TRAVEL RESOURCES SUMMER

Transcription

1 TRAVEL RESOURCES SUMMER AIRPORTS CLOSE TO THE CASTLE see map on page 12 Weeze/Niederrhein Airport (Germany) 9 miles 20 minutes by bike or car from the castle (this is a small, regional airport) Dusseldorf International Airport (Germany) 51 miles 1 hour from the castle. This is the closest international airport to Kasteel Well. Eindhoven Airport, Eindhoven (the Netherlands) 51 miles 1 hour from the castle Airport Koln (Bonn, Germany) 90 miles 1.75 hours from the castle Schiphol Airport, Amsterdam 100 miles 2.5 hours from the castle Brussels National Airport (Zaventem Airport, Brussels, Belgium) 120 miles 2.25 hours from the castle. 1

2 TRAVELING FROM DUSSELDORF INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (GERMANY) OPTION 1: USE A TAXI SERVICE You can take a cab from Dusseldorf International Airport. We recommend the following companies: Verstraaten Transportation Company. The cab can carry up to 8 people (but if you are carrying a lot of luggage: 6 people is better). More people in a cab means less money you will have to pay for the cab because you can all split the cost. Of course it is cheaper to share a taxi and not order a taxi individually! The ride takes about an hour. An individual taxi ride can cost up to 100. Please call to make your reservation. Please do this in advance, at least 2 weeks. Visit their site: Taxi Cox Please visit their website for more detail and rates: OPTION 2: USE PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION FROM DUSSELDORF INTL AIRPORT You can also travel to the castle by train and bus. The travel time is approximately 2 hrs and 45 minutes (rough estimate). Below are instructions: a) First take the train from Dusseldorf International Airport (Dusseldorf Flughafen) to Dusseldorf s Main Train Station (Dusseldorf Hbf). b) Then take a train to the Dutch border town called Venlo. For the exact train times, Check: c) From Venlo you take a train to Venray. d) Get out at the Venray train station (this station is actually in the village of Oostrum). e) From there you take bus no.60. Ask the bus driver if you are on the bus to Well, and ask him/her to drop you off at the bus stop called Café Vink in the Town of Well. f) From there is it a 15 minute walk (!) to the Castle Costs The costs for this trip are a bit harder to predict, but per person is a fair estimate. TRAVELING FROM SCHIPHOL AIRPORT (AMSTERDAM) OPTION 1: USE A TAXI SERVICE TAXI VERSTRAATEN (see fares on page 5) TAXI COX Please visit their website for fares/details: Also, please visit order@taxi-cox.de to reserve a taxi by SCHIPHOL SHUTTLE SERVICE TAXI (SHUTTLE SERVICE) The Schiphol Travel Taxi is a popular means of transportation to and from Schiphol airport. It is different from a normal taxi, because it is a shared taxi and therefore a bit less costly. You can book a Schiphol Travel Taxi at (The site is also in English, so you should be able to figure things out). HOW TO BOOK A SCHIPHOL TRAVEL TAXI Go to the Schiphol Travel Taxi website (see above) and go to the reservation page Enter the Castle s zip code: 5855AE in the address box Enter the Castle s house no: 20 in the next box Enter the number of people you will travel with to the castle under your party consists of There s a box that says luggage (extra). If you have more than one suitcase or one item of hand luggage, you have to list it here. For example: If you are carrying two big suitcases and a small backpack, you fill out 1 luggage extra. Travel time: you should arrive at the castle within 2 ½ hours. If you have booked a seat with Schiphol Travel Taxi, please search for the Schiphol Transfer Assistance (STA) TRAVELING IN EUROPE - SUMMER Updated August 31,

3 desk, situated in arrival hall number 4 (Next to the Albert Heijn Grocery Store). The desk agent will assign a driver to you. To Contact Schiphol Travel Taxi call: OPTION 2: USE PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION FROM SCHIPHOL AIRPORT Another cheaper, but less comfortable option is via public transportation. This journey takes approximately 3 hours (at best), depending on whether or not you make your connection(s). Estimated costs are 25+ for the train ticket to Venray station and 5 to for bus (No.60) that travels from Venray train station to the to the Café Vink bus stop in Well. Remember, you will be carrying your luggage on and off trains and to the bus. If you would like to know more about public transportation in The Netherlands, please visit: We also advise you to consult this International train travel planner site at: Public transportation travel example: So which busses and trains bring you to the Castle? First take the train from Schiphol Airport to Nijmegen. In Nijmegen you take the train (direction towards Roermond) and get out at the Venray train station (this station is actually in the village of Oostrum). From there you take bus no.60. Ask the bus driver is this the bus to Well?, and ask the driver to drop you off at the bus stop called Café Vink in the town of Well. From there is it a 15-minute walk to the Castle. To check out the exact train times and to obtain a map that shows your walking route, please go to the public transportation site for the Netherlands: Follow these steps to see the train/bus schedule:: 1. Choose Airport/Ferry Port from the Drop Down Menu. (FROM) 2. Enter the name Schiphol Airport Amsterdam (2 nd Box) 3. Type Kasteellaan 20 in the STREET NR box 4. Enter Well lb next to CITY box. 6. Choose the time of day from the TIME box 7. Hit the ADVISE ME box for the schedule 5. Choose the day and date from the DATE dropdown box. TRAVELING IN EUROPE - SUMMER Updated August 31,

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5 TRAVELING FROM BRUSSELS INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT - BELGIUM (CALLED ZAVENTUM ) TAXI If you fly into Brussels, Belgium, the easiest option, but most expensive, is to take a cab. The taxi company we use, called "Verstraaten Transportation Company", charges approximately 170 euro for the ride from Brussels International Airport (Zaventem) to the castle. If you share the cab with a fellow castle dweller, it will be cheaper! The cab can take up to 8 people (but if there is a lot of luggage 6 people would be better). Please call to make your reservation or visit PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION FROM BRUSSELS INTL. AIRPORT You could also travel by train and bus from Brussels Intl. Airport to the castle. The travel time increases to approximately 4 hrs (rough estimate). The cost from the Airport (Zaventem) in Brussels to the Castle is about: 40. (price is subject to change). More information is available on the website for Belgian Railroads (tel: +32(0) ). Below are instructions: 1. Take a train from Brussels International Airport (Airport Zaventem) to Maastricht Main Train Station. (This is the first Dutch border city). You can get your train card at a yellow ticket machine. These ticket machines also have an English menu. If you want to pay with cash, please go to the big NS counter (Nederland s Spoorwegen = Dutch Rail) 2. From there you take a train to Venlo, 3. Then take a bus to the village of Well (LB), where the Castle is situated. Then walk to the castle. TAXI PRICES FROM VARIOUS EUROPEAN AIRPORTS Kasteel Well has an agreement with a local taxi service in Well (Verstraaten Transportation Company) to transport students to Airport Weeze for approximately 30 for 1-3 passengers. Students must reserve cabs through the Verstraaten Taxi website ( in English). You will need to reserve the taxi with a credit card number. Like all taxi bookings it is wise to book your taxi at least one week in advance. If you need a taxi within one or two days, you may need to reserve by phone: TAXI VERSTRAATEN S ESTIMATED FARES BY NUMBER OF PASSENGERS (THESE PRICES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE) Pick up at Kasteel Well and driven to: 1-3 pax 4 6 pax Distance Time Weeze Neiderrhein Airport (Germany) km 20 minutes Airport Dusseldorf International (Germany) km 1 hour Airport Schiphol-Amsterdam km 2.5 hours Eindhoven Airport (The Netherlands) km 1 hour Maastricht Aachen Airport (The Netherlands) km 1 ¼ hour s Airport Köln Bonn (Germany) km 1 ¾ hours Airport Zaventem Brussels (Belgium) km 2 ¼ hours Train Station Oostrum Venray km 15 minutes Train Station Venlo (The Netherlands) km 45 minutes Train Station Nijmegen (The Netherlands) km 50 minutes Train Station Dusseldorf (Germany) km 1 hour SHOULD I PURCHASE A EURAIL PASS???? We cannot decide for you whether you need a Eurail or not. We can, however, provide you with practical information that can help you make your decision. Our Fall 11 Student Survey ranked the most popular Eurail Pass purchase as the Select Pass for 3-5 countries. If you plan to visit several Dutch cities during the semester, it may be worthwhile to consider buying a regional Eurail card for the Netherlands/Belgium. Eurail Pass Pros You are travelling from city center to city center, while enjoying the European landscape. Because of the extensive rail network, Europe s most interesting cities are in easy reach of Kasteel Well (see large dot on the map page 7). TRAVELING IN EUROPE - SUMMER Updated August 31,

6 If you are a good planner, you might manage with a Select or Regional Eurail pass. These passes are often cheaper and designed by you to match your needs - consider the length of travel and countries you want to travel through. These passes can be combined with flying, though this will take extensive planning. Since the Eurail pass is restricted to a specific amount of traveling days, a smart traveler will validate his or her Eurail pass the exact day he or she leaves Kasteel Well for the first trip. Often you can find good train travel deals if you are willing to book travel months in advance. (For instance: the NSI website offers fares to Paris if you book it 3 months ahead of time). Eurail Pass Cons Reserving Eurail tickets by phone costs you in excess of 35 eurocents per minute by cell phone or pay phone. This has to be done approximately 10 days prior to traveling. Note: You cannot use Skype to dial 0900 #s. Eurail Pass holders cannot reserve seats through the on-line website. Each train has a limited amount of seats for Eurail travelers. And, if all the Eurail seats in the train have already been booked, you still have to pay the normal costs even though you have a Eurail pass! Seat reservations can cost as much as 50 if you book at the local ticket window. Just about all long-distance and night trains (for instance: Alaris (high-speed Spanish trains) and Thalys (high-speed trains that run through Germany, France, Belgium and the Netherlands) have a limited number of seats for Eurail travelers. This means you have to make reservations in advance. The emergence of low cost airlines has certainly broadened the travel choices in Europe. For more information and prices on the various types of Eurail passes go to: Also, you can visit this website for an explanation of the different types of trains you can travel throughout Europe: TRAIN TRAVEL APPS FOR YOUR iphone OR ipad or OTHER ELECTRONIC DEVICE Here is a handy app for your phone, etc. It is the best European timetable for trains. DB Bahn - TRAVELING EUROPE BY PLANE There are many flights to cities that are not accessible by train for weekend travel. This means less traveling time, but don t forget to add incidentals to the cost of airline travel, including: airport taxes, and taxi and/or bus fares to your hostel accommodation, which most likely, is nowhere near the airport. Air Travel Pros You save a lot of travelling time as compared by train travel, which can be of value if you only have 2 ½ days to spend traveling. The Castle has a low cost airline airport nearby (Weeze Neiderrhein Airport, also known as Niederrhein (NRN). This is the hub airport for Ryan Air. Flight tickets can hypothetically be cheaper than train tickets Air Travel Cons Flying requires good planning; the longer you wait the more prices will go up. Getting to and from Airports in Europe requires good planning and leads up to extra traveling costs. If, for example, you have an early flight and public transport is not running you might have to order an expensive taxi (see taxi costs below). Most airports are not in the city center, and you will have to pay to travel costs from the airport to the city center. Canceling a flight ticket will cost you money. SOME TRAVEL VIDEOS MADE BY OSA STAFF Take the time to review these before your departure: Domestic transport: Airtravel: International travel: OV chip card: (updated version) TRAVELING IN EUROPE - SUMMER Updated August 31,

7 The large dot shows Kasteel Well s location. TRAVELING IN EUROPE - SUMMER Updated August 31,

8 ESTIMATED COSTS OF TRAIN TRAVEL IN EUROPE *Please note that the following tables contain estimates only. Schedules and fares change all the time, and while we try to keep our information updated, it is not always current. Visit this website for the most current fares and timetables. Website: EXTRA COSTS TRAVELING BY TRAIN Kasteel Well Venlo train station Bus ticket 4,50 Euro/ 6.20 USD Eurail Reservation number 35 eurocents per minute Reservation costs 20 to 50 Venlo Well Taxi 45 to 55 ESTIMATED INTERNATIONAL TRAIN TICKET PRICES (2 nd class ticket without reservation costs) NETHERLANDS / BELGIUM From To Estimated Time Estimated Costs Train Euro Min Max Min Max Venray * Arnhem 1 Hr 9.50 One way Venray Venlo 16 min One way Venray Amsterdam 2 Hr 3 Hr 23,- - One way Venray Maastricht 1 Hr 2 Hr 15,- - One way Venray The Hague 2 Hr 3 Hr 25,- - One way Venray Bruges 4 Hr - 44,- - One way Venray Brussels 3 Hr - 38,- - One way Venray Liege 2 Hr - 24,- - One way Venray Munich , One way Venray Copenhagen One way Venray Paris , One way Venray Milano , One way Arnhem Vienna ,- One way Arnhem Prague ,- One way FRANCE From To Estimated Time Estimated Costs Train Min Max Min Max Paris Bordeaux , - 62,- One way Hr Paris Nice ,- 106,- One way Hr Paris Lyon 2 Hr - 44,- 67,- One way Paris Geneva Hr 55,- 92,- One way Hr GERMANY From To Estimated Time Estimated Costs Train Min Max Min Max Dusseldorf Berlin 4 Hr - 88,- 100,- One way Dusseldorf Munich 5Hr - 99,- 130,- One way Dusseldorf Frankfurt 2Hr - 48,- 73,- One way TRAVELING IN EUROPE - SUMMER Updated August 31,

9 You have quite a few tools to help you figure it all out: HELP WITH BOOKING TRAIN TICKETS IN ADVANCE a) The website where everything is listed: b) The Q and A that is listed below c) The web demo link: d) A travel app for your iphone or other electronic device: 1. Q: How do I know which city I should list as departing city when booking my train ticket? A: Check table below Travelling to Paris Prague Berlin Interlaaken Vienna Depart from central train station in Amsterdam, Rotterdam or Maastricht Arnhem Arnhem Venlo Venlo 2. Q: How do I know how long it takes to travel from the castle to one of the cities mentioned in the list above? A: Check List (below). Always check the Dutch railway company website ( ahead of time to see if construction work or accidents have created extra travel time. From the castle to Amsterdam Arnhem Venlo Rotterdam Maastricht Minimum Travel time to get there 2 hours 1 hour ½ hour 3½ hours 2½ hours 3. Q: So, I think it s smart to let Hi speed.nl mail my tickets to the castle. Is this service available? A. Yes, Fill in your name in combination with the following address: (Your Name) Kasteel Well Kasteellaan AE Well (LB) The Netherlands 4. Q: How can I search for cheap fares? a) Check several different departing points and travel times for price differences. b) If you are booking early, check the discount fares and promotional fees, labeled in green and orange on the Hispeed Calendar. The discount fares are often much cheaper than the mid-flex and high-flex tickets. The calendar will appear on the screen after you have searched once for a specific date, so don t panic if you don t see it straight away 5. Q: I have checked the website and this Q and A extensively and I still have a question that I think would be useful for this Q and A. Can I contact OSA for help? A: Sure, send your to osa_castle@emerson.edu and we ll do our best to help you. A. BOOKING TICKETS ONLINE HOW TO BOOK INTERNATIONAL TRAIN TICKETS TRAVELING IN EUROPE - SUMMER Updated August 31,

10 Booking online offers many benefits - No reservation fees and you can make reservations any time that suits you. Payment also takes place safely and quickly by credit card (VISA/MasterCard or Eurocard). HOW TO GET HOLD OF YOUR TICKET: 1. The ticket collection machine At the large NS stations in Schiphol, Utrecht, Amsterdam, The Hague, Rotterdam and Arnhem, you will find a ticket collection machine where you can collect the tickets you reserved online. Please note: the machines are located in the Ticket & Service shops and are only accessible during the shops opening hours. 2. Print your ticket at home Tickets to Belgium and Germany can be bought online and then be printed at home. This is very useful if you would like to depart today or tomorrow from any station in the Netherlands! Please take into account that you have to be able to show your identity document during the ticket control process at the station. 3. Have your ticket sent to your home If you have sufficient time to do so, you may opt to have your ticket(s) sent to you. Any address in the Netherlands may be used for this purpose. This means you do not even have to leave your house! Please visit this website for an explanation of the different types of trains you can travel throughout Europe: B. BOOKING TICKETS BY PHONE TeleSales NS International To make a reservation by telephone within the Netherlands, you can call TeleSales NS International at ( 0.35/minute). The reservation fee is at least 5 for each reservation (and can run as high as 14.) Please note that you cannot dial 0900 numbers on Skype, you will have to use the castle pay phone or your cell phone to make the reservation. Ticket receipt After making your reservation by telephone, you can collect your ticket at the ticket collection machine at the stations in Arnhem or Amsterdam, Schiphol Airport, Rotterdam, The Hague or Utrecht Central, or else have them sent to you to any postal address in the Netherlands. Payment Payment of tickets that have been reserved by telephone can take place in two ways: 1. You make the payment via Telesales (and then collect the ticket(s) from a machine or have them sent to your home), 2. Pay at an NS service desk and then receive your ticket(s) from the service desk employee. Opening hours TeleSales TeleSales NS Hispeed is available during the following hours: Monday to Friday: from 08h00 to 21h00 (8am 9pm) On Saturday: from 10h00 to 18h00 (10am 6pm) *The Internet Support Desk is also available on Sundays to assist you with your online booking, but they will not be able to make your reservation for you. Processing time payment After receipt of your payment, tickets can be sent to any address in the Netherlands. If you pay by credit card, please take into account the time required for processing the payment, which is approximately four working days. A bank transfer usually takes a little longer still. TRAIN STATIONS NEAR THE CASTLE OPEN HOURS Venlo: Opening times NS-service point Day From To: Monday 06:45 20:00 (8:00 pm) Tuesday 06:45 20:00 Wednesday 06:45 20:00 Thursday 06:45 20:00 Friday 06:45 20:00 Opening times NS-service point Day From To: Saturday 06:45 20:00 Sunday 06:45 20:00 Nijmegen: Opening times NS-service point Day From To: Monday 07:00 22:00 (10:00 pm) Tuesday 07:00 22:00 TRAVELING IN EUROPE - SUMMER Updated August 31,

11 Opening times NS-service point Day From To: Wednesday 07:00 22:00 Thursday 07:00 22:00 Friday 07:00 22:00 Opening times NS-service point Day From To: Saturday 08:00 22:00 Sunday 08:00 22:00 PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION IN THE NETHERLANDS The OV-Chipkaart smart card is the only means of payment (besides cash) for public transportation in the Netherlands. It can be used on all trains, buses, subways and trams. The OV Chipkaart is similar to Boston s Charlie Card except that you must swipe the OV Chipkaart on your way IN AND ON YOUR WAY OUT of public transportation. During Orientation weekend the Castle staff will explain the ins and outs of the OV-Chipkaart, the public transportation card similar to Boston s Charlie card. It is a complicated system and castle staff will inform you about card use and purchase. Download the information brochure 'Travelling with the OV-chipkaart' (pdf) These sites are Recommended By Former Castle Students: Ryan Air Easy Jet Sky Scanner Wizz Air (flights to Budapest, Buchaarest and Katawice) Verstraaten Transportation Company - Taxi Cox Youth Hostels, Apartments, Hotels and Couch Surfing Hotels Close to the Castle for Family/Friends that want to visit you Grote Waaij Hotel-Auberge in Well - La Belle Meuse Bed & Breakfast in Well - Hostellerie De Hamert (4-star hotel) Het Vijf Sterrenhofje Bed & Breakfast d.l.baaima@home.nl TRAVELING IN EUROPE - SUMMER Updated August 31,

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