Location of hotels and congress hall
Large hotels are scarce in Flevoland, and so are suitable places for a congress. The hotels and congress hall are therefore not located very close together. To get an idea about the locations and distances between them, check out the map below. On the map A is Hotel Emmeloord (in Emmeloord), C is the Apollo Hotel in Lelystad, and B is De Meerpaal in Dronten.
To and from Lelystad
From Schiphol Airport to Lelystad
There is a direct train connection from Schiphol Airport to the city of Lelystad. Trains leave 4x per hour, usually from platform 1, 2 or 3 and it will take a little bit more than one hour to reach Lelystad. Tickets can be purchased from the ticket machines in Schiphol Plaza, which is right on top op the train station. These machines usually accept credit cards, debit cards and coins (Euro’s), but no bills. If you need assistance, you can also buy tickets at the counter, but they will be a bit more expensive.
A first class ticket from Schiphol to Lelystad, one way, will be approximately 18 euro’s, while a second class ticket can be purchased for approximately 10 euro’s.
From Lelystad to Schiphol Airport
Direct train connections are again available, leaving 2x per hour. In between there are also connections where you have to change once or twice, which is far less convenient. The first train already leaves at 4:30 in the morning, in case you have an early flight.
IMPORTANT:
Due to scheduled work on the railroad connections around Schiphol Airport, no direct train connections are available to Lelystad as of this moment and until the 23rd of September. Trains are still available on average 4x per hour, but you will have to change at least once (either in Amsterdam Centraal or Amsterdam Zuid, depending on the route), and on some connections twice (usually in Weesp and Almere Centrum or Almere Buiten). If you are not familiar with the Dutch rail road, using a train connection where you have to change only once is the most convenient. Your total delay due tot this will range from negligible to a maximum of 15 minutes, just make sure you change trains at the right station.
For the transfer from Schiphol to Lelystad, in general trains will leave at the hour and half hour. There are two possibilities:
1] Take the train to Utrecht Centraal (platform 3) and get out at Amsterdam Zuid (the first stop after Schiphol). From Amsterdam Zuid you take the direct train to Lelystad
2] Take the train to Amsterdam Centraal (platform 1 or 2). Get out at Amsterdam Centraal and from there take the train to Lelystad.
In between (a quarter before and after the hour) there is another connection, but then you will have to change twice (first in Weesp, then in Almere Centrum).
For the transfer from Lelystad to Schiphol, in general trains will still leave every 15 minutes. There are again two possibilities:
1] Take the train to Amsterdam Zuid (leaves from Lelystad at the hour and half hour), where you also get out. From there you take another train, which is one more stop to Schiphol.
2] Take the train to Amsterdam Centraal (leaves from Lelystad a quarter before and after the hour), where you get out. From there take the train to Schiphol.
Possibilities above are the general rule, but may differ somewhat, depending on the time of day and day of the week. Please take note of the most up-to-date train schedules on the platforms and prepare your journey by train at
the website of the train company. For those unfamiliar with the Dutch rail road system:
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In the hall of the train station and on the platforms, you can find posters with time tables for all trains from that station, organised by direction and/or destination.
- On top of the poster you will find the main destinations for which the table will apply.
- Immediately below, all major (marked "IC") and minor stops are listed in order. Note that the line sometimes splits, so this will refer to different trains!
- Below that, the full time table is given, specifying the exact destination and whether it will stop at each train station inbetween or only at the major stations. The table also tells you from which platform the train will leave.
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Besides the general time tables, signs above each platform will show you the details of the current train to leave from that platform. This sign clearly marks the number of the platform ("spoor"), time at which it will leave, all stops (in blue) and the end station (below in the corner, with large letters). Note that tekst in red means that that destination can only be reached by changing trains ("For ... change at ...")! |
To the hotels
From train station Lelystad to Apollo Hotel
The Apollo Hotel in Lelystad ("A" on the map below) is on walking distance from the train station ("T" on the map below). Leave the train station on the centre side (where the buses are). Walk straight towards the square on the other side of the bus platforms (you will see a Rabobank on your left hand). After passing the Rabobank, go left (de Promesse). When you have reached the next square, more or less straight ahead you will see the roofs of a large orange building over the roofs of the stores. Cross the square and take the street towards the orange building (Agorahof). Following this street for a little more than 100 meters, you will again end up on a square, a fairly large one this time. Almost straight ahead you will see the orange building on the other side of the square (impossible to miss this one!). The building to the right of that is the Apollo hotel. The entrance of the hotel is on the other side.
From train station Lelystad to Hotel Emmeloord
There is a bus connection from Lelystad to Emmeloord, that takes approximately 40 minutes (Q-liner, line 315, or regular bus, line 345). Between these two lines, 2 buses per hour will leave from train station Lelystad during weekdays, one per hour in the evening or during the weekend. The last bus leaves at 22:25, there are no buses after that! These buses will take you to the bus station in Emmeloord.
From the bus station in Emmeloord you can either call for a taxi (see below, paragraph on taxi's), or change buses (to line 42). The bus stop most nearby the hotel is "Het Waterland" (“A” on the map below). Better ask the driver to warn you when this stop is coming up. From there it is still 12-15 minutes walking to the hotel (“B” on the map). Just walk into "Het Waterland" and from there into "Het Hooiveld" until you reach the hotel. There is only one bus per hour, at 15 minutes past each hour, until 18:15. Do not take the line 42 buses that leave at 37 minutes past each hour, as they will take a different route!
To and from the congress hall
Shuttle services
From train station Lelystad to the congres hall (De Meerpaal in Dronten)