Travel information

To Groningen

The City of Groningen has excellent connections to all main airports and railway stations in the Netherlands. It is located in the northeast of the Netherlands, approximately 200 km from Amsterdam and 250 km from Hamburg in Germany. You will probably arrive in the Netherlands at Schiphol, Amsterdam International Airport. The easiest way to travel to Groningen is to take the train. The underground train station is located near Schiphol Plaza, within several minutes walking distance from the luggage claim. The Dutch railway system is run by Nederlandse Spoorwegen and known as NS. You will recognize it by its yellow and blue colours. Look out for the yellow illuminated signs that direct you ‘To the trains’.

More information on travelling from Schiphol Airport to Groningen can be found here.

In Groningen

Busses

From the central station, the city centre, but also the outer areas, there is frequent bus transportation. Busses 1 and 15 go to Zernike campus. We advise you to use this website for planning your bus trips and finding out about the fares.

Bicycles

The best way to travel in and around Groningen is the way the Dutch do it: cycling. A vast network of bike lanes extends through the entire city, and beyond. Some years ago, it was estimated that on the basis of its number of bikes, Groningen was the most densely inhabited place in the world after Beijing. Cycling has become part of everyday life in the Netherlands. The infrastructure for cycling is excellent. Here you will see a more fun look at what defines Dutch cycling.

Despite the good infrastructure for cycling, we would like to stress that you should always make sure to cycle carefully and pay attention to others. Make sure to know the basic rules, e.g. always give clear directions when you want to turn left or right, make sure your bike has proper bicycle lighting. And remember, a traffic light that turns red, means you will have to stop.

There are a lot of bike shops in the city. For a simple 2nd hand bike you should not pay more than approximately € 125,-. Don’t forget to buy a good lock to minimize the chance your bike gets stolen.

Trains

This website will inform you how to plan your train travel, whether it is within the Netherlands or an international train journey you would like to schedule.

From Groningen to....

...another Dutch city

Travelling by train in the Netherlands is not cheap. However, there are ways to buy cheaper tickets. With the “Off-Peak Discount Pass” you receive 40% discount on all off-peak train journeys. Please look for more detailed information on various tickets and passes on the NS website.

...another country

If you would like to take the opportunity to travel through Europe during your stay in The Netherlands, please make sure that you have already received your residence permit. Since most students receive their residence permit during the Welcoming Ceremony, you will be fine.  If you are waiting for your residence permit, but you need to travel anyway, then you should get a return visa before you leave the Netherlands. In this case, please visit Information Services for advice.

>> Here you will find an international train planner

>> the nearest airport is Airport Eelde (about half an hour by bus from Groningen)