Venlo Railway Station by J.Roßkamp

Venlo Railway Station serves the town of Venlo and is part of the Nederlandse Spoorwegen railway network, one of the Dutch railway operators. Although Venlo is a small town of only 90,000 people, it is well connected by train. This is because Venlo is a junction station and it is situated on railway lines such as:

• Maastricht – Venlo
• Viersen – Venlo
• Venlo – Eindhoven
• Nijmegen – Venlo

How to Get to Venlo by Train

Venlo Railway Station is connected to major Dutch cities like Eindhoven, Roermond and Nijmegen. As Venlo is also a border town with Germany, there are railway links from Venlo to German cities.  Services that call at Venlo include:

• Den Haag Central – Breda – Eindhoven – Venlo (half-hourly intercity service)
• Venlo – Düsseldorf – Hamm (Westfalen) (hourly local service)
• Venlo – Mönchengladbach Hbf – Keulen (Cologne) Hbf
• Nijmegen – Venlo – Roermond (half-hourly local service)

Travel from Amsterdam to Venlo

• To travel from Amsterdam Schiphol Airport to Venlo requires a change at either Eindhoven or Nijmegen.  Journey time is about 2 hours 30 minutes.
• To travel from Amsterdam Centraal to Venlo requires a change at Eindhoven.  Journey time from is about 2 hours 5 minutes.

In front of Venlo station there is a bus station for regional and city buses as well as a car park.  For those attending Floriade, there is a shuttle from the station to the Floriade showground.

Venlo Railway Station Building

Venlo Railway Station was first opened in 1865 however the current building dates to 1958. The station building has a large clock tower and typifies a post-war era Dutch station.

Address:

Venlo Railway Station
Stationsplein 1
5913AA Venlo, NL
Website: www.ns.nl/

Map of Venlo:

Image Courtesy of Floriade 2012

68 Days to go to Floriade 2012 and things are getting exciting for garden and flower show enthusiasts. As early as August last year, many were already asking about how to get to Floriade from Amsterdam and elsewhere by public transport. We knew that there was going to be an express bus – the Floriade Express, but not the details.  Now the good news is that the Floriade Express bus site is up and running.

Floriade Express is operated by AirExpressBus, one of the official partners of Floriade World Horticultural Expo.

Floriade Express Departure Points

For those who are flying, there are daily Floriade Express shuttles between Floriade and the following airports:

- Amsterdam Schiphol
-  Eindhoven Airport
-  Brussels Airport
-  Weeze Airport (Germany)

Floriade Express city departures and stops include Amsterdam Central Station, Utrecht, Den Bosch, Eindhoven Central Station, Cuijk, Venray, Boxmeer and Leuven.

For the complete list of Floriade Express bus stops and pick-up points see the Floriade Express Bus website.

Booking your Floriade Express Bus and Floriade Ticket

You can book single or return bus travel as well as your Floriade entrance ticket through the Floriade Express Bus website. Prices for the journeys are provided on the site and the FAQ is also worth reading.

Contacts:

Website : www.floriadeexpressbus.com
Email      : info@airexpressbus.com
Telephone: +31(0) 40 255 80 90

CitizenM Amsterdam Airport

For the convenience of being able to walk from your airport hotel to the airport check-in desk, we can expect to pay a decent amount of money.  So when an airport hotel offers affordable luxury and the convenience of being able to walk to the airport, we had to give it a go. For our overnight stay in Amsterdam, we stayed at CitizenM Amsterdam Airport hotel.

CitizenM Hotel Features

According to the hotel blurb, CitizenM Amsterdam Airport is a luxury design hotel within minutes walk from Schiphol Airport. All rooms at the hotel have king-size beds, private bathroom with a powerful rain shower, free Wi-Fi, free movies and flat-screen TVs. And what caught my fancy was the Philips Moodpad touch screen which allows guests to modify the room colour, control temperature and adapt the blinds and black-out curtains.

CitizenM Amsterdam Review

So, did CitizenM meet our expectations of an airport hotel with affordable luxury? It most certainly did. From Schiphol Plaza, it is an easy 5 minutes walk to the hotel. If you’re arriving at Schiphol Airport, you can wheel your airport trolley to CitizenM hotel. At the hotel there is also a bank of trolleys that you can use to wheel your baggage back to Schiphol Airport if you are catching a flight for an onward journey, or to the Schiphol train station.

The staff at CitizenM are very friendly and helpful. Everything is high-tech at this concept hotel. You check yourself in and out and there are staff there to assist if you have any techno-phobic. Even the wake-up call is really cool.

CitizenM Hotel Room

Although the room is small, the width of the room is the length of the king-size bed, it is very well designed and has almost everything that you would need for your airport stay. The only thing missing is a refrigerator.

CitizenM Amsterdam Airport

The shower and toilet are encased in cylindrical glass casings and looked like something out of a science-fiction movie. I liked the Philips Moodpad and spent the first 15 minutes playing with the different mood colours that you can adjust for the room.

Everything worked very well in the room including the free Wi-Fi. If you don’t have your own computer, there are four computers in the lobby that you can use to even print your boarding pass.

Food at CitizenM

The cafe in the lobby area has pre-packed sandwiches, sushi and a range of snack foods and drinks so you can have your breakfast and lunch there. Prices are very reasonable. In the evening, they offer a couple of hot dishes, so if they are to your liking, you can choose to dine there. The alternative is to walk to Schiphol Plaza where they are many cafes and fast food outlets.

We had a pleasant experience at CitizenM Schiphol Airport and would definintely stay there again. To book CitizenM Amsterdam Airport, see HERE.

Note: Photos will be uploaded in a couple of months when we’re back at home base.

Roermond Outlet: Photo by Dammit/Wiki

McArthurGlen’s award-winning Roermond Designer Outlet is one of the largest in Europe.  There are over 100 stores at the Roermond outlet where shoppers will find more than 170 designer brands. Discounts of 30% to 70% are available all year round on international designer names like Armani, D & G, Diesel, Feragamo, Gucci, Hugo Boss, Prada and much, much more.

Roermond Designer Outlet is within walking distance of Roermond city centre and is also ideally located between Düsseldorf and Maastricht. This centre is open seven days a week.

Getting to Roermond

The Roermond Outlet is situated in the Limburg province southeast of the Netherlands. It is also within a 10-minute drive to the German border, 30 minutes from Düsseldorf (via the A52) and 45 minutes from Cologne (via the A57/A52)

By Shuttle Bus from Düsseldorf:

From April 2 – October 2, there is a shuttle bus service from Düsseldorf Railway Station (Worringer Strasse) to the Roermond outlet. The shuttle leaves Düsseldorf Station at 11:00 and the return trip from the Roermond outlet to Düsseldorf is at 4 p.m. The journey takes about 45 minutes each way and the cost of a return ticket is €10 (children under 12 travel free). To use this shuttle service, you must make a reservation.

By Train:

Roermond Central Station is a five minutes walk from the Outlet. For train timetable and fares, see the Dutch Railway website, www.ns.nl.

By Car:

From Aachen
Take the A76 towards Heerlen and then the A73 in the direction of Nijmegen/Venlo/Roermond.

From Cologne
Take either the A57 towards Düsseldorf/Nijmegen or the A61 towards Venlo until these cross the A52.

From Duisburg
Take the A57 towards Cologne until this crosses the A52 and from Essen or Düsseldorf take the A52.

From Düsseldorf
Roermond Designer Outlet is very easy to reach using the A52.

From Eindhoven
Take the Dutch A2 to Exit 40 for Roermond. Follow the signs to Roermond (N280) and then the signs to the “Designer Outlet”.

From Maastricht
Take the A73 to Exit 19 for Roermond. Follow the signs to Roermond and then the signs to the “Designer Outlet”.

From Venlo
Follow the A73 in the direction of Roermond. Follow the signs to Roermond.

Opening Hours:
Mon – Sun : 10.00 – 19:00
Thurs : 10:00 – 20:00

Ascension : 09:00 – 20:00
Whitsunday : 10:00 – 19:00
Whit Monday: 09:00 – 19:00

Address:
Stadsweide 2
6041 TD Roermond
Netherlands
Tel: +31 (0) 475 351 777

For more Designer Discount Outlets in other cities in Europe and the UK , see our Designer Outlet Directory.

Map of Roermond:

Photo Courtesy of Floriade 2012

Floriade 2012, the Netherland’s World Horticultural Expo takes place in Venlo from 5 April to 7 October 2012.

For lovers of garden and flower shows, this is an event to look forward to as Floriade only takes place once every 10 years.  And if you plan well, you can also link this to a visit to the Keukenhof springtime tulip festival.

About Floriade 2012

Covering 66 hectares of ground, the Floriade Park will feature five themed areas:

• environment
• education & innovation
• green engine
• relax and heal
• world show stage

There will be more than 100 exhibitors showing off their horticultural talents and wares and plenty of events to cater to all ages and interests.

Since June 2011, the Floriade Roadshow has been popping up at various events and festivals in the Netherlands and Germany so that people can learn more about Floriade and the making of Floriade 2012.

You can now buy Floriade tickets online from their website.

How to Get to Floriade Venlo:

The Floriade grounds are very easy to reach by bus, car, air or train:

By Bus

AirExpress Bus is the official operator of the Floriade Express service and the good news is that service schedules and prices are now available.

Floriade Express from Amsterdam -

Floriade 2012

There will be daily departures from Amsterdam, early in the morning and returning in the evening. The Floriade Express leaves from  Amsterdam Central Station and Amsterdam Schiphol to the Floriade grounds in Venlo and back.  You can make your Floriade Express bookings at Floriade Express Bus Here.

Floriade Express from other destinations -

The Floriade Express also departs from several other locations such as:

- Den Bosch
- Eindhoven Airport / Eindhoven Station
- Utrecht

For the complete list of Floriade Express stops and to make your bookings see Here.

Private Floriade Coach Tour from Amsterdam

A more comfortable way to get to Floriade is to join a guided tour from Amsterdam.  The cost of the tour includes return travel from Amsterdam to Venlo by airconditioned coach and your Floriade entrance fees.  During the journey, your guide will provide you with maps and other information about Floriade and then take you directly into the show on arrival.  To find out more about this Floriade tour and make bookings, see Here. 

By Road -

The Floriade Park is located at the intersection of the A73 and A67 motorways. The new A74, the road linking the German road network with the A73 at Venlo, will be open before the commencement of  Floriade.

By Train -

Visitors coming by train will alight at Venlo Railway Station and take a shuttle bus to the Floriade grounds.  For train schedule and fares check http://www.ns.nl/

By Air -

If you are flying into Venlo, Düsseldorf, Maastricht, Eindhoven and Weeze are the international airports that surround Venlo.

Venlo Hotels

If you are intending to make Venlo your base and fancy a room in a castle, the Bilderberg Château Holtmühle is an authentic castle situated in Tegelen, (15.5km to Floriade) near the German border.  Other Venlo hotels include the Van der Valk (7.1km to Floriade) or if you prefer something close to Venlo Railway Station, the Hotel American (8.0 km to Floriade) is nearby and the Hotel Wilhelmina and Stationshotel Venlo are across from the train station.  Some may prefer to be based in other cities in Limburg and you can check out the Limburg hotels HERE.

Event : Floriade 2012
Venue: Floriade Park in Venlo
Dates  : April 5 – October 7, 2012

Website:  www.floriade.com

Where is Floriade 2012:

Keukenhof Park - Courtesy PR-Keukenhof

World famous for its tulips, the Netherlands is a country that literally blooms at springtime. And if you love gardens and flowers you will most certainly by thrilled by the colourful displays of tulips and other springtime bulbs in bloom.

A magnificent place to see the Netherland’s spring blooms is at the unique Keukenhof Gardens, one of the country’s top attractions! It is the largest bulb flower park in the world and here you’ll see displays created by more than seven million tulips, daffodils, hyacinths, spring bulbs and beautiful trees. Go on the “Walk of Fame” and see tulips named after famous people. Amidst the flowers there are exquisite pieces of sculpture and other works of art to admire.

Keukenhof’s History

Keukenhof is situated in a area that was once a hunting ground in the 15th century. The castle belonged to Jacoba van Beieren and herbs for the castle used to be collected from here, hence the name Keukenhof. After Jacoba van Beieren passed away, Keukenhof was taken over by rich merchant families. Architects and designers were brought in to design an English landscape style garden around the castle. Keukenhof today is owned by a corporation.

The first open-air flower exhibition was held at Keukenhof in 1949. This was the initiative of the then Lisse mayor and a number of leading flower bulb growers and exporters. Keukenhof has grown and grown over the past 60 years and is now an internationally renowned garden.

Keukenhof Spring Blooms

Keukenhof is situated in the Bulb region between Amsterdam and The Hague. It is usually open to the public from March to May. If you’re in Amsterdam for a short stay, a hassle-free way to get to Keukenhof is to join a tour that leaves from the city.

There are three options to choose from, depending on how long you’d like to spend at Keukenhof:

• The half-day morning or afternoon tour lasts for 4.5 hours, with 2 hours free time at the gardens.
• The three-quarter day tour lasts for 7 hours, with 5 hours free time at the gardens.
• The full-day tour lasts for 9 hours, with 7 hours free time at the gardens.

En route to Keukenhof you’ll drive through the beautiful Dutch countryside, passing vibrant tulip fields along the way. There are several restaurants within the park or you can bring along a picnic lunch to enjoy at one of the many benches and picnic spots.

Address:

Keukenhof
Stationsweg 166a
2161 AM LISSE
The Netherlands

Nemo Science Centre, Amsterdam..

On any canal cruise of Amsterdam’s waterways, you will come face to face with a gigantic green building jutting into the water and which looks like a ship’s hull. Meet NEMO, Netherland’s largest science centre, located about 15 minutes walk from Amsterdam Central Station.

NEMO has approximately 5,000 square metres of exhibition space comprising five floors packed with interesting things to do and discover.

Everything at NEMO is about science and technology – ever wondered what you will look like in 30 years, why you look so much like your parents – or don’t look like them, what happens when people kiss, how to purify water or how lightning and satellites work? Exhibits are interactive and educational and you will smell, hear, feel and see how the world works.  It’s a fun place for the whole family and anyone with an inquiring mind.

There are food outlets at NEMO and Café DECK5 has stunning views of Amsterdam city centre and its historic harbour. And at the NEMO shop, you can buy books, games, puzzles, experiment sets, bubble-blowing equipment, etc.

NEMO’s Fascinating Construction

NEMO Science Centre was designed by Renzo Piano and built above the IJ Tunnel which links Amsterdam to the opposite bank of the IJ. The construction itself is fascinating as the tunnel acted as the building’s foundations, during construction and the curve in the tunnel also became the curve in the building. According to some, when vehicles drive down into the tunnel it looks like they are driving into the hold of a ferry. Needless to say, the design of the building was tricky as it had to balance the weight of the vehicles going through the tunnel with the dimensions of the building.

NEMO presents the world of science and technology in a fun and educational way for visitors and is definitely one of the things to do with children on any Amsterdam vacation. A visit to NEMO costs € 12,50 per person for visitors 4 years and above, however special tariffs and discounts are available for students on production of a student card. Tickets can be bought online on www.e-nemo.nl.

Getting there:

NEMO Science Centre
Oosterdok 2
1011 VX Amsterdam

Eindhoven Airport is the Netherland’s second largest airport, after Schiphol. It is located northwest of Eindhoven city centre and travel time is about 15 minutes. There is good ground transport connecting the airport to town via public buses, airport shuttle service, taxis and car rentals.

By bus

• Number 401 runs every 10 minutes between Eindhoven Airport and Eindhoven Central Station.
• Number 45 runs from Best via Eindhoven Airport, Flight Forum, Acht and Woensel from and to Eindhoven Central Station. During the day this bus runs every half hour and in the evenings and at weekends service is hourly.

For information on schedule, fares and bus stops, visit www.hermes.nl or www.oveindhoven.nl.

Airport Shuttle Service

AirExpressBus provides a coach shuttle service between Eindhoven Airport and Amsterdam/Utrecht and vice versa. For the bus stop locations, timetable, ticket costs and other information, visit Airexpressbus website at www.airexpressbus.com.

By train

9292 is the Dutch public transport travel information service. For current train times and other information visit www.9292ov.nl or call +31 (0)900 92 92 (call cost is € 0.70 per minute).

Car Rentals

Car rental companies at Eindhoven Airport include Avis, Europcar, Hertz, National Car Rental and Sixt.

Pre-Book your Rental Car

If getting the right model car and the right deal is important to you, you can pre-book your rental car through our travel partner Auto Europe.

Taxis

The taxi rank is next to the terminal. Travel time from the airport to Eindhoven city centre is approximately 15 to 20 minutes.

By car:

Follow the signs to Eindhoven-Maastricht, then take exit no. 29 for Eindhoven Airport. The car park is right in front of the terminal.

Airport Address:

Luchthavenweg 25, 5657 EA
Eindhoven, Netherlands

Rotterdam Airport (RTM) is located about 5.6 km north north-west of central Rotterdam and is the Netherlands third largest airport after Schiphol and Eindhoven.  It has good ground transportation options by public transport or private transfers to the city and other areas of Rotterdam, making this a convenient airport to land at.

By Bus

RET runs the local buses and the Airport shuttles from Rotterdam Airport to Rotterdam Central Station (Centraal Station) and other parts of the city.  The following line numbers link to the airport and service frequency is good.

• Airport Shuttle 33: Rotterdam Central Station – Overschie – Rotterdam Airport
• Airport Shuttle 50: Wilhelminakade – Station Rotterdam Blaak – Central Station (for Westin Hotel) – Rotterdam Airport
• RET Bus 41: Schiedam Central Station – Rotterdam Airport – Station Rotterdam Noord
• RET bus B12: This service caters for travellers who need to be at Rotterdam Airport very early in the morning or during the night.

For timetable, bus routes, fares and service hours, visit RET website:  http://www.ret.nl/

Car Rental

The following companies have service desks at the airport which are located in the arrivals section of the transit hall, the central hall in the terminal.

Avis            +31 (0)10-4332233

Europcar  +31 (0)10-4371826

Hertz          +31 (0)10-4158239

Sixt             +31 (0)10-4627221

Pre-Book your Rental Car

If getting the right model car and the right deal is important to you, you can pre-book your rental car through our partner company Auto Europe.

Taxis

At Rotterdam Airport the taxi terminus is directly next to the terminal. For taxi travel from and to Rotterdam Airport you can contact the Rotterdam Airport Taxi on telephone number +31 (0)10 2620406.  All credit cards (VISA, Mastercard, American Express, JCB, Diners Club and the international cabcharge card) are accepted.

By car

Rotterdam Airport is situated directly on the A13. All parking areas are situated within walking distance of the airport terminal.

Windmill of Amsterdam..

Many people think of Amsterdam as the capital of the Netherlands, but the actual seat of the government is at Den Haag. Nevertheless, Amsterdam is the largest city in the Netherlands and as far as tourism is concerned it is also the most visited, with over 3.5 million visitors a year beginning their Netherlands vacation in this city.

Amsterdam has more than 750,000 residents and just as many bikes. There are 175 different nationalities in Amsterdam, making this city a most tolerant society. What other cities in the western world do you have Sex Museums, sightseeing Tours of Red Light district and where you can legally purchase and consume cannabis in the coffee shops throughout the city.

Seven Central Amsterdam Areas

The centre of Amsterdam is carved up into seven distinct areas, making it easy for visitors to concentrate on areas of interest:

• Western Canal Ring
• Central Canal Ring
• Eastern Canal Ring
• Museum Quarter
• Oude Zijde
• Nieuwe Zijde, and
• Plantage

Amsterdam Attractions

Amsterdam is of course famous for its the stunning canal network and in the Central Canal Ring area are many amazing buildings from Amsterdam’s Golden Age.  The city has more museums per square metre than any other European capitals. In the Museum Quarter alone are three museums – Van Gogh Museum, Rijksmuseum and the Stedelijk Museum.

Tulips and Keukenhof Garden..

Fans of  Vincent Van Gogh’s works will certainly want to visit the Van Gogh Museum.  The Museum has the largest collection in the world of this master painter’s works.  Those interested in medieval Amsterdam should head for the Oude Zijde and Nieuwe Zijde areas where there are numerous historic buildings and monuments, including the famous Oude Kerk.

Amsterdam’s famous for its flowers and tulips and things to do during a spring vacation should include a visit to the Keukenhof Gardens to see the magnificent blooms.

As regards food in the Netherlands, Dutch cuisine does not rate anywhere near the French or Italian as far as haute cuisine’s concerned.  However with 175 different nationalities in Amstersdam, there’s plenty of cuisine choices here at reasonable prices.

Amsterdam has good transport infrastructure and getting around the city is easy by public transport. You’ll see that cycling is a common way for locals to get around. But, the great thing about Amsterdam is that you can avoid traffic congestion by travelling on the canal. The canal buses stop at 14 points which are located near the major museums, attractions and shopping centres.

There’s a good range of hotels in the city centre and your choice very much depends on budget and which area of Amsterdam you prefer your hotel to be.  See our hotel choices for Amsterdam.