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Voykit pocket guide · Netherlands
Delfzijl
Skip as a base: see the harbour and Waterpoort on a half-day from Groningen, or come for DelfSail (every 5 years) or the August Havendagen.
Delfzijl is a working harbour town of about 20,000 people on the Ems estuary, 37 minutes by train from Groningen. It has a small, walkable centre, a sea promenade, a tiny beach and a ferry link to Germany in summer. Outside the DelfSail and Havendagen events there is little to hold you for more than a night, and most travellers treat it as a half-day or a stop on the way to Eemshaven or Borkum.
- Country
- Netherlands
- Best months
- May–Sep
- Avoid
- Nov–Feb (wind, rain, few openings)
- Stay
- 0–1 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- EUR
- Money
- Currency is the euro (EUR). Cards dominate; some shops and cafés are card-only and a few supermarkets accept debit cards but not all credit cards, so carry both.
- Daily spend
- Budget €45–70 excl. bed · Mid €70–110 excl. bed · High €110+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- KPN, Vodafone and Odido run the networks; Lebara and Lyca sell cheap prepaid SIMs in supermarkets and at Schiphol.
- Emergency
- Police, fire, ambulance 112 · Police non-urgent 0900-8844
- Plugs
- Types C, F · 230 V · 50 Hz · Standard continental two-pin; UK and US plugs need adapters.
- Tipping
- Café: Round up.; Restaurant: 5–10% for good service; tell the server the total when paying by card.; Taxi: Round up.; Hotel: Not expected.
- Water
- Tap water is among the best in Europe; restaurants may charge for it, so ask.
- Toilets
- Stations charge about €0.70–1; cafés expect you to buy something; free urinals (and a few public toilets) in city centres.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | €2.50–4 |
| Lunch main (soup, sandwich, uitsmijter) | €8–15 |
| Dinner main course | €18–30 |
| Beer: café / supermarket | €3–4.50 / €1–1.50 |
| Train Delfzijl → Groningen, one way | €6.80 (check) |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | €8–20 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- GRQ · Groningen Airport Eelde
- About 45 min by road; limited routes — most travellers fly into Amsterdam or Bremen and continue by train.
- AMS · Amsterdam Schiphol
- Train to Groningen about 2 h 10 min, then Arriva to Delfzijl about 37 min.
Typical fares
- Train Delfzijl → Groningen
- about €6.80, 37 min (check)
- Taxi across town
- €10–15
- Summer ferry Delfzijl → Borkum
- foot passenger, about €25 one way (check)
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
The centre and harbour are small enough to walk in 20–30 minutes end to end. There is no regular bike rental in town — ask at the tourist office. Trains run to Groningen roughly every 30 minutes and stop at Delfzijl West as well as the central station. Buses reach Appingedam, Winschoten, Uithuizen and villages in the area.
See and do
Known for
- DelfSail tall-ships festival (every 5 years)
- Havendagen harbour days in late August
- Waterpoort of 1833
- Ems estuary and sea promenade
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Groningen | Arriva train from Delfzijl station, about every 30 min | About 40 min |
| Appingedam | Train toward Groningen, a few stops, or bus | About 15 min |
| Bourtange | Train to Winschoten, then bus; check connections | 1.5–2 h |
| Borkum (Germany) | Summer ferry from the harbour, cars carried | About 1 h 15 min crossing |
| Oldambt | Train to Winschoten, then bus or bike | About 45 min |
Sleep
- Town centre (around Landstraat and Singel)
- Walkable to the station, shops and the Waterpoort; the practical choice for one night.
- Harbour and sea front (Zeebadweg, Handelskade)
- Water views and the promenade; a 10–15 min walk from the station.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | HalloHAH-loh |
| Thank you | Dank je weldahnk yuh vel |
| Do you speak English? | Spreekt u Engels?spraykt u ENG-els |
| One ticket to Groningen, please | Een kaartje naar Groningen, alstublieftun KART-yuh naar KHRO-ning-un |
| How much is it? | Hoeveel kost het?hoo-VAYL kost ut |
| Where is the harbour? | Waar is de haven?vaar is duh HAH-vun |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Firm handshake with eye contact; three cheek kisses among friends; avoid: Hugging new acquaintances
- Directness: Say what you mean; expect honest, blunt answers; avoid: Taking bluntness as rudeness
- Punctuality: Be on time; diaries plan weeks ahead; avoid: Dropping in unannounced
- Money: Split bills; pay your share; avoid: Showing off wealth
- Homes: Bring flowers or a small gift; congratulate everyone at a birthday; avoid: Expecting dinner if invited for coffee
Scams and watch-outs
- The town is industrial and exposed: wind and rain off the Ems make it feel colder than inland Groningen.
- Many restaurants and sights have limited hours outside summer; check before you travel.
- DelfSail runs only once every five years and fills every bed for miles — book months ahead or stay in Groningen.
- The summer ferry to Borkum and Ditzum does not run all year; confirm the timetable before planning around it.
Delfzijl is a quiet, low-crime town; the real issues are wind, rain and thin late-night options. Standard Dutch rules apply — bikes have priority, and 112 is the emergency number.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Delfzijl yet. Suggested stay: 0–1 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- DelfSail tall-ships festival (every 5 years)
- Havendagen harbour days in late August
- Waterpoort of 1833
- Ems estuary and sea promenade
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Visit Groningen — Delfzijl: www.visitgroningen.nl/en
- NS — Delfzijl station information: www.ns.nl/en/stationsinformatie/dz/delfzijl
- Arriva Netherlands: www.arriva.nl/
- Wikivoyage: Delfzijl, revision 4716311 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=4716311
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Delfzijl
Naar dit adres, alstublieft
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassies in Delfzijl; most are in The Hague, with consulates in Amsterdam and Groningen for some countries.
Tourist office (VVV) at J. van den Kornputplein 1a, by the station — check current hours.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/delfzijl). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.