Transportation to Amersfoort and getting around Amersfoort: Getting to AmersfoortObviously … check out
http://www.ns.nl for updated information.
Streetview of the main entranceTrains from many places go through Amersfoort because of the juncture of the major east-west and north-south lines.
As in much of The Netherlands the trains don’t run in the middle of the night except for select runs…
There are four trains an hour between Amsterdam Centraal and Amersfoort. From Amsterdam Centraal to Amersfoort Centraal it is a direct route (unless you catch the ICE that stops in Utrecht and it is heading toward Germany). Two of the trains are intercity (1 stop) and two are stoptrains (8 stops between).
The times below are for weekdays and they fluctuate by a few minutes earlier and later in the day/weekends:
From Amsterdam Centraal (7.60e)
- :26 and :56 are the intercity with a trip time of 35 minutes
- :05 and :35 are the stoptrains with a trip time of 48 minutes
Return Amersfoort
- :29 and :59 are the intercity
- :06 and :36 are the stoptrains
From Schiphol there are six trains an hour (9.00euro) – but only two are without a train change
:00 takes 61 minutes with a stop in Amsterdam Centraal and changing to the regular Centraal to Amersfoort train
:19 and : 49 are direct and take 45 minutes
:25 and :55 are 58 minutes and change trains in Weesp
For other cities the NS website is good.
NOTE: if you are planning on going to Leeuwaarden, Zwolle, Groningen or any of the other cities in the north (not Noord-Holland i.e. Alkmaar) you will be changing trains in Amersfoort. Might as well at least take a bit of time and look around.
NOTE: the bathrooms in the train station close at night
NOTE: when you get off the train in Amersfoort most of the people will walk to the middle of the platform which takes you into the main part of the station. When you get to the top, again most of the people will head to the main entrance/exit – others will head to the other side of the tracks and the smaller/back entrance/exit. There are stairs at the ends of the platforms and they will bring you up to street level, but you will be outside of the Station. So, just keep that in mind with my notes below. You may need to adjust based upon where you came up.
VVVPersonally I am a big fan of the VVV in every city I visit in The Netherlands. In Amersfoort the VVV is in the same building as the train station. Go out the building, turn left and it’s about a hundred feet or so.
CashGet off the train and realize you need some money? Walk out of the train station and turn right. There will be two ATM’s in about 25 to 50 feet. I think one is ABN-AMRO and the other is Rabobank
Getting around AmersfoortThere are the usual methods: walk, bicycle, bus, and cab. There is not a Tram system
Walking – the old part of the city (Centruum) is very walkable from the train station and you will be walking right past Amersfoort Prive.
Bicycle – a great way to see the city. Especially if you are interested in visiting parts that are not so close to the train station. When you come out of the station look to your left for all the bicycles. You will see a covered entrance to an underground bike storage/rental place. Sorry, don’t remember what the prices are.
Cab – walk out of the station and you will see the cab right in front of you. Unless you have a lot of trouble walking you shouldn’t need either a cab or the bus.
Bus – I haven’t used the busses in Amersfoort since I was a there as a child. You come out of the station and go to the right and there will be all the busses. There are two bus companies that have stops at the station Conexxion is the one for in the city. It is ov-chipkaart compliant. To get to the inter-city busses continue walking to the right (past the intra-city busses) and between the building. There will be the inter-city busses.