Difference between revisions of "Zoetermeer"

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== Places to Visit ==
 
== Places to Visit ==
Zoetermeer is not to exciting, but a nice centrally located city from where you can pay visits to the historical cities around it. Zoetermeer has an old centre consisting of only one street and some parks is witch you can have a relaxing walk. Zoetermeers architecture is very interesting as the city is build almost entirely in compliance with the VINEX spatial Planning bill (even the street names are in alphabetical order).
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Zoetermeer is not to exciting, but a nice centrally located city from where you can pay visits to the historical cities around it. Zoetermeer has an old centre consisting of only one street and some parks for you to have a relaxing walk. Zoetermeers architecture is very interesting as the city is build almost entirely in compliance with the VINEX spatial Planning bill (even the street names are in alphabetical order).
  
 
== Places to Avoid ==
 
== Places to Avoid ==

Revision as of 17:07, 10 August 2009

Zoetermeer
<map lat='52.05' lng='4.5' zoom='12' view='3' />
Information
Country:
Flag of Netherlands
Netherlands
Province:
Flag Zuid Holland.png
Zuid Holland
Population: 120.257
Major roads: A12
Meet fellow hitchhikers on Trustroots

Zoetermeer is a city in the Netherlands, located about 15 kilometers from Den Haag.

Hitching Out

South/West towards Den Haag, Delft, Rotterdam

At railway station Zoetermeer (not Zoetermeer Oost) (tram stop Driemanspolder) you will find a bridge for motorised vehicles, next to the pedestrian bridge Nelson Mandela. On the north side of this bridge is a bus stop (walk up the ramp). From here you can Hitch hike to Den Haag, Delft and Rotterdam as well as further south.

At the bus stop Fonteinbos on the road Afrikaweg (about 200 metres from the spot mentioned above) is an official hitch hiking spot. This hitch hiking spot is useful to acquire rides towards Den Haag, delft and Rotterdam as well as further south. To reach this spot from Centrum West bus station, walk over the pedestrian bridge, walk down and turn right at the traffic lights, trough the pedestrian / cyclist tunnel.

North towards Leiden, Amsterdam

In the Centre, next to the AIVD building on Europaweg you will find road N206 (Zwaardsloodseweg). Here is a bus stop and a small parking space, these are ideal for hitch hiking.

East towards Gouda, Utrecht

At the bus stop Pruimengaarde on the road Australieweg is an official hitch hiking spot. This hitch hiking spot is useful to acquire rides towards Gouda and Utrecht. In Gouda it is very easy to obtain a ride to Utrecht. To reach this spot from tram stop Palenstein, walk under the viaduct, turn right on the small bicycle road Kangaroepad, after a while turn right trough the tunnel.

Public Transport

Zoetermeer has two tram lines and various bus lines to most area's of the city. The tram goes to Den Haag. Be aware that though most of the two tram routes are the same, both lines start and finish differently. paying works like everywhere in the Netherlands. the city has two zones Oosterheem and everything else. In the trams are ticket vending machines witch accept coins only. the driver does not sell tickets neither do the controllers. You don't have to pay when the machine is broken.

Zoetermeer has two railway stations on the Den Haag - Utrecht line, only slow trains stop at Zoetermeer and Zoetermeer Oost railway stations.

In weekends Zoetermeer in connected to the night railway network by bus B17 to Rotterdam central station and bus N5 to Den Haag centre (Buitenhof) (about 10 minuts walk from Den Haag central station). night bus tickets cost about € 4,- and can be bought at the driver.

Places to Visit

Zoetermeer is not to exciting, but a nice centrally located city from where you can pay visits to the historical cities around it. Zoetermeer has an old centre consisting of only one street and some parks for you to have a relaxing walk. Zoetermeers architecture is very interesting as the city is build almost entirely in compliance with the VINEX spatial Planning bill (even the street names are in alphabetical order).

Places to Avoid

Zoetermeer is pretty safe, crime rates are lower then in the big cities of the Netherlands. The major of Zoetermeer has declared alcohol prohibition zones in the centre and in some parks and squares.

Accommodation and Sleep

Zoetermeer has a large an active HospitalityClub / Couchsurfing / BeWelcome community, asking people trough these networks will prove successful.

Here you'll find a list of hotels and camp sites in Zoetermeer: [1]