How to get to Groningen
This page contains information on how to get to the city of Groningen. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us via iaml3conference2024@rug.nl.
By plane
Amsterdam Airport Schiphol [AMS]
The main airport of the Netherlands is Schiphol airport, situated 15 minutes (by train) from the center of Amsterdam. The train station is directly at the airport. Trains from Schiphol to Groningen go twice an hour and take around 2.5 hours. See the train information below for more details.
The closest German airport is in Bremen and it takes around 3 hours to travel from Bremen to Groningen by train or by bus. See the train information below for more details.
By train
For scheduling a train trip in the Netherlands, you can use the Dutch railways NS journey planner.
The best and cheapest way to buy a ticket is online via this link or via the NS app. It's also possible to buy a ticket at a ticket machine at the station or, if you prefer, to just check in and out (on the platform) using your debit card, credit card, or mobile phone.
Please note that it is NOT possible to buy a ticket on the train. If you have no ticket on the train, you have to pay the ticket as well as a fine.
Large train stations (such as Amsterdam and Groningen) have information desks, where people speak English and are generally very helpful.
From Schiphol Airport
If your flight lands at Schiphol, you can take the train to Groningen directly from there. It is not advised to go to Amsterdam first (unless you wish to), because it makes the trip longer and more expensive. The direct train from Schiphol to Groningen takes a little more than 2 hours and leaves at 5 minutes past every hour. There’s also a train that leaves at 35 minutes every hour, but that one is not a direct connection and requires you to change in Zwolle (often with limited transfer time). We thus recommend taking the direct connection to Groningen.
From Bremen Airport
Groningen can also be reached by train from City Airport Bremen, which takes about 2.5 hours and you will have to change once at Station Leer and take a bus from there. It is also possible to take a bus from Bremen to Groningen, which will take about 3.5 hours.
By car
The city of Groningen is easily accessible via the A28 and A7 motorways. The A7 links the western (most urban) part of the Netherlands to Germany and Scandinavia, and the A28 runs to the South.