The Hague / The verdict
The Hague: which airport or train route?
Amsterdam Schiphol (AMS) is the right gateway for almost everyone: a direct intercity runs from under the terminal to Den Haag Centraal in about 30 minutes for roughly 11 euros. Rotterdam The Hague Airport (RTM) is the quiet alternative when your route exists, and the long-distance train wins from London, Paris and Brussels.
By The Real Traveler Experiences team. We earn a commission if you book through our links. It never changes a verdict.
The The Hague story
The Hague is the Netherlands' buttoned-up coastal city: Vermeer's Girl with a Pearl Earring inside the Mauritshuis's walkable 17th-century palace, the Binnenhof's parliament buildings on their pond, the Peace Palace's world-court grandeur behind Carnegie gates, and then a proper seaside suburb at Scheveningen, pier, rebuilt boulevard, herring stands and all. Diplomats' restaurants line the elegant streets, and Madurodam packs the whole country into 1:25 scale with working trains and boats.
The verdict in 30 seconds
Our pick: Amsterdam Schiphol (AMS), then the direct train to Den Haag Centraal (runner-up: Rotterdam The Hague Airport (RTM), then bus 33 or metro line E)
Amsterdam Schiphol (AMS) is the right gateway for almost everyone: a direct intercity runs from under the terminal to Den Haag Centraal in about 30 minutes for roughly 11 euros. Rotterdam The Hague Airport (RTM) is the quiet alternative when your route exists, and the long-distance train wins from London, Paris and Brussels.
Go if
- international arrivals who want the simplest route to central The Hague
- London, Paris and Brussels travelers weighing Eurostar against flying
- southern European holiday departures weighing RTM against the Schiphol trek
Skip if
- you counted on Eindhoven Airport: it suspends all flights for runway works only for trips between February and mid-July 2027
- your flight lands after midnight and your hotel is not near Den Haag Centraal, where night trains still arrive
The options
Amsterdam Schiphol (AMS), then the direct train to Den Haag Centraal Go
almost every international and domestic arrival
Good
- direct intercity trains run from beneath the terminal to Den Haag Centraal in about 30 minutes, roughly every 15 minutes by day
- a second-class single e-ticket costs about 11 euros on the official fare planner
- Schiphol's route network dwarfs every Dutch alternative, so fares and times are usually better
- trains keep running into the night, so late arrivals still reach The Hague
Watch out
- Schiphol security and passport queues stretch at peak times; non-EU arrivals faced passport waits of up to two hours in summer 2026 under the new EES checks
- paper tickets carry a 1.60 euro surcharge; tapping in with a contactless card or phone avoids it
- the airport is 45 km away, so a taxi to The Hague is a serious fare, not a short hop
Schiphol AirportNS trains Schiphol to Den HaagPre-book a Schiphol pickuppartner site
Rotterdam The Hague Airport (RTM), then bus 33 or metro line E It depends
leisure flyers on Transavia or BA whose route lands at RTM, and anyone staying in the city's southeast
Good
- the terminal is compact: one arriving traveler walked from the plane through arrivals and straight out, without the long walks of Schiphol
- an RET two-hour ticket at 5 euros covers the bus or metro hop to the metro or Rotterdam Centraal
Watch out
- no train or metro stops at the terminal; every public-transport route starts with bus 33 or a bus to Meijersplein for metro line E
- getting to The Hague always means a second leg, so door to door it is rarely faster than the Schiphol train despite the shorter distance
- no intercontinental flights: connections beyond Europe still route through Schiphol
Rotterdam The Hague AirportRET bus 33 timetablePre-book an RTM pickuppartner site
Long-distance train into Den Haag Centraal or Hollands Spoor It depends
travelers starting in London, Paris, Brussels or elsewhere in the Netherlands
Good
- Eurostar serves Rotterdam Centraal in about 3 hours 13 from London and about 1 hour 10 from Brussels, then NS trains cover Rotterdam to Den Haag Centraal in roughly 20 to 25 minutes
- intercity trains link Amsterdam Centraal to The Hague in about 50 minutes and Rotterdam in about 25
- both Den Haag Centraal and Den Haag Hollands Spoor sit inside the centre, so arrival is walk-out
- no luggage fees, no airport security and a city-centre arrival beat a cheap flight on total door-to-door time
Watch out
- Eurostar does not stop in The Hague itself, so every journey includes a Rotterdam or Amsterdam change
- fares are dynamic and climb close to departure, especially on Eurostar
- two main stations confuse first-timers: most trains use Centraal, southern routes often use Hollands Spoor, so check which one your ticket shows
Eurostar to Rotterdam CentraalNS journey planner and tickets
Eindhoven or another regional airport It depends
a budget leisure fare outside the February to mid-July 2027 closure window
Good
- in normal years Eindhoven serves budget leisure routes
Watch out
- Eindhoven Airport suspends all flights for runway works from February to mid-July 2027, so it is out only for trips in that window
- Brussels or Dusseldorf airports add a long extra leg that cancels any fare saving for a Hague trip
- every regional alternative lands farther from The Hague than Schiphol or RTM
| Criterion | Amsterdam Schiphol (AMS), then the direct train to Den Haag Centraal | Rotterdam The Hague Airport (RTM), then bus 33 or metro line E | Long-distance train into Den Haag Centraal or Hollands Spoor | Eindhoven or another regional airport |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best for | almost every arrival, widest flight choice | European leisure routes on Transavia or BA | London, Paris, Brussels and Dutch departures | a budget fare outside the Feb to mid-Jul 2027 closure |
| Time to the centre | about 30 minutes direct | about 40 minutes with one change | about 20 minutes from Rotterdam Centraal | about 1 hour 45 by bus plus NS intercity (closed Feb to mid-Jul 2027) |
| Cheapest public link | NS single at about 11 euros | RET ticket at 5 euros | domestic NS fare by distance | bus 400 or 401 to Eindhoven Centraal, then NS fare (none during the closure) |
| Reach | a global hub with hundreds of routes | European routes only | rail links across Northwest Europe | budget leisure routes across Europe, mostly Transavia and Ryanair (closed Feb to mid-Jul 2027) |
| Watch out for | peak-hour security queues | no rail at the terminal; bus first | Eurostar ends at Rotterdam, not The Hague | runway closure Feb to mid-Jul 2027 |
| Late evening | trains run into the night | bus and metro thin out towards 23:00 | last onward NS trains run close to midnight | thin late options to the station (none during the closure) |
What it costs
- NS single Schiphol to Den Haag Centraal, second class e-ticket: €11.10 (paper tickets add a 1.60 euro surcharge; contactless tap-in and out avoids it). Official source, checked Oct 2026.
- RET two-hour ticket covering bus 33 or metro line E from RTM: €5 (flat ticket price since January 2025; OVpay tap-in prices the same hop at about 2 to 3 euros on distance). Official source, checked Oct 2026.
- Tourist Day Ticket covering HTM, RET, RandstadRail and Waterbus: €17.50 (one calendar day across all regional transport; useful when the RTM leg continues to the beach). Official source, checked Oct 2026.
- HTM The Hague day ticket for trams and buses: €8.60 (2026 price; the two-hour ticket is 4.85 euros). Official source, checked Oct 2026.
- Taxi at the 2026 national maximum tariff, per kilometre: €3.17 (plus a 4.31 euro start and 0.52 euros per minute; RTM to central The Hague is about 22 km and Schiphol about 45 km, so the meter reads very differently). Official source, checked Oct 2026.
What travelers report
Based on 11 traveler reports (May 2025 to Aug 2026) and the official sources linked on this page. 5 were negative.
What people like
- a filmed ride shows the direct train from Schiphol's platforms under the terminal to Den Haag Centraal
- RTM liked for its compact terminal and short walk from plane to exit
- Eurostar to Rotterdam plus the short onward hop praised as a fun, low-key alternative to flying
What people complain about
- RTM has no rail or metro at the terminal, so every cheap route starts on a bus
- Schiphol security queues ran for hours in May 2026, and non-EU passport waits reached two hours in summer 2026
- Snow in January 2026 cut all rail links to Schiphol for a day and cancelled hundreds of flights
- Eurostar requires a change at Rotterdam or Amsterdam because it does not serve The Hague
- Eindhoven Airport, the usual budget alternative, suspends all flights from February to mid-July 2027
How to do it right
- At Schiphol follow the yellow train signs into the plaza under arrivals; Den Haag Centraal trains leave from the main hall in about 30 minutes
- Pay by tapping a contactless bank card at the gates, or buy an e-ticket online; a paper ticket costs 1.60 euros extra
- From RTM take bus 33 to Rotterdam Centraal for the train, or ride metro line E direct from Meijersplein to Den Haag Centraal when the connection lines up
- On Eurostar, travel to Rotterdam Centraal and change to any intercity heading north; the onward hop to Den Haag Centraal takes about 20 minutes
- Check whether your train stops at Den Haag Centraal or Hollands Spoor; they are ten minutes apart by tram
The trap to avoid
Assuming The Hague's name on Rotterdam's airport means a short hop. RTM has no train or metro at the terminal, so reaching The Hague always means a bus or metro link plus a second leg; the Schiphol direct train is often faster door to door. And Eindhoven is no fallback for trips in its closure window: the airport suspends all flights for runway works from February to mid-July 2027.
What to do instead
Why this verdict
Fly into Amsterdam Schiphol and take the train, unless your route lands at Rotterdam The Hague Airport or you are already on the Eurostar corridor.
Schiphol is the default for a reason. Its route network dwarfs every Dutch alternative, and the intercity trains that leave from beneath the arrivals hall reach Den Haag Centraal in about 30 minutes for roughly 11 euros, with departures every 15 minutes through the day and services deep into the evening. The weak spots are the queues and the weather: security waits ran for hours in May 2026, non-EU arrivals faced passport waits of up to two hours that summer under the new EES checks, and snow in January 2026 cut every rail link to the airport for a day. EU passport holders skip the EES queue.
The alternatives
Rotterdam The Hague Airport is the sleeper option: a compact terminal where one arriving traveler walked from the plane through arrivals and straight out, praising the short distances compared with Schiphol. The catch is the last mile. No train or metro stops at the terminal, so reaching The Hague means bus 33 or a bus to Meijersplein for metro line E, then a second leg, about 40 minutes total on a 5 euro RET ticket. Pick RTM when your flight exists there; do not detour for it.
The train beats flying entirely from London, Paris or Brussels. Eurostar serves Rotterdam Centraal in about 3 hours 13 minutes from London, and NS intercities cover the last 20 to 25 minutes to Den Haag Centraal. Two warnings: Eurostar never stops in The Hague, and the city has two stations, Centraal and Hollands Spoor, about ten minutes apart by tram.
One airport drops out for 2027: Eindhoven suspends all flights for runway works from February to mid-July 2027, with Transavia relocating to Maastricht and Weeze. For taxis, the national maximum tariff in 2026 starts at 4.31 euros plus 3.17 per km, which makes the 45 km Schiphol run far more expensive than the 22 km RTM hop.
Book or check times
Schiphol AirportNS trains Schiphol to Den HaagRotterdam The Hague AirportRET bus 33 timetableEurostar to Rotterdam CentraalNS journey planner and ticketsNational maximum taxi tariff for 2026
We earn a commission if you book through our links. It never changes a verdict. How this works
Pre-book a Schiphol pickuppartner sitePre-book an RTM pickuppartner site
Questions
Which airport is closest to The Hague?
Rotterdam The Hague Airport is nearest at about 20 to 25 km, but Amsterdam Schiphol is usually faster door to door because a direct train runs from under its terminal to Den Haag Centraal in about 30 minutes, while RTM always requires a bus or metro link first.
How much is the train from Schiphol to The Hague?
A second-class single e-ticket costs about 11 euros on the official NS planner. Paper tickets carry a 1.60 euro surcharge; tapping a contactless card or phone at the gates avoids it.
Does the Eurostar go to The Hague?
No. Eurostar stops at Rotterdam Centraal, about 3 hours 13 minutes from London and about 1 hour 10 minutes from Brussels. From there, NS intercity trains reach Den Haag Centraal in roughly 20 to 25 minutes.
Is Eindhoven Airport an option for The Hague?
Not for most of 2027. Eindhoven Airport stays open through January 2027, then suspends all flights for runway renovation from February to mid-July 2027, so the realistic airports are Schiphol and Rotterdam The Hague.
How do I reach The Hague from Rotterdam The Hague Airport?
Two routes: bus 33 to Rotterdam Centraal then an intercity train, or the airport bus to Meijersplein then metro line E direct to Den Haag Centraal. Either way allow about 40 minutes and pay about 5 euros on an RET ticket, or tap your bank card on OVpay for the distance fare.
What does a taxi from the airport to The Hague cost?
Dutch taxis are capped at a 4.31 euro start plus 3.17 euros per km and 0.52 euros per minute in 2026. RTM is about 22 km from central The Hague, Schiphol about 45 km, so the meter runs far higher from Schiphol.