The Hague

Den Haag

The Hague (Dutch: Den Haag) is a city in the Randstad metropolitan area in the Netherlands. It is famous for the seat of the government and Scheveningen beach, the most popular beach in the Netherlands.

Transport

The Hague isn't far from anything. The easiest way to arrive is by train or by car. There's a direct train connecting from Schiphol Airport, which has hundreds of daily flights to destinations throughout the world. The journey takes around 30-45 minutes.

By Train

The Hague has six train stations, but only two of them major enough to mention.

Den Haag CS
This is where most domestic trains connect to, including trains from Groningen, Utrecht, Arnhem and Amsterdam. This may be a more pleasant station to arrive than Den Haag HS as it's more modern, has more facilities and is in a somewhat better neighbourhood than Den Haag HS Trams: 2, RR3, RR4, 6, 9, 15, 16, 17

Den Haag HS
This is where most international trains connect to, including trains from Paris, Brussels, Antwerp and domestic trains from Rotterdam, Leiden, Maastricht Schiphol Airport and also Amsterdam. Trams: 1, 9, 11, 12, 15, 16, 17

By Tram

The tram network in The Hague is operated by HTM. Trams link the train stations, the centre and Scheveningen to all the suburbs of the Hague. Just getting on and off anywhere won't be that interesting as most suburbs are quite boring. You can buy tickets inside the tram, although this is quite expensive compared to when you buy them at the train stations or at a supermarket. You can also just get on without a ticket, as chances are pretty slim you'll get checked, and if you do get checked your best chance is to play dumb and they'll probably let you buy a ticket at the driver (the official fine is €35 + ticket price). If you buy your ticket beforehand you should ask for a blue strippenkaart. This is a ticket with 15 'strips' on it. Tram rides within the same zone are 2 strips and the stamp is valid for one hour. If you go to Scheveningen, you cross a zone and you have to stamp 3 strips. You can use the strippenkaart on all local public transport in the Netherlands (buses, trams, metro). From either station it's a 5-10 minute walk to the city centre, so buying a ticket may not be worth the price or the hassle.

Trams that run to Scheveningen: 1 - stops at Den Haag HS, the and the city centre (centrum) 9 - stops at Den Haag CS and Den Haag HS Note that trams run both ways, so check which way it's going before you get on, or you'll end up far from Scheveningen! (Direction is written on the front of the tram or you can ask the driver)

By Foot

The Hague is quite compact, you can easily navigate the centre by foot. Both train stations are within 5-10 minute walking distance from the city centre. From Den Haag CS walk out the side entrance (where the trams are - from the direction you came from that's on your left hand side) and walk through the glass passageway, and then straight ahead for another 500m and you're there. From Den Haag HS walk straight ahead from the entrance into the Stationsweg and follow the road through Asia Town and you'll end up in the centre.

Eat & Drink

Eat

• Le Connaisseur - A popular budget place to eat. About €15 for a meal plus a drink or two. Located near the big church.

Drink

The Hague has a lot of bars, mostly concentrated in two area's. Expect to pay about €2-€2,30 for a beer. Plein simply means square, and that's what it is. There are a lot of different bars, most of them with terraces facing the square. It's close to the Tweede Kamer (seat of the government), the Binnenhof, the Mauritshuis and the Hofvijver. Places to visit include:

• Byblos
• Plein Negentien
• De Haagsche Kluis
• Danzig
• Leopold

Grote Markt is also a square, located on the other end of the main shopping streets (Grote Marktstraat and Spuistraat).

• De Zwarte Ruiter (my personal favorite)
• De Boterwaag
• Silly Symphonies

• De Paas - A bar located between Den Haag HS and the city centre, it offers about 200 different brands of beer, see if your local beer is one of them. It may be a bit hard to find, but it will be worth the effort.

Clubbing

Here are a few of the clubs located in the centre. There are a lot more at Scheveningen beach. They aren't hard to find. If you don't wander off too far, as long as you can the sea, you can see beach clubs everywhere.

• Asta - Probably the first to qualify in the 'disco' catagory, but don't expect a party like you would in Amsterdam.
• Silly Symphonies - If you like R&B, Hip Hop and that sort of thing, this is the place to go.
• Paard van Troje - They spent a lot of money renovating this club a few years back, and it's sure worth a look. Located at Prinsegracht, the extention of the Grote Marktstraat, and pretty close to the Grote Markt. It gets quite crowded on Thu-Sat. (my personal favorite)
• OneFour - Located next to the Paard van Troje, a nice place to visit, and usually less busy than the other three.

Meetings

• There's a weekly CS meeting at the Boterwaag on tuesday
• There is every second weekend of the month a meeting in Zuid Holland. Check the meeting page.

Tips

Internet

Free WiFi:

• Some bars at Grote Markt, like de Zwarte Ruiter, offer free WiFi.
• I believe McDonalds also offers free WiFi.
• The iFactors Apple Centre in de Passage

Internet Café's:

• Near Hollands Spoor is one at your right, located in de Struyck - a pink student building.
• There's an internet café located on Spui, one of the major streets in the Hague, near the centre.

CouchSurfers

Pietertje^CS organised a few meetings.
Joris - I know the city and the beach quite well and like showing people around or meeting for a drink.

Media Mentions

(links will follow)

• Papers
  • NRC
  • Trouw
  • AD
  • Metro
• TV
  • TweeVandaag

Other wikis

• Den Haag on the Hitchwiki
• Den Haag on Wikitravel
• Den Haag on Wikipedia