Photo by Robin Mathlener on Unsplash
Venue: Groningen, The Netherlands
Quick Links
Location
DisCoTec 2024 will take place at the Bernoulliborg (Bernoulli building), one of the main buildings in the Zernike Campus of the University of Groningen.
- Address: Nijenborgh 9, 9747 AG Groningen (Bus stop: Nijenborg)
- Detailed information on how to reach the Bernoulliborg: read here
Laurensvanheerde, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
About Groningen
Photo by Rick van Houten on Unsplash
The city of Groningen is the capital of the province of Groningen, the most north eastern province of the Netherlands. The largest urban center in the area (230000 people), Groningen is a relatively undiscovered and unspoiled part of the Netherlands that has kept most of its authenticity.
Groningen is one of the happiest cities in Europe, and happiest small city in the Netherlands, scoring in the top five European cities for quality of life, education, public domain, health care and air quality. Students comprise an estimated 25% of its total population and makes it the country’s demographically youngest city.
Groningen offers plenty of options for visitors. Please see here for (official) touristic information.
The University of Groningen
Founded in 1614, the University of Groningen comprises 11 faculties, including the Faculty of Science of Engineering, which hosts the Bernoulli Institute for Mathematics, Computer Science, and Artificial Intelligence.
The university employs 6,400 fte staff (including University Medical Center Groningen, UMCG) (25% international) from more than 120 nationalities (see more facts and figures).
How to Arrive
We strongly encourage DisCoTec participants to consider sustainable options for arriving to Groningen.
Travel by Air
The simplest option is to travel to Schiphol International Airport (Amsterdam, AMS) and then connect to Groningen by train.
Once at Schiphol, the underground train station is within walking distance of the luggage claim areas. The Dutch railway company (NS) is easy to recognize with its yellow and blue colors - just follow the illuminated signs that direct ‘to trains’.
Groningen can also be reached by traveling to Groningen Airport Eelde (GRQ), which covers a few seasonal destinations (see more information here).
Travel by Train
Schedules
The train connection from Schiphol Airport (and Amsterdam Central Station) takes approximately two hours, with connections every 30 minutes. The trains are comfortable; most of them offer free WiFi in all classes and 220V AC outlets in first class. Food and drinks are not sold on the trains.
Further information on travelling by train is available on the NS website. The NS app offers up-to-date information on delays and disruptions. For international train connections from/to Groningen, please visit NS International.
Tickets
We recommend purchasing your train tickets online at the NS website.
Alternatively, you can purchase a single-use chip card (this is your train ticket) at the yellow and blue vending machines that you will find at Schiphol or at the ticket counter.
You can purchase tickets from the machines only by using your Credit Card or a Debit Card with the Maestro logo. Important: the vending machines do not accept Credit Cards or American Debit Cards.
If you use a single-use chip card or OV-chipkaart please make sure you check in and out; hold your OV-chipkaart up against the NS card reader in one of the gates or free-standing posts.
Moving around by bike
Moving around Groningen by bike is an excellent alternative. The NS offers a very convenient alternative for bicycle renting; see here for details. Always make sure to know and follow the cycling rules in the Netherlands.
Travel by Car
We discourage arriving to Groningen by car. Serious traffic disruptions are expected due to major construction works in the roads surrounding Groningen.
Planning your journey in the Netherlands
The website/app 9292.nl is a very useful tool for planning your journey in the Netherlands.
The planner combines all available public transportation (trains, buses, trams, metro, and boats) to provide an optimal route. It also informs you real-time about the current delays and disruptions in public transportation.
Accommodation
We strongly recommend booking a room as soon as possible: mid June is a busy period in the Groningen area.
For more details, please see the accommodation page.
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