By taxi
By taxi
Like elsewhere in the Netherlands taxis in Hilversum are quite expensive. The first 2 km will be around â¬7,50 with each additional kilometre â¬2,20. A 10-minute ride from the centre to the outskirts will be around â¬14. Longer distances are more dramatic, a 35-minute drive to or from Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam will be around â¬85. Taxis are generally available at the main railway station and at nighttime around the Groest. If you are elsewhere, you will need to call the taxi company to pick you up. There are 2 different cab companies servicing Hilversum, which generally only accept cash:
By car
By car
The road network of Hilversum is an absolute nightmare with its one-way roads, congestion and limited parking space. The roads and directions often change, which make old maps unreliable. The roads are basically designed as a double ring system. The outer ring around the city features two-way traffic, while the inner ring around the centre only has one-way traffic. If you miss an exit, you will have to drive around the whole inner ring again for another try. It's best to avoid visiting Hilversum by car, but if you insist, signs in the inner ring show which of the following parking lots have space available:
City Parking
Gooiland Parking
Gooische Brink Parking
Q-Park Silverpoint
By car
Free parking options exist between the inner and the outer ring, but it's a 10 to 15 minutes walk to the centre. The closest free parking area is located at Wandelpad between the main railway station and the railway station Hilversum Sportpark, but be careful not to leave any valuables behind.
Car rental:
Europcar
On foot and bike
As nearly all stores, restaurants and bars are located in the centre, walking is a good way to get around Hilversum. From the main railway station, it's a short walk through the Leeuwenstraat to reach the centre and most of the sights. The streets in the centre are pretty much free of cars and bicycles, except for the Groest on which bicycles and a limited number of cars are allowed.
The outlying forests have pedestrian trails available as well, but the vast distances make them more suitable for biking. Hilversum is probably one of the safest towns to explore by bike, as all the larger roads have designated biking paths, which can be recognised by the reddish-purple colour. Bikers can follow the specific signs with a white background and red letters.
Bike rentals:
Fietspoint
Kiosk Sportpark
Kiosk Hilversum Noord
By bus
Connexxion (http://www.connexxion.nl) offers bus connections from Hilversum's main railway station to the surroundings. You can plan your trip door-to-door using 9292ov.nl (http://www.9292ov.nl), though results vary. Especially in the evening, buses run infrequently and, for close destinations, walking is often faster than waiting for the bus to arrive. Bus transportation can best be used if you want to visit sights in the outskirts, or the surrounding villages. Fares are â¬2 per zone.