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Best station in Belgium or Germany near the Dutch border to start a journey?

  • 14 January 2024
  • 5 replies
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So here is the problem. I am planning to get an Interrail ticket for 2 months in a row. I want to make multiple trips starting from my home country, the Netherlands. The ticket only got 2 inbound/outbound journeys. So that is only for one trip.

 

For the other trips I would have to get a train ticket to a first station across the border, I learned today. For me it is also an option to drive to a station close to the border in Belgium (or Germany), park my car there, to start a journey at that station. That is often cheaper than getting a ticket for the first station abroad. For example, I start my journey in Essen (Belgium). The first station in Belgium on the Roosendaal to Antwerp line. It is a 125 km return drive for me, so roughly 20 euro in costs with the car. With public transport it would be 35 euro return.


This is the starting point of my journey in the Netherlands, by car or public transport. My question for the community: does someone have experience with the same "problem”? If yes, how did you deal with it? And does someone have experience with parking their car for a few days at a station in Belgium or Germany close to the Dutch border, which station would you recommend? 

 

 

 

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Best answer by rvdborgt 14 January 2024, 15:52

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This is the starting point of my journey in the Netherlands, by car or public transport. My question for the community: does someone have experience with the same "problem”? If yes, how did you deal with it? And does someone have experience with parking their car for a few days at a station in Belgium or Germany close to the Dutch border, which station would you recommend?

I don't have a car and just buy a ticket to the border or the first station after the border, whatever is cheaper. In this case, a ticket to the actual border is cheaper (= ). €35 does sound like a lot for the relatively short distance. Do you have any discount or subscription in the Netherlands? It also applies to this journey. E.g. Dal Voordeel or Weekend Voordeel. If you plan to travel on weekends a lot, then Weekend Vrij may be an option. You then wouldn't need any extra train tickets when travelling (except for Eurostar and night trains).

That being said, I believe the station car parking in Essen is free of charge. Noorderkempen has paid parking.

Please ask questions in the community and not via a private message. That's the quickest way to get a response. I don't work for Eurail/Interrail.
D

This is the starting point of my journey in the Netherlands, by car or public transport. My question for the community: does someone have experience with the same "problem”? If yes, how did you deal with it? And does someone have experience with parking their car for a few days at a station in Belgium or Germany close to the Dutch border, which station would you recommend?

I don't have a car and just buy a ticket to the border or the first station after the border, whatever is cheaper. In this case, a ticket to the actual border is cheaper (= ). €35 does sound like a lot for the relatively short distance. Do you have any discount or subscription in the Netherlands? It also applies to this journey. E.g. Dal Voordeel or Weekend Voordeel. If you plan to travel on weekends a lot, then Weekend Vrij may be an option. You then wouldn't need any extra train tickets when travelling (except for Eurostar and night trains).

 

I have a Dal Voordeel subscription by the time I am going to travel. However, when starting a journey, I often travel in the hours that the Dal Voordeel is not valid. Another question, how do you book a ticket to the virtual tariff border station?

R
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I have a Dal Voordeel subscription by the time I am going to travel. However, when starting a journey, I often travel in the hours that the Dal Voordeel is not valid. Another question, how do you book a ticket to the virtual tariff border station?

Like I explained in the other topic: You indicate "BahnCard 100” for journeys to Germany or "Free travel on the route in Belgium”. (Of het equivalent op de Nederlandse boekingspagina :)

Also take into account that for international journeys, you can travel with the discounted price all day, except for weekdays before 9:00, see this page.

Please ask questions in the community and not via a private message. That's the quickest way to get a response. I don't work for Eurail/Interrail.
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For Germany: i used Duisburg Hbf from region Eindhoven-Helmond. The connections in Venlo and Viersen are sometimes problematic. Duisburg is a busy ICE-station. A very straight Autobahn to Duisburg Hbf. You can park cheap in carpark Contipark City (15 min walk to Hbf) or more expensive near Hbf. You can park for free (west-side) near bahnhof Rheinhausen. Frequent regiotrains to Duisburg Hbf. 

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Krefeld might be a good option , easy to park short hop to Moenchengladbech 

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