Utrecht University is based in the city of Utrecht, conveniently located in the centre of the Netherlands. Utrecht is easy to reach by train, car and bus, and is close to Schiphol Airport. You can travel to the Netherlands by plane or train.

Option 1: Travel by plane

The Netherlands has two airports:

• Schiphol Airport (Amsterdam) is the international airport closest to Utrecht. From Schiphol, trains to Utrecht take about 30 minutes and depart every 15 minutes. The train station is situated directly below the airport.
• Eindhoven Airport (Eindhoven) is the second largest airport in the Netherlands. Getting to Utrecht takes you approximately 1,5 hours, by a combination of bus and train.

From the airport to Utrecht by train

Dutch trains are fast, safe and easy, and depart frequently until after midnight. Dutch trains don’t have seat reservations, you can board all domestic trains – international trains require a separate supplement.

• You can buy tickets with your debit or credit card at the yellow ticket machines, at ticket desks or online (Dutch Railways (NS)). The desk takes cash as well, and some machines accept coins. A single ticket Schiphol-Utrecht in 2nd class costs approximately 10 euros.
• There are 2 types of tickets available for Dutch trains – a single-use ticket, and a pre-paid rechargeable chip card, the ‘OV-chipkaart’ (to use for all types of public transport). We recommend a single-use ticket, since an ‘OV-chipkaart’ may entail additional costs.
• It’s important to check in and out at the ticket readers before and after your journey, to validate your ticket.

The following websites can be helpful when travelling from the airport to Utrecht by train:

• Dutch Railways (NS)
• 9292 (for a door-to-door journey plan)
• U-OV day ticket (a one, three or five-day ticket for all public transport in the municipality of Utrecht):

From the airport to Utrecht by taxi

A Schiphol Travel Taxi to Utrecht (when pre-booked online) will cost 80 euro, or 40 euro when shared with other passengers. A regular private taxi will easily cost over 100 euros on the meter.

On Schiphol, please beware of illegal taxi drivers (often in fluorescent vests) – always go to the official taxi stand yourself, follow the signs.

Trains are not only cheaper, they also take the same travel time. When carrying heavy luggage, consider taking a train to Utrecht and getting a local taxi in Utrecht to your accommodation.

Option 2: Travel by international train

Utrecht Central Station has a direct high-speed train connection with Germany and Switzerland. Amsterdam Central Station is frequented by many international trains, connecting the Netherlands to various cities and airports in Belgium, France, Germany, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.

• NS international tickets and timetables for international trains.
• Map of all international destinations per operator: Eurostar, ICE International, Intercity Berlin, Intercity Brussels, TGV and Thalys.