Utrecht city guide
Utrecht travel guide
While most people immediately think of Amsterdam when they think of The Netherlands, there are a lot of other cities that are worth a visit during your trip to The Netherlands. Utrecht is definitely one of them, with its charming canals, medieval architecture and vibrant city life.
Getting to Utrecht
Utrecht is the central hub of The Netherlands' railway network, which means it is extremely easy to get to from wherever you are. Chances are, however, you are coming from Amsterdam. From Amsterdam central station it's a half an our ride to Utrecht central station, with trains going every 10 minutes.
Useful websites/apps to use to plan your public transport trips (trains and buses) in The Netherlands are 9292.nl or NS.nl, both of which also have apps. They provide the same information, so it's up to you which one you prefer to use. Personally, I prefer 9292.
Getting to the city center by car is also possible, but streets can be narrow, which can be tricky with the large amount of people on bicycles. Moreover, parking is usually expensive in the city center. Although I would advise to go to Utrecht by train, if you are coming by car you can park at the P+R Utrecht Science Park for 6 euros per 24 hours and take the tram (22, only on weekdays) or bus (28) to the city center for free. To do this, you need to buy a U-OV ticket for €4 at one of the ticket machines and use that to go to the city center with tram 22 or bus 28. You will get this €4 back later. Later in the day, you travel back to the P+R Science Park parking. It's important to travel back on the same day (within 24 hours), from a place within the center area of Utrecht, using tram 22 or bus 28 and to the P+R Science Park bus/tram stop. When you pay for your parking ticket, you simply scan the U-OV ticket and you get a €4 discount (which makes the public transport free) on your parking ticket. In the weekends and during holidays, you can also park for free on the univeristy campus. You can find a map of all the parkings at the university campus here: https://www.uu.nl/organisatie/campus/plattegrond/plattegrond-campus-utrecht-science-park . I recommend this one: https://maps.app.goo.gl/sLrujPhvSHHqbkuy9 .
