To the airport by public transport or car?
The trip to the airport partly determines your total travel cost and how relaxed you set off. Train, bus, car or taxi: each Dutch airport has a smartest option. Here's the overview.
Schiphol: the train usually wins
Schiphol has its own train station under the departures hall, with direct connections from across the country. You're often cheaper and faster by train than parking for a week. Travelling as a group or living remotely? Then car plus cheap shuttle parking can pay off. More in our Schiphol guide.
Eindhoven: bus or car
Eindhoven Airport has no train station, but bus 400 and 401 run directly from Eindhoven Central station in about 25 minutes. Coming by car? Reserve a cheap car park in advance. See our Eindhoven guide.
Rotterdam: metro and bus
Reach Rotterdam The Hague Airport by metro plus bus from Rotterdam Central in 20-25 minutes. The airport is compact and the car parks are close by, so the car works well here too. See our Rotterdam guide.
Brussels: train to Zaventem, car to Charleroi
Brussels Airport (Zaventem) has a train station under the terminal with connections from the Netherlands. Brussels South Charleroi is reached by shuttle bus from Brussels-South or by car. For travellers from the southern Netherlands, Brussels is sometimes as close as Schiphol.
Weeze: mostly the car
Weeze Airport lies just across the German border and is easiest to reach by car, via Nijmegen or Venlo. Parking is cheap. There are shuttle and bus connections too, but the car is usually most convenient for travellers from the east and south of the Netherlands.
Work out the total cost
Don't just compare the fare, but the total cost: a train return for the whole group versus car plus fuel plus parking for the number of days. For one or two people the train often wins; with four people or lots of luggage the car can be cheaper.
Ready to plan?
Open the trip planner and pick your departure point. Combine this with our guides on cheap parking and how early to arrive for a smooth start.