30-07-2019
Dear friend:
Here are some ways of getting to Arnhem Centraal train station by public transport. For general information on train travel in Benelux, also see my other page Benelux by train.
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Amsterdam Schiphol Airport AMS has its own train station called Schiphol Airport, located one floor below the arrival hall. There are ticket machines at the arrival hall, and also near the luggage conveyor belts within the restricted area.
There are no gates at Schiphol Airport station. If you have an NFC (contactless) ticket (from a ticket machine, or if you are using your own OV-chipkaart), then wave the ticket at the yellow/blue card readers near the escalators before you head down to the platforms. If you have a barcode ticket (from an app, or an e-ticket printed on a piece of A4 paper), then board the train directly. (At stations with gates, there is at least one gate that can read barcode tickets to let you through.)
Usually:
Check the journey planner at NS (Dutch Rail), especially if you are arriving very early or late in the evening. The normal price of this journey is €18.60 one way. Domestic tickets purchased at ticket machines or counters usually have a €1 surcharge per ticket. (Barcode tickets do not have this surcharge.) There is no senior or student discount, but a Railrunner ticket for 4–11 year olds (inclusive) costs €2.50 (€1 surcharge not applicable).
If you fly with KLM/Air France (including code share flights operated by other airlines but ticketed by KLM/Air France), there is a free bus between Schiphol Airport and Arnhem. When booking your ticket, put Arnhem (QAR) as the origin and/or destination to include the free bus between Schiphol Airport and Arnhem. Alternatively, if you already have a ticket to/from Amsterdam Schiphol, contact KLM to add this bus journey. However, there are only three buses per day. See the timetable and details. The Arnhem bus stop is near the back entrance of Arnhem Centraal train station (on Amsterdamseweg); the bus from Schiphol stops on the southern side of the road (the side of the station entrance), while the bus to Schiphol stops on the northern side of the road (the side opposite the station entrance).
When arriving at Eindhoven Airport EIN, after you leave the restricted area, there is an NS (Dutch rail) yellow/blue ticket machine inside the terminal. A train ticket from here says Eindhoven Airport as its origin, and it includes a bus ride between Eindhoven Airport and Eindhoven station, plus a train journey from Eindhoven train station. In the other direction, you can also buy a ticket to Eindhoven Airport. The best bus to catch between Eindhoven airport and Eindhoven train station is bus 400 or 401 (just follow the crowd; many people are heading for these buses). Wave the ticket at the card-reader inside the bus, both when you get on, and when you get off. (If that does not work, just show the bus driver the ticket.)
If you pay for the bus separately, notice that most buses in the Netherlands do not take cash. On board you have to pay by bank card or credit card. At Eindhoven Airport there are also bus ticket machines near the bus stop.
At Eindhoven station, catch any northbound Intercity train (destination: Schiphol Airport, Alkmaar / Schagen / Den Helder, or Hoorn / Enkhuizen). Catch one stop to 's-Hertogenbosch (a.k.a. Den Bosch). During the day there are six Intercity services per hour along this route (less at other times). This leg takes 18 minutes on the Intercity. At 's-Hertogenbosch, at :24 and :54 past the hour, there is an Intercity service to Arnhem Centraal (destination: Zwolle). Often you just need to walk across the platform at 's-Hertogenbosch for this transfer, but check.
Check the journey planner at NS (Dutch Rail). The normal price of this journey is €21.44 one way. Domestic tickets purchased at ticket machines or counters usually have a €1 surcharge per ticket. There is no senior or student discount, but a Railrunner ticket for 4–11 year olds (inclusive) costs €2.50 (no €1 surcharge), for the rail portion.
An alternative for travelling between Eindhoven and Arnhem Centraal train stations is Flixbus, which is significantly cheaper. However, if you fly into Eindhoven from elsewhere, it is hard to predict the arrival time of your flight, and from there you also have to factor in the time between the airport and the train station. There are also not many buses a day between Eindhoven and Arnhem. (Last time I caught a Flixbus from Arnhem to Eindhoven, it was a night bus from Berlin to Brussels, and I was bitten by bugs on the bus.)
From Rotterdam The Hague Airport RTM, catch bus 33, either directly to Rotterdam Centraal train station, or to Meijersplein metro station and then catch Metro line E to Rotterdam Centraal. There are ticket machines at the airport bus stop. You can also pay onboard, but they do not take cash.
At Rotterdam Centraal, catch an Intercity train towards Utrecht Centraal (destionation: Utrecht Centraal, Amersfoort / Zwolle / Leeuwarden, or Amersfoort / Zwolle / Groningen). During day time there are four trains per hour. At Utrecht Centraal, change to an Intercity train to Arnhem Centraal (destination: Nijmegen). During day time there are four trains per hour.
Check the journey planner at NS (Dutch Rail). A RET (Rotterdam public trasport) 2-hour ticket is €4.00. The normal price of the train journey is €19.80 one way. Domestic train tickets purchased at ticket machines or counters usually have a €1 surcharge per ticket. There is no senior or student discount, but a Railrunner ticket for 4–11 year olds (inclusive) costs €2.50 (no €1 surcharge), for the rail portion.
Amongst the airports mentioned here, Weeze Airport NRN is geographically the closest to Arnhem. However, it is not as easy to get to.
Option A: cheapest, entire way on normal German public transport. Take the hourly bus SW1 from Weeze Air Terminal 1 (usually departs at :56 past the hour) to Weeze Bahnhof (train station), train RE10 northbound from Weeze (usually :17 past the hour, weekday daytime also :47) to the last station Kleve (i.e. Cleves), bus SB58 westbound from Kleve (:16, weekday daytime also :46) to the last stop Emmerich Bahnhof (train station), and then the hourly train RE19 northwestbound from Emmerich (:45) to the last station Arnhem Centraal. The entire journey takes about 2.5 to 3 hours.
You can buy one ticket for the entire journey from the bus driver at Weeze Airport (tell the driver nach Arnheim 'to Arnhem'), or buy one beforehand through the app or website of VRR. It is priced at price-level C (one-way adult €12.80, child €1.70). It might be easiest to just tell the driver that it is priced at Preisstufe C and hand them the exact amount in cash; it saves them from looking the price level for Weeze → Arnheim.
Option B: Shuttle between Weeze Airport and Nijmegen train station, see details. This has to be booked 24 hours ahead. (If you book within 24 hours, or if you just turn up at the shuttle bus, you can still try.) Adult €18 one-way, €30 return; child €12 one-way, €20 return. From Nijmegen, there are normaly ten trains per hour between Nijmegen and Arnhem Centraal. The normal price is €4.50 one way for an adult, or €2.50 for a child day ticket.
A shuttle can also be chartered to Arnhem, costing €90 per vehicle, or €18 per person from 6 people upwards. However, the pick-up / drop-off point in Arnhem is at GelreDome Stadium, and you need another bus ride to Arnhem city centre.
Notice that Düsseldorf Airport DUS has two train stations: The station Düsseldorf Flughafen Terminal, which is underneath the terminal, is only served by S-bahn trains (commuter trains) towards Düsseldorf Hauptbahnhof (main station). Instead you need to take the skytrain from the terminal to the main-line train station called Düsseldorf Flughafen. From there you can catch the hourly RE19 train (departs at :33 past the hour) to the northern terminus Arnhem Centraal.
You buy a ticket before boarding the skytrain, or buy one beforehand through the app or website of VRR. It is priced at price-level D (one-way adult €15.70, child €1.70), which is valid for the entire VRR area.
There are a number of cross-border public transport options, but here I am only outlining the best option in terms of price-time balance: the Benelux train, i.e. the hourly Intercity or Intercity direct service between Brussles Midi/Zuid and Amsterdam Centraal or Den Haag HS, run jointly by NS (Dutch rail) and NMBS/SNCB (Belgian rail). See also what NS International and SNCB International suggest in terms of travelling options. (SNCB International is often €1 more expensive.)
From Charleroi Airport CRL, catch bus A to Charleroi-Sud train station. From Charleroi-Sud, normally there are two Intercity servies per hour (weekdays) / one Intercity service per hour (weekend) to Antwerpen-Centraal (direction: Antwerpen-Centraal, Antwerpen-Noorderdokken, or Essen). It is best to change at Antwerpen-Centraal for the Benelux train northbound.
From Brussels Airport BRU, there is the train station Brussels Airport – Zaventem underneath the terminal. From there you can catch the Benelux train northbound. (This train station has gates, and has a fixed rate surcharge.)
From Antwerp Airport ANR, catch bus 51, 52, or 53 to Antwerpen-Berchem station. From there you can catch the Benelux train northbound.
After the Benelux train crosses into the Netherlands, get off at the first stop Breda. (The Benelux train no longer calls at Roosendaal. For cross-border traffic, the Benelux trains runs on the high-speed rail between Breda and Antwerp, while Roosendaal is now only served by slower Belgian S-trains.) At Breda, change to a half-hourly Intercity service to Arnhem Centraal (destination: Zwolle). The connection northbound is very tight. Or just catch the next train and enjoy your time in Breda.
Full fare quoted by NS International to Arnhem Centraal are: from Charleroi-Sud €51.60, Brussels Airport – Zaventem €45.20, Antwerpen-Berchem €31.60.
Early-bird ticket (booked at least 7 days ahead) for Fri-Sun departures: from Charleroi-Sud €34.00, Brussels Airport – Zaventem €33.40, Antwerpen-Berchem €21.00.
Early-bird ticket (booked at least 7 days ahead) for Mon-Thurs departures: from Charleroi-Sud €25, Brussels Airport – Zaventem €26.40, Antwerpen-Berchem €16.00. (Brussels Airport – Zaventem station has a fixed-rate surcharge.)
If you are coming in on an intercontinental flight, it is worth considering flying to Frankfurt FRA, or even Paris CDG, if it is cheaper than flying to Amsterdam AMS or Düsseldorf DUS by a magnitude of a few hundred euros. From Frankfurt FRA or Paris CDG you can travel to the Netherlands on high-speed rail services. When arriving in Europe, it is better to buy train tickets on the spot, unless you purchase full-fare train tickets beforehand, as it is difficult to predict what time the flight arrives, and how long it takes to go through airport procedures. (Cheaper train tickets restrict you to particular high-speed rail services, while full-fare train tickets gives you the flexibility to catch any train along that route during the day.)
Frankfurt Airport has two train stations. You need the long distance train station Frankfurt Flughafen Fernbahnhof. From there, there is an ICE service every two hours to Arnhem Centraal (destination: Amsterdam Centraal). The most expensive 2nd class option is €108.20 one-way. There are also cheaper direct and non-direct options. The DB (German Rail) ticket machines, service centres, website, or app can give you the range of travel options. Also worth checking the NS International website (which probably gives you the same information).
There are many different options from Paris. At Terminal 2 of Paris CDG is the train station Aéroport Charles de Gaulle 2 TGV. Directly from there are two Thalys services northbound daily (→ Brussels-Midi/Zuid → Antwerpen-Centraal → Rotterdam Centraal → Schiphol Airport → Amsterdam Centraal), and seven TGV services to Brussels Midi/Zuid (all stopping at at least Lille Europe). If you are spending at least one night in Paris, there are also many Thalys services departing Gare du Nord for Belgium and Netherlands (→ Brussels-Midi/Zuid → Antwerpen-Centraal → Rotterdam Centraal → Schiphol Airport → Amsterdam Centraal). There is also the low-cost IZY between Paris Gare du Nord and Brussels Midi/Zuid. IZY trains run half the distance on conventional rail and half the distance on high-speed rail, so they take at least one hour more than Thalys, but IZY is not much more expansive, and a lot faster, than coach. (Book early.)
To get to Arnhem Centraal, you have to change at least once. The most expensive second class option is €178.00 one way. There are also cheaper options, usually less direct. Check with the SNCF (French Rail) service counters at Aéroport Charles de Gaulle 2 TGV, or the SNCF or NS International websites, or their apps, for travelling options. See also the following section on recommendations on how to get from Brussels / Rotterdam / Schiphol / Amsterdam to Arnhem.
See also here.
See what route the ticket tells you to take. With Eurostar and Thalys (Eurostar often put customers on Thalys trains between Belgium and the Netherlands), you are usually restricted to particular train services. With Intercity direct, Intercity, and slower trains in Belgium and the Netherlands, there is no seat reservation and you are free to take any services along the designated route on the (operational) day.
Usually the best route to take in terms of price-time balance, if booked at least 7 days in advance, is Eurostar to Brussels Midi/Zuid (Bruxelles Midi in French, Brussel Zuid in Dutch), then an hourly Intercity from Brussels to Breda (direction: Den Haag HS or Amsterdam Centraal), and then a half-hourly Intercity from Breda to Arnhem Centraal (direction: Zwolle). An alternative is Eurostar to Rotterdam Central, and then quater-hourly Intercity from Rotterdam Centraal to Utrecht Centraal (destination: Utrecht Centraal, Amersfoort / Zwolle / Leeuwarden, or Amersfoort / Zwolle / Groningen), and then quater-hourly Intercity from Utrecht Centraal to Arnhem Centraal (destination: Nijmegen).
Timewise there is no point travelling further north of Rotterdam to head to Arnhem. However, if your ticket tells you to change at Schiphol Airport, there are half-hourly Intercity services to Arnhem Centraal (direction: Nijmegen), or catch the half-hourly Intercity service towards Venlo, and then change at Utrecht Centraal for another Intercity service to Arnhem Centraal (direction: Nijmegen). Usually it is just a walk across the platform at Utrecht Centraal.
If your ticket tells you to change at Amsterdam Centraal, there are half-hourly Intercity services to Arnhem Centraal (direction: Nijmegen), or catch the half-hourly Intercity service towards Maastricht, and then change at Utrecht Centraal for another Intercity service to Arnhem Centraal (direction: Nijmegen). Usually it is just a walk across the platform at Utrecht Centraal. If your ticket tells you to catch the ICE International service between Amsterdam Centraal and Arnhem Centraal (direction: Frankfurt Hbf or Basel SBB), and if you miss that, just catch another Dutch Intercity service. If your ticket tells you to catch an Intercity service between Amsterdam Centraal and Arnhem Centraal, you can also catch the ICE International service domestically in the Netherlands, but normally that has a surcharge of €2.60, which you have to pay before boarding the ICE train.
With the Harwich – Hoek van Holland ferry, their Rail & Sail package is a good deal, covering travel on the Abellio Greater Anglia train network in England and/or the Nederlandse Spoorwegen network, which covers most of the Netherlands, in addition to the ferry journey. (If the English booking website for the Rail & Sail deal does not work, try the Dutch booking website.) If you include the Dutch rail option, a day ticket on the RET (Rotterdam public trasport) network is also included.
From the Hoek van Holland ferry terminal, currently RET runs replacement buses between Hoek van Holland and Schiedam Centrum train station. (Bus 711 is faster, 713 is a lot slower.) Schiedam Centrum is one train station west of Rotterdam Centraal, and there are eight trains per hour to Rotterdam Centraal (destination: Dordrecht, or Vlissingen). At Rotterdam Centraal, catch a quater-hourly Intercity to Utrecht Centraal (destination: Utrecht Centraal, Amersfoort / Zwolle / Leeuwarden, or Amersfoort / Zwolle / Groningen), and then a quater-hourly Intercity to Arnhem Centraal (destination: Nijmegen).
If you arrive on the Newcastle – IJmuiden ferry, the ordinary bus to the IJmuiden ferry terminal no longer operates. You can book their coach transfer service when you book the ferry ticket. Alternatively, if you want to catch ordinary public transport, see what the journey planner 9292.nl says. Either input Sluisplein, IJmuiden as the origin for the actual ferry terminal, or Oranjestraat, IJmuiden for the closest bus stop, which is a few blocks away from the ferry terminal. At Oranjestraat, you can catch bus 74 in either direction to connect with bus 382. Or you can walk directly to bus 382 in about 20 minutes. Bus 382 takes you to Amsterdam Sloterdijk train station. At Amsterdam Sloterdijk, there are half-hourly Intercity services to Arnhem Centraal (direction: Nijmegen), or catch the half-hourly Intercity service towards Maastricht, and then change at Utrecht Centraal for another Intercity service to Arnhem Centraal (direction: Nijmegen). Usually it is just a walk across the platform at Utrecht Centraal.
If you arrive on the Hull – Rotterdam Europoort ferry, you have to rely on their coach transfer service if you do not have your own transport.