Getting Around 's-Hertogenbosch
's-Hertogenbosch — known to locals as Den Bosch — is a compact, flat city where the historic centre is easily explored on foot or by bicycle. Public transport is well organised around the main railway station, which sits right on the edge of the city centre, so arriving by train puts you within easy walking distance of the main sights.
On Foot
Walking is the simplest way to cover the city centre. Everything within the centre is reachable on foot, and sidewalks are found everywhere in the city, including the suburbs. Much of the centre is reserved for pedestrians and cyclists only, and traffic within the city is restricted, which makes strolling around pleasant and safe.
By Bicycle
As in the rest of the Netherlands, the bicycle is arguably the best means of transportation here. The city is rather flat and bike friendly, and the traffic restrictions in the centre work in cyclists' favour.
Train
Den Bosch occupies a good position within the Dutch railway network, and almost every city has a direct connection or a connection with a single stopover. Trains depart from the main station in the city centre, located at the Stationsweg, in several directions: north towards Utrecht, Amsterdam and Haarlem, and towards Utrecht and Schiphol; east towards Nijmegen, Arnhem and Zwolle; south towards Eindhoven and Maastricht; and west towards Tilburg, Breda and Roosendaal. Because the station is so central, you can step off a train and be in the heart of town almost immediately.
Buses and Local Public Transport
There is a free electric city bus that runs between the central railway station and the city centre and back — a handy option if you'd rather not walk. For the suburbs and surrounding places, Arriva operates a network of buses. All buses arrive at and depart from the central station, though for some lines the station is not a terminus. Fares on these buses are charged by zone, with a minimum purchase of two zones, and you can either pay cash to the driver or use an OV-chipkaart. Since all the main points of interest lie within the city centre, you may not need the suburban buses at all.
Regional buses, operated by BBA, link Den Bosch with Tilburg and Eindhoven. These are regional services that stop at several small villages along the way rather than running directly between the cities, so the train is the faster and more advisable choice for those journeys.
Taxis and Ride-Hailing
Taxis in the Netherlands are relatively expensive but typically reliable, and they can be good value if you are travelling as a small group. You'll find taxis in front of the train station, and they are also available on call. Local companies include Taxi TCO and Taxi de Hart, and they will also offer transportation services to other cities or towns in the region. Within the city, taxis work by meter, while fixed prices are available for longer trips — for example, to Eindhoven Airport or Schiphol.
By Car
The city council is working to make the centre car free and has introduced various measures to deter people from driving into it. Cars can still be parked in the centre, but the garages fill up on Saturdays and on Thursday evenings. Parking is also available just outside the city centre, and from there buses run frequently for only a few euros, including the bus trip. If you do drive, note that Den Bosch is accessible via the A2 highway, with the A59 providing a less busy alternative route; outside peak hours, roughly 07:00–09:00 and 16:30–19:30, the city is easily accessible by car.
Getting There from the Airport
Amsterdam Airport Schiphol is the largest airport in the Netherlands and one of Europe's most important intercontinental hubs. It is roughly an hour and a half from Den Bosch by train, with multiple connections per hour, and the full journey costs around €17.80. For the most convenient option, it's worth consulting a journey planner such as 9292.nl.
Eindhoven Airport, the country's second largest, sits in Brabant and is mainly served by low-fare carriers from many European cities, with a special emphasis on Eastern Europe and the Mediterranean. Reaching Den Bosch from Eindhoven is straightforward: take one of the many trains shuttling between the cities, which connect them in under twenty minutes, but first take a bus from the airport to Eindhoven station, adding another twenty minutes. Factoring in some walking and waiting, the total journey should not exceed about fifty minutes and costs only around €6.30 in total.
Rotterdam The Hague Airport is a smaller, business-focused airport in Rotterdam that can serve as an alternative to Schiphol from some destinations. It has no direct train connection, so you take the bus to Rotterdam Centraal and then a direct Intercity train to 's-Hertogenbosch. Total journey time is under two hours and the cost is less than €18.