The venue is very close to Utrecht Central Station (10-15 minutes on foot, see the venue page for route). Utrecht CS is the main train hub of the Netherlands, and as such has good connections to nearly all other cities in the country.
Arrival by airplane
The two main airports in the Netherlands are Schiphol (near Amsterdam) and Eindhoven. Brussels and Düsseldorf are also reasonably close. The approximate travel times by public transport are indicated below.
| Airport | Travel time | Route |
| Schiphol | 30m | There is a direct train from Schiphol Airport to Utrecht every 15 minutes. |
| Eindhoven | 1h15m | From the airport, take bus 400 or 401 to Eindhoven station. There is a direct train to Utrecht every 10 minutes. |
| Brussels | 2h30m | There is an international train to Amsterdam every hour. Change to a train to Utrecht at Rotterdam Central Station. |
| Düsseldorf | 2h30m | There is an international train to Arnhem every hour. There you can change to a train to Utrecht. A faster option (1h50m total travel time) is to take a train to Duisburg and change to a high-speed train towards Amsterdam, which stops in Utrecht. This option is more expensive, and runs roughly every two hours. |
Arrival by international train
From Germany
All high-speed international trains from Germany (ICE international) pass through Utrecht. When using the intercity service from Berlin, you should get off at Amersfoort and change to a domestic train to Utrecht CS.
From France and the UK
High-speed international trains from France (and recently also from London) go to Amsterdam. You should change to a direct domestic train towards Utrecht CS at Schiphol Airport or Rotterdam Central Station.
Buying your tickets
It is usually possible to buy an international ticket with Utrecht CS as the final destination. This way, if you need to change trains inside the Netherlands, you do not need to buy a separate ticket for that leg of the journey. We recommend buying tickets from NS International or Deutsche Bahn, as these let you book a ticket directly to Utrecht CS (the Thalys and Eurostar websites only offer tickets to Rotterdam, Schiphol Airport and Amsterdam, for instance). An overview of the main international train lines can be seen below.
See here for an interactive version of this map with indications of travel time.
Public transport in the Netherlands
Taxis in the Netherlands are expensive, typically an order of magnitude more expensive than public transport. Public transport will be a more convenient alternative on most routes.
All public transport in the Netherlands uses a system called the "OV-chipkaart". Money is loaded onto a card; you check in when you enter a train station or board a bus or tram, and check out when you exit. At this point, the cost of the trip is calculated and deducted from the balance on the card.
While it's possible to buy single tickets, this is typically more expensive than using the "OV-chipkaart", especially for buses and trams. However, the "OV-chipkaart" itself costs €7,50, and a minimum balance is sometimes needed when checking in (typically €4 for local buses and trams, €20 for trains). You can get a refund on any remaining balance at any train station's ticket counter when you are done using it. More information can be found on ov-chipkaart.nl.
If you plan to use public transport regularly during your visit, it is probably worth it to purchase an anonymous "OV-chipkaart"; this can be done at any train station. However, cheaper options may be available depending on your plans, such as cards that allow free travel for 24 hours.
Please also note that you cannot pay for a ticket on buses and trams in Utrecht with cash; only payment by debit card is accepted.
Planning your journey
For train journeys, the best way to plan your journey is to use the NS journey planner. This is the the most up-to-date with any disruptions or delays. For general public transport, you can use 9292.nl, which combines planning for all types of public transport, including walking routes to/from/between stops.
