Travel information
Leeuwarden is easily accessible via public transport.
By train
The main station is Leeuwarden Centraal, and is located just a short walking distance from the city centre. Next to the train station is the bus station, where you can take a regular bus to the city, or its surroundings. Taxis are readily available at the station.
If you are travelling through Schiphol Airport, you can get to Leeuwarden by a direct train. This train departs every hour. There are additional connections, but those involve transfers. Getting from Schiphol Airport to Leeuwarden takes 2 hours.
Note: When entering the train at Schiphol, make sure you board one of the carriages marked with the destination Leeuwarden, since the other part of the train travels to Groningen.
Dutch train tickets
Dutch trains are mainly run by the national rail company NS (Nederlandse Spoorwegen) and the network covers the country extensively. Travelling by train is convenient, reliable and reasonable value for money. There are different ticket formats available for travel on Dutch Railways – these are single-use disposable tickets, OV-chip cards and online tickets.
For travel planning go to https://9292.nl/en
By bus
Arriva and Qbuzz are the major bus operators in Leeuwarden, with a range of services both within and to outside the city. Information about buses can be found on the Arriva and Qbuzz websites- or make use of the travel planner https://9292.nl/en
By car
If you are driving from Amsterdam you can either go by the A7 and the A31 or you can go via the east by taking the A1, A6 and the A32. From Groningen you reach Leeuwarden by taking the A7 and N31. From Arnhem, you go via the A50, A28 and the A32.
Car Parking
Leeuwarden has a number of facilities that means an easily-reached and secure parking space is accessible 24-hours a day. The garages Zaailand, Klanderij, Oldehove; Hoeksterend and Oosterstraat are signposted as soon as you enter the city, and the signs are smart- telling you where space is, and what alternatives are available. There are always staff present in the parking garages, and there are toilet facilities and buggies for rent.
Park + Ride
The city has three Park + Ride facilities. One at the Kalverdijkje on the eastern city ring (with free parking), at the WTC Expo, at the western end of the city ring (€4.00 per day), and behind the Central Station (maximum of €5.45 per day). All Park + Ride sites are marked out by ANWB (the Dutch automobile association) signs.
Bicycle parking
Leeuwarden is, like many cities in the Netherlands, excellently designed for cyclists. The bicycle parking at Central station allows you to park your bike for up to 24 hours for free. In the centre of the city, bicycle parking facilities at the Zaailand and Sint Jacobsstraat allow you to park a bicycle, moped or scooter for free (temporarily). Small repairs can be carried out in the bike parks, and you can also rent a buggy or locker.
Bike Rental
You can rent a bicycle or an e-bike at various locations in Leeuwarden. At Fietsstation 058 https://www.fietsstation058.nl/fietsverhuur/ (Schrans 22), you can rent a regular bicycle with gears or a fast e-bike. You also have these two options at Van der Valk Hotel Leeuwarden https://www.hotelleeuwarden.nl/en/facilities/bicycles/ , even if you aren’t a guest of the hotel. At Lammert de Vries Tweewielers http://www.lammertdevriestweewielers.nl/verhuur-lease/ (Voorstreek 62 – 65), you can rent a robust transport bike with 3 gears. Do you have an OV chip card for public transport? Then you can easily rent an OV-bicycle at the station https://www.ns.nl/en/door-to-door/ov-fiets.
Maps of Leeuwarden