Getting Around Leeuwarden
Leeuwarden is the capital of Friesland and its main transport hub, but the practical reality for a visitor is simple: the historic centre is compact and best explored on foot, while trains and buses handle everything beyond it. This guide covers the modes you'll actually use, how they connect, and how to pay for them.
Walking the City Centre
As with all old Dutch city centres, Leeuwarden's historic core is compact and can easily be explored on foot. The main railway station, Leeuwarden Centraal, sits within walking distance of the centre, so you can step off a train and be among the sights shortly afterwards.
If you'd rather follow a route than wander, the local tourist information centre (VVV) offers a number of walking and biking routes designed to help you catch all the major sights.
Cycling
Cycling is an excellent way to discover both the city and the surrounding natural areas. You don't need to bring a bike: Fietspoint Leeuwarden, at the train station, rents out bikes for around €7.50 per day. Fietsstation 058 on Schrans rents regular geared bicycles and fast e-bikes, and the Van der Valk Hotel Leeuwarden offers the same options — available to non-guests as well.
Parking a bike is straightforward. Central Station offers free bicycle parking for the first 24 hours. For longer or more secure storage, there is guarded parking for bicycles, mopeds and scooters at Zaailand and Sint Jacobsstraat, free for the first seven days, with minor repairs available and lockers for rent. Holders of an OV-chipkaart can also rent an OV-fiets at the station.
Train
Leeuwarden Centraal is the main railway hub of Friesland and the anchor of the city's public transport. All trains to Leeuwarden terminate there, so you never need to worry about passing through.
Intercity services connect Leeuwarden directly to Amsterdam and to Schiphol Airport, with direct connections once per hour and additional options involving a transfer in either Zwolle or Almere. For Amsterdam Central Station specifically, you must transfer at Lelystad or Almere Centrum. Direct train connections also run to Utrecht, Groningen, Heerenveen, Franeker and Harlingen. Harlingen is the jumping-off point for ferries to the islands of Vlieland and Terschelling. The station is served by NS Intercity trains several times per hour, and there is a direct Arriva train connection to Groningen.
There is no metro or tram network in Leeuwarden — the city's rail and urban transit needs are met by trains and buses.
Buses
All city bus lines depart from the bus station, which is next to the train station. The bus station is divided into a covered part for local city lines and a separate part for regional lines. City lines are operated by Connexxion, with smaller buses under the name "Maxx" used on some lines. Regional lines, which run to and from villages and cities in the area, are operated by Qbuzz; Arriva also operates bus services. Together these buses serve the city and surrounding towns, including Franeker, Heerenveen, Sneek and Harlingen, as well as villages along the way. Journeys by bus typically take longer than the same trips by train.
For departure information, consult Arriva, Qbuzz, or the 9292.nl journey planner.
Tickets and Payment
The easiest way to pay is OVpay, which allows check-in and check-out with a debit or credit card on both train and bus — no need to buy a single ticket in advance. If you hold an OV-chipkaart, you can use it across the network and also rent an OV-fiets at the station.
Taxis and Ride-Hailing
Taxis are available in front of the station, making the railway station the most reliable place to pick one up.
Driving and Parking
If you arrive by car, parking garages in the city include Zaailand, Klanderij, Oldehove, Hoeksterend and Oosterstraat, all with exits available 24 hours a day. Signs on the city entry roads indicate garage availability and alternatives, and staff are present on site; the garages also offer toilet facilities and strollers for rent.
For longer stays, P+R sites are a practical option: Kalverdijkje on the eastern city ring (free), WTC-Expo on the western city ring (€4.00 per day), and one behind Central Station (maximum €5.45 per day). All are marked with ANWB signs.
Getting There from the Airport
The nearest airport is Groningen Airport Eelde, a small airport with scheduled international flights from Copenhagen, London (Southend) and Gdansk, as well as flights to holiday destinations in Southern Europe. From the airport, take bus 2 or 100 towards Groningen station (20–35 minutes); from there, a direct train runs to Leeuwarden three times per hour, taking about 35 minutes.
From the much larger Schiphol Airport near Amsterdam, the direct train to Leeuwarden takes approximately 2 hours 15 minutes. This is the simplest airport-to-city connection for most international visitors.