Introduction
Eindhoven is a city in the southeast of the Netherlands, in the province of North Brabant (Noord-Brabant). With around 215,000 inhabitants it is the fifth biggest city in the Netherlands, although it actually has less on offer for the tourist than other major cities. One thing to enjoy though is the great nightlife and many pubs, partly due to the fact that it is a real student city, with a technical university among others. The Dutch soccer champion, PSV, has its home base here and you might be able to squeeze in a soccer game.
Philips has contributed a lot to the city's growth. The influence of the Philips company is still seen and felt in the city. Another big employer was the DAF automobile factory, that has specialised in the productions of trucks since 1993, after going bankrupt.
Neighbourhoods
Eindhoven consists of several neighbourhoods (or in Dutch: stadsdelen)
- Centrum
- Gestel
- Stratum
- Strijp
- Tongelre
- Woensel-Zuid
- Woensel-Noord
Sights and Activities
van Abbemuseum
The van Abbemuseum is a museum with a collection of modern and contemporary art. The old building dates back to 1936 and was renovated a couple of years ago. During this renovation they added a completely new building by architect Kropholler to create a modern and much larger museum, which opened in 2002. The Van Abbemuseum houses works by Picasso, Chagall, El Lissitzky, Beuys, Weiner, Gordon and McCarthy. The Van Abbemuseum is located at the Bilderdijklaan 10.
DAF Museum
The DAF museum shows the history of the DAF car factory. On display are cars and trucks ranging from 1928 till the present. The museum is located at the Tongelresestraat 27.
Evoluon
One of the most remarkable buildings in Eindhoven is the Evoluon[. The building is shaped like a flying saucer, and was built by Philips as part of their 75th birthday celebrations in 1966. During most of its life it served as a science museum, but after the success faded Philips closed the museum and turned it into a conference center, which is the function that it retains today.
Effenaar
Effenaar is a venue for mainly pop music just outside the center of the city, and has a capacity of 1,300 visitors.
Events and Festivals
Carnaval
The (catholic) south of the Netherlands celebrates carnaval at the beginning of the year. (40 days before Easter). Eindhoven is no exception. During the days of Carnaval, Eindhoven is called "Lampegat". The big parade in the city centre takes place on the Saturday.
Koningsdag (King's Day)
In 2013, the Dutch throne was passed on to King Willem-Alexander and what used to be Koninginnedag (Queen's Day) will from 2014 become Koningsdag (King's Day). The date will be changed to the 27th of April, which is the king's birthday. In 2014 however it will be on the 26th of April because the 27th falls on a Sunday. On this day the streets of almost every sizable town in the country come alive with activity.
Weather
Eindhoven weather is typical of what you get in the Netherlands: mild winters with rare snow, and reasonably warm summers. Eindhoven's summers are just a tad warmer while winters are maybe a degree colder on average compared with places more to the west of the Netherlands. Summers are mostly slightly above 20 °C with occasionally temperatures above 30 °C. Winters are around zero on average.
Getting There
By Plane
Eindhoven Airport is one of the smaller airports in the Netherlands, but has connections to various cities in Europe. Transavia and Ryanair are the major airlines that operate from Eindhoven Airport. But also other smaller airlines like Wizz Air, Tailwind Airlines and Correndon operate from Eindhoven Airport. Air France flies to London City Airport. In the holiday season, there are also additional charter flights to/from popular holiday destinations.
The airport is located to the north east of the city along the A2 motorway. The airport is connected to the centre of the city by busline 401.
By Train
There are train connections between Eindhoven and other cities in the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany. Check the Dutch Railways website for more information about schedules and prices. More information and integrated door-to-door itinerary advice for all public transport can be obtained for free from 9292OV (Dutch only). The main national lines are:
- Tilburg – Breda – Dordrecht – Rotterdam – Delft – The Hague
- 's-Hertogenbosch – Utrecht – Amsterdam – Alkmaar
- 's-Hertogenbosch – Utrecht – Amsterdam Zuid – Schiphol Airport
- Helmond – Venlo
- Weert – Roermond – Sittard – Maastricht/Heerlen
By Car
The A2 connects Eindhoven to the north with Den Bosch, Utrecht and Amsterdam and to the south with Weert and Maastricht. The A58 starts in Eindhoven, as a junction from the A2 motorway, and heads to the west, connecting to Tilburg, Breda and Rotterdam. The A67 comes from the east (Venlo and Germany), connects with the A2 for a couple of kilometres in Eindhoven, and then continues into Belgium.
By Bus
Eurolines connects Eindhoven to numerous cities in Europe. The busstop in Eindhoven is near the Central train station, at the Stationsweg, opposite the office of Eurolines.
By Boat
Getting Around
By Car
You can get around Eindhoven by car pretty easy. In the centre there are enough parking garages. If you park a little bit outside the centere you still need to pay, but the charges are lower than in the parking garages. Parking on the streets is always more expensive. Avoid driving in the city during rush hours, Monday to Friday from 7:00am to 9:30am and from 4:00pm to 6:30pm.
By Public Transport
There is a large number of city busses going around the city, all starting or ending at the Central Station in the center of town. There are almost 25 city bus lines, which also serve neighbouring cities like Veldhoven, Geldrop and Nuenen. Two of these buslines (401 and 402) are high quality public transport and the buses on these lines are so-called Phileas vehicles, a combination of tram and bus.
By Foot
Eindhoven is doable by foot, if you stay in the center of town. For some sights or connections (like the airport) you have to get on one of the city buses.
By Bike
As with other Dutch cities, Eindhoven is a bike friendly city. There are enough bike lanes, and if you have to leave these lanes, car drivers are used to having bikes around them so in general they will keep notice. Note that it is not allowed to ride your bike in the shopping streets. If you meet the wrong cop, he will write you a fine. The good cop will just urge you to continue by foot.
Eat
Drink
The popular place to go out is a street called Stratumseind, which starts at the church. Here you will find bar after bar. It is a popular spot for the students that are living in Eindhoven.
Sleep
Budget
| Property | Address | Type | Popularity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Raku BB | Heezerweg 41 | Bed & Breakfast | 80 |
| Woonhotel Eindhoven | Leenderweg 285 | Hotel | 88 |
| Stayokay Valkenswaard | P. Heerkensdreef 20 Valkenswaard | Hostel | 85 |
| 3BE Backpackers Bed | Stratumsedijk 31 | Hostel | 86 |
Mid-Range
Upscale
Work
Keep Connected
Internet
Internet cafés certainly are not ubiqutous to say the least. Although there are a few, it's best to go on the internet in your hotel, hostel or maybe in the nearest library, as they can be hard to find.
Phone
See also International Telephone Calls
Post
The rate for sending a postcard or letter up to 20 grams within the Netherlands is €0.46 (2010). Since 2010 there are stamps available for domestic post which no longer include the value in €. Instead, there are stamps available with either a '1' or a '2' as a substitute for value. The '1' can be used for letters and postcards up to 20 grams, while 20-50 grams require you to use the '2'-valued stamps (or two '1'-valued stamps of course).
Sending items to other EU countries will cost €0.67, while the rest of the world sets you back €0.89 per piece. Stamps are sold at post offices and supermarkets; often the place where you buy your postcards can also supply you with stamps.
Sending parcels abroad is more costly. A standard-sized parcel between 500-2,000 grams will cost you €9.10 for destinations within the EU, and €17.50 to the rest of the world. Parcel service is available from major post offices only; standard-size boxes are on sale there as well.
If you need to receive mail while moving around, you can have it sent poste restante (to be called for) to a post office of your choice, where it will be kept for a month. If you come to claim it, bring a valid ID, and make sure to have told the sender that the name on the envelope must be an exact match with that in your passport. For addresses of post offices, as well as more information, consult the TNT website.
On Travellerspoint
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This is version 28. Last edited at 19:36 on May 15, 13 by Utrecht. 36 articles link to this page.
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