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Voykit pocket guide · Netherlands
Maastricht
Mestreech
Give Maastricht 2 nights: one full day for the old centre and one for the caves or a hill-country ride; skip it only if you have under 24 hours.
Maastricht is the southernmost city in the Netherlands and the capital of Limburg, about 122,000 people, split by the river Maas. The old centre is compact and walkable, the food is heavier and more southern than Amsterdam's, and Belgium is a short walk or bus ride away. Two nights covers the centre, the basilicas and one day out into the hills.
- Country
- Netherlands
- Local name
- Mestreech
- Best months
- Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct
- Avoid
- Carnival week if you want quiet; late Jul–Aug for heat and crowds
- Stay
- 2 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 €55–85 excl. bed · Mid €90–150 excl. bed · High €160+ 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, sandwich or soup | €8–15 |
| Main course in a mid-range restaurant | €18–28 |
| Beer: draught in a café / supermarket can | €3–5 / €1–2 |
| 5 km (3.1 mi) taxi3.1 mi (5 km) taxi | €15–20 |
| Bus ride in the city | €2–4 |
| Museum entry | €7.50–18 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- MST · Maastricht Aachen Airport
- Small; limited and mostly seasonal routes. Bus 59 links it with Maastricht station, about €4.50.
- AMS · Amsterdam Schiphol
- Main long-haul gateway; about 2 h 30 min to Maastricht by train with one change.
- BRU · Brussels Airport
- Good alternative; train needs changes in Brussels and Liège, roughly 2–3 h.
- DUS · Düsseldorf Airport
- About 70 min by road; train about 2 h 30 min, or a DB bus from Düsseldorf central bus station in about 1 h 30 min.
Typical fares
- Maastricht station → Maastricht Aachen Airport, bus 59
- about €4.50
- Train Maastricht → Amsterdam Centraal
- about €28.70 one way, 2 h 26 min
- Train Maastricht → Valkenburg
- about €4, 20–30 min door to door (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
Walk: the centre is small and pedestrian-only in parts. Bike: hire shops in town, and Arriva's share bikes cost €1 for the first 20 minutes then €0.05 a minute, capped at €9 a day. Bus: the Stadsbus network covers the city; an OV-chipkaart costs €7.50 and is cheaper per ride than a ticket from the driver. Train: four trains an hour between Maastricht Centraal and Randwyck, about €2.20. Car: painful in the centre — parking runs about €2.60 an hour with a 2-hour cap, so use a P+R or an edge car park.
See and do
Known for
- Vrijthof square and St Servaas Basilica
- Bonnefantenmuseum
- Carnival before Lent
- Burgundian food and cafés
- Caves and hill country of South Limburg
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Valkenburg aan de Geul | Local train from Maastricht Centraal, four an hour | About 20–30 min |
| Heerlen | Local train, four an hour | About 30–40 min |
| Aachen, Germany | Bus 350 every 15 min, or train via Herzogenrath | About 1 h by bus |
| Liège, Belgium | Train RE18 toward Liège-Guillemins | About 1 h (check) |
| Gulpen and Epen | Bus into the hill country | About 45–60 min |
| Kerkrade | Local train via Heerlen | About 45–55 min |
Sleep
- Binnenstad (old centre)
- Vrijthof, Markt and the shopping streets on foot; priciest and noisiest on Carnival and event weekends.
- Wyck
- East bank by Maastricht station; 5–10 min walk over St Servaas bridge to the centre, good for train arrivals.
- Céramique
- Modern quarter by the Bonnefantenmuseum and Centre Céramique; quieter, 15–20 min walk to the Markt.
- Randwyck
- South, around the second station and the university campus; cheaper, 4 trains an hour to Centraal.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | Hallohah-loh |
| Thank you | Dank u weldahnk oo vel |
| Please | Alstublieftals-too-bleeft |
| How much is it? | Hoeveel kost het?hoo-vale kost het |
| Can I pay by card? | Kan ik met kaart betalen?kan ik met kaart buh-tah-lun |
| Where is the toilet? | Waar is het toilet?vaar is het twah-let |
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
- Most of the centre is pedestrian-only and roadworks are common: park at the edge and walk or bus in.
- Parking in the centre is about €2.60 an hour with a 2-hour maximum per ticket.
- Carnival before Lent fills the city and prices rise: book weeks ahead or avoid the dates.
- Buy your train ticket before boarding; on-board sales are not possible and the fine is about €35.
- Cave tours under St Pietersberg: check whether a guide is required before you go.
A safe, walkable city. The real risks are pickpockets around the Markt and station, bikes on the cobbles, and the riverbank after dark; the centre is fine on foot at night.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Maastricht yet. Suggested stay: 2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Vrijthof square and St Servaas Basilica
- Bonnefantenmuseum
- Carnival before Lent
- Burgundian food and cafés
- Caves and hill country of South Limburg
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- VVV Maastricht (local tourist office): www.vvvmaastricht.nl/
- City of Maastricht: www.maastricht.nl/
- Maastricht Aachen Airport: www.maa.nl/
- NS (Dutch Railways): www.ns.nl/en
- Bonnefantenmuseum: www.bonnefanten.nl/en/
- Basilica of Saint Servatius: www.sintservaas.nl/
- Wikivoyage: Maastricht, revision 5279889 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5279889
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
MaastrichtMestreech
Naar dit adres, alstublieft
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No US or UK embassy in Maastricht; embassies are in The Hague and consulates-general in Amsterdam or Rotterdam. Check before you travel.
VVV tourist office at Kleine Staat 1 in the centre for maps and local advice.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/maastricht). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.