Hoorn starting point for city trip Amsterdam
Close to Hoorn lies Amsterdam, the most popular holiday destination in the Netherlands for foreign guests. A visit to Amsterdam should certainly not be missed on a trip to the Netherlands. For the real Netherlands it is recommended to make time for a number of other places besides Amsterdam. And for that Hoorn is a great base to start.
Hoorn has excellent direct train connections with Schiphol Airport, Amsterdam and a number of beautiful historic cities. And from Hoorn you can explore a very diverse rural area by bike with polders, tulip fields, beaches, dunes and historic villages. Because of the good train connections and the many possibilities to rent (electric) bikes it is not necessary to rent a car.
With Hoorn as a base, you have all the advantages of metropolis Amsterdam, but you also enjoy the relative peace, friendliness and affordable prices of a provincial city. Below is an overview of distances and travel times by train to a number of important places close to Hoorn.
Close to Hoorn: within 30 minutes
Haarlem – Hoorn
Only 50 km from Hoorn is Haarlem, and thanks to the direct train connection you are within 40 minutes in the historic centre of this beautiful city. Haarlem is highly recommended and has some great museums (Frans Hals Museum and Tylers Museum). There are also excellent eateries and it is one of the best shopping cities in the Netherlands. The central market square is an absolute ‘must see’!
Amsterdam – Hoorn
Amsterdam is just 40 km away from Hoorn. By train from Hoorn you can reach the historic centre of Amsterdam within 31 minutes. You can explore on foot. If you want to go from one side to the other a little faster, take the brand-new North-South metro line. If you stay for dinner in Amsterdam, you don’t have to rush. The last train back to Hoorn leaves at night at 00.23 hours.
Alkmaar – Hoorn
Alkmaar is just a stone’s throw from Hoorn. By train you can get there with a direct connection in only 23 minutes. Alkmaar has a beautiful historic center and is known as Cheese-town. From April to September there is a historic cheese market every Friday morning. We ourselves prefer to avoid the hustle and bustle of this touristic play and visit Alkmaar on another day.
Close to Hoorn: within 60 minutes
Schiphol – Hoorn
Schiphol Airport is only 50 km away from Hoorn. If you are traveling from Schiphol Airport it is best to take the train to Hoorn. Every hour 4 trains leave for Hoorn, two of them with a direct train connection of only 45 minutes. The train station Schiphol is literally below the main terminal so you can easily walk there from the plane. And in Hoorn you get off in the city centre.
Leiden – Hoorn
Leiden is about 85 km away. After Amsterdam, this city has the largest historic city centre of the Netherlands. There is a direct train connection with Hoorn which takes you to the centre of Leiden in 60 minutes. Because of the large student population, Leiden has a fresh and hip atmosphere. Certainly in comparison with Amsterdam, you see very few tourists in Leiden. Nice and quiet!
Utrecht – Hoorn
Utrecht is about 85km from Hoorn. Every hour there are 2 direct trains between Hoorn and Utrecht that will drop you off at the edge of the historical centre in 60 minutes. Utrecht is just like Leiden a real ‘student city’ and just like Amsterdam it has beautiful canals within the city centre. Because of the big crowds in Amsterdam, tourists are starting to move to Utrecht, and not without reason!
Information about guided tours in Hoorn
More information for your visit to Hoorn, click here!
