Eindhoven has no tram and no metro. Inside the city you travel by bus, by bike, or on foot. For longer distances there is the train from Eindhoven Centraal. The airport has no railway station of its own: buses 400 and 401 link the airport with the central station.
1. Getting around the city
The city and regional buses in Eindhoven are run by Hermes, under the name Bravo. Almost all lines meet at the bus station on the north side of Eindhoven Centraal, called Busstation Neckerspoel. From there buses run to the neighbourhoods, to Strijp-S, to the High Tech Campus, and to nearby towns such as Veldhoven, Nuenen and Geldrop.
Eindhoven has no tram and no metro. Anyone used to trams from Amsterdam, Rotterdam or The Hague should not look for a tram stop here. The bus is the city's public transport.
The bicycle belongs to Eindhoven as much as the bus does. The city has an extensive network of cycle paths, and many residents cycle to work, school or the station. Much of the centre is walkable: the station, the Markt, the shopping streets and the Philips Stadion are close together. Bikes can be hired from bike shops in the city, and an OV-fiets rental bike is available at larger stations.
Taxis wait at the station and at the airport. For short trips in the city, bus, bike or walking are usually faster, because parking in the centre is limited.
2. Getting to and from the city
Eindhoven Centraal is the region's main station. The station, built in 1956 and designed by Koen van der Gaast, opens on the south side directly onto the centre and on the north side onto the bus station. NS Intercity trains link Eindhoven with Utrecht and Amsterdam, with The Hague via Tilburg and Breda, and with Maastricht, Venlo and Heerlen. It is the busiest station outside the Randstad.
Eindhoven has two other stations. Eindhoven Strijp-S station stands next to the former Philips site of Strijp-S and is served by regional trains. The station is reached by stairs only. Eindhoven Stadion station, next to the Philips Stadion, is served only during football matches or other large events at the stadium. On an ordinary day no trains stop there, so do not count on it.
Eindhoven Airport lies west of the city, towards Meerhoven, and has no railway station. The bus is the link with the city. According to Hermes, bus 400 runs as the Airport Shuttle between the airport and Eindhoven Centraal and stops on the way only at WoensXL. Bus 401 runs the same route but stops at all stops on the way, including Strijp-S and the Philips Stadion. At the airport the bus stop is in parking garage P1. At Meerhoven there is a P+R, where you can leave the car and continue by bus.
By car, Eindhoven is reached via the motorways around the city, including the A2. In the centre itself the car is often inconvenient: parking is limited and expensive, and many destinations are within walking or cycling distance of each other.
3. Commuting in general terms
Most commuters in Eindhoven combine bike, bus and train. Those who live close to work cycle. Those who live further away take the train to Eindhoven Centraal or Strijp-S and change there to bus or bike. The High Tech Campus and other business parks at the edge of the city are served by buses from the central station.
At rush hour, bus and train are at their busiest, as elsewhere in the Netherlands. The centre itself is compact: anyone working in or near the centre can do much on foot. At rush hour, cycling is often the fastest way through the city, because cyclists do not sit in car traffic.
4. What a newcomer needs to know first
Always check in and out. Public transport throughout the Netherlands works by checking in and out: hold your OV-chipkaart, your new OV-pas, or your contactless bank card or phone against the reader when boarding and again when getting off. Use the same card or device to check in and out. On the bus the reader is next to the door; at the station the readers are at the gates or on the platform. Anyone changing from bus to train, or from one operator to another, must check in again.
Plan your journey in advance with the journey planner at 9292.nl, ns.nl or hermes.nl, and check the departure times for the day itself there. This page deliberately gives no timetable: times change, and the planner has the current times.
Mind the two sides of Eindhoven Centraal. The north side (Neckerspoel) is the bus station. The south side opens directly onto the centre, by the shopping streets. Anyone walking out on the wrong side ends up on the other side of the station building.
Note that Eindhoven Stadion is served only on match and event days, and that Strijp-S station is reached by stairs only. Anyone with limited mobility travels better via Eindhoven Centraal.
This page is general information about transport in Eindhoven. The site does not check timetables, prices or availability. Always check fares and times with the operator itself.