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Voykit pocket guide · Netherlands
's-Hertogenbosch
Den Bosch
Give Den Bosch one full day and one night: the cathedral, a Binnendieze boat and the Korte Putstraat for dinner. Two nights only if you add the museums.
Den Bosch is the capital of North Brabant and a compact medieval city, 1 h from Amsterdam and 30 min from Eindhoven by direct train. The old centre inside the walls is walkable in a morning; the reason to stay the night is the food street and the underground canal boats. It works as a day trip, but a single night is better value than the return ticket.
- Country
- Netherlands
- Local name
- Den Bosch
- Best months
- Apr–Jun, Sep
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug crowds on market days; late Dec
- Stay
- 1–2 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 €60–90 excl. bed · Mid €100–150 excl. bed · High €180+ 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
- 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 |
| Bossche Bol (pastry) | €3–4.50 |
| Lunch main | €10–16 |
| Dinner main, mid-range | €18–26 |
| Draught beer | €3–5 |
| Train Den Bosch → Amsterdam | €20–23 |
| Museum entry | €10–18 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- AMS · Amsterdam Airport Schiphol
- Direct train to Den Bosch, about 1 h 30 min
- EIN · Eindhoven Airport
- Bus to Eindhoven station, then train, about 50 min total
Typical fares
- Train Schiphol → Den Bosch
- about €18–20, about 1 h 30 min (check)
- Train Eindhoven Airport → Den Bosch
- about €6–8, about 50 min (check)
- Taxi station → Markt
- €10–15
Get around
The centre is car-free in practice and everything inside the walls is a 5–20 min walk. A free electric city bus links the station to the centre. Bikes are the local default and rental shops are near the station. Regional buses and trains leave from the central station.
See and do
Known for
- Saint John's Cathedral
- Binnendieze canal boats
- Jheronimus Bosch
- Korte Putstraat restaurants
- Bossche Bol
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Efteling theme park | Train to Tilburg, then bus 300 or 301 | About 1 h |
| Eindhoven | Direct Intercity train | About 30 min |
| Breda | Direct train toward Roosendaal | About 40 min |
| Tilburg | Direct train | About 25 min |
| Helmond | Train via Eindhoven | About 50 min |
| Bergen op Zoom | Train via Roosendaal | About 1 h 30 min |
Sleep
- Binnenstad (inside the walls)
- Everything on foot; book early for weekends, prices are the highest here.
- Around the station
- Cheaper hotels, 10–15 min walk to the Markt; best for a one-night stop.
- Rosmalen and the A2 edge
- Free or cheap parking and chain hotels; you need a car or a bus.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | Hallohah-loh |
| Thank you | Dank je weldahnk yuh vel |
| Please | Alstublieftals-tuh-bleeft |
| How much is it? | Hoeveel kost het?hoo-fale kost hut |
| Can I pay by card? | Kan ik met de kaart betalen?kan ik met duh kaart buh-tah-lun |
| Where is the toilet? | Waar is het toilet?vaar is hut 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
- Parking garages in the centre fill on Saturdays and Thursday evenings; use a park-and-ride outside the walls.
- Binnendieze boat trips sell out on weekends and in summer: book a time slot before you arrive.
- Some Korte Putstraat terraces have no posted prices for drinks; ask before you sit.
- Market days close parts of the Markt to traffic and change bus stops.
A calm, well-lit small city; the real risks are bikes on the pavements, pickpockets on Saturday market days and unlit canal edges after dark.
One and two days
No timed day plan for 's-Hertogenbosch yet. Suggested stay: 1–2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Saint John's Cathedral
- Binnendieze canal boats
- Jheronimus Bosch
- Korte Putstraat restaurants
- Bossche Bol
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Municipality of 's-Hertogenbosch: www.s-hertogenbosch.nl/
- Visit Brabant: www.visitbrabant.com/en
- NS (Dutch Railways): www.ns.nl/en
- Wikivoyage: 's-Hertogenbosch, revision 5329729 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5329729
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
's-HertogenboschDen Bosch
Naar dit adres, alstublieft
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- Police, fire, ambulance112
No embassies here; most are in The Hague, some consulates in Amsterdam. Check your own country's list.
112 works from any phone, including foreign SIMs.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/s-hertogenbosch). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.