyclists that may not exactly follow the traffic regulations. There are ten (underground) parking garages located near the centre.
More information on car parking in Groningen, including the street parking regulations, can be found here.
Taxi Groningen: +31 (0)50 541 8452
Taxi Noord: +31 (0)50 549 4940
Taxi VTG: +31 (0)50 535 0088
Note: many hotels are within walking distance from Groningen central station. You can check this easily with google maps and can save you money!
Planning your journey in the Netherlands
You might find the website http://9292.nl/en very useful for planning your journey in the Netherlands. The planner combines all available public transportation - trains, buses, trams, metro, and boats - to provide an optimal route. It also informs you real-time about the current delays and disruptions in public transportation.Visa
The LOC strongly advises participants requiring a visa and/or other travel documentation to enter The Netherlands, to make their application in their home countries at least two months before the intended date of travel. Visa Information is available from the Dutch immigration and naturalisation service.
