Leiden

With a population of over 130,000 (2026), and over 30,000 of them students, Leiden is one of the Netherlands' few true student towns (along with Groningen, Utrecht and Delft). Leiden University is the Netherlands' oldest university, founded in the 16th century to commemorate the resistance of its townsfolk to the Spanish siege. Its buildings are dotted around town, in and out of the city centre. This gives Leiden a relatively young and internationally diverse population, especially with the university having a particularly strong law and medical faculty. The Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC) is right behind central station. Its vibrant student population means Leiden is never short of a great place for a drink. However Leiden's Dutch students are notorious for being dominated by its 'Studentenverenigingen' (fraternities) which means many international students choose to go to nearby Amsterdam, or the Hague for late-night partying.

Tourist information:

Visit Leiden tourism website

1 VVV Leiden (Tourist Information Centre), Stationsweg 26, ☏ +31 71-516 60 00, info@vvvleiden.nl. Mon-Fri 08:00-18:00, Sat 10:00-16:00, Sun 11:00-15:00. (updated May 2023)

By train:

Leiden is easily reached by train. The journey takes 10–15 minutes from The Hague, and 15 minutes from Schiphol Airport, the principal airport in the Netherlands. The journey from Amsterdam takes between 30 and 40 minutes. Trains run by NS (including all that arrive in Leiden) are now all accessible using your bank card.

1 Leiden Centraal. Most of the trains arrive at this station, which is 500 m north-west of the City Center, and 1 km from the City Hall. There are luggage storage lockers at the station. (updated May 2023)

2 Leiden Lammenschans. It is a relatively small station on the line towards Alphen aan den Rijn and Utrecht. It is on the opposite side of the city center, just over 1 km from the City Hall. (updated Jul 2016)

If you do not feel like walking from the station to the centre you can take a bus, just ask which ones go to the Breestraat bus stop (see #By bus below).

By bus:

A square just outside of the Leiden railway station is a central hub for the local bus network, so if you want to go anywhere local your best bet is to go here and ask around or use the planning tool of 9292.nl. For information on tickets, see the general page on public transit tickets in the Netherlands.

By car:

Leiden can be reached by car from the following directions:

Amsterdam and Schiphol Airport.

via A4 and A44 for Leiden-West or

via A4 for Leiden-Oost.

Den Haag

via N44 and A44 for Leiden-West or

via A12 and A4 for Leiden-Oost.

Rotterdam

via A13 and A4.

Utrecht

via A12 and A4 or

via A12 and N11.

Note that the roads leading into and out of Leiden can be busy.

Parking:

It's best to park on the outskirts of the city or in one of the parking garages.

2 P+R next to A44, Oude Rhijnhofweg. Free parking terrain next to the A44 highway. There are frequent buses from and to the city center. See the departues here. (updated Aug 2026)

3 Parking garage Lammermarkt, Lammermarkt 20P. A good option when arriving from the A44. €3,70 per hour, max €25,00 per day. (updated Aug 2026)