How to get to Groningen?

By train

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As a student from abroad you will most probably arrive in the Netherlands by plane at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport. The best way to get to Groningen from the airport is by train. The entrance to the railway station is signposted in the arrivals hall.

You can buy train tickets at the ticket machine or at the ticket office. You can buy a one-way ticket to Groningen, which costs around € 28 (2^nd class) or € 45 (1^st class). From Schiphol Airport you can take a direct train to Groningen every hour, or, you might have to transfer to another train in Amersfoort in the direction to Groningen. Make sure that you sit in the part of the train destined for Groningen (usually the front carriages of the train), and not the part destined for Leeuwarden (another city in the north). The train journey takes about 2½ hours. For more information about the Dutch Railways and a train planner please check the following website: www.ns.nl.

Schiphol Airport and the Schiphol railway station are fertile ground for pickpockets, so always keep an eye on your belongings, especially when getting on or off the train.

After arriving at the Groningen central station, you can take a taxi to your international student house, cost approx. Euro 10. Taxi’s can be found in front of- and outside the central station building.
Coaches from Central and Eastern Europe

Some countries, particularly those in Central and Eastern Europe, run coaches to the Netherlands. Most of these coaches have a stop at Utrecht or The Hague. From there you can take a direct train to Groningen which runs every hour. Make sure that you are sitting in the front part of the train which runs to Groningen. The back part of the train runs to Leeuwarden, another city in the North.

Travel by bus
Within the city of Groningen, about 12 bus lines connect the outer districts with the city centre/railway station. A “strippenkaart” (ticket strip) has to be purchased for bus rides. This can be bought at railway stations, kiosks and at most supermarkets. Most rides within the city of Groningen will require 2 “strippen”. The bus lines 11 and 15 connect the city centre with the Zernike complex, where the Faculty of Economics is located. Update: “Strippenkaart” are not in use anymore. If you want to travel in The Netherlands you should buy a ticket from the driver of the bus or you should use your OV-Chipkaart.

Bicycles

The best way to travel in and around Groningen is the Dutch way, i.e. by bycicle. A vast network of cycle lanes extends through the entire city and to many villages around. 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. Everybody has at least one bike, and many people even have two (one for the city, one for leisure). The down side is that many bikes get stolen. Always keep your bike locked, and store it at bike garages if possible. If you want to buy a 2^nd hand bike, the best and most reliable way of doing this is from the bike garage at the main railway station, or, at the bike shop on the Zernike complex (called Recife). Never buy a bike from someone you meet on the street: it will be a stolen one! If you are caught doing so, you will be heavily fined.

Transport information
Please check the following websites for transport information:

www.ns.nl (only for travelling by train)

www.9292ov.nl (for door to door travel information)

http://www.ov-chipkaart.nl/ (for purchase your OV Chipkaart)

Contact the faculty

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