Netherlands
Efteling, Without the Last Bus Home
An hour and twenty-five each way, a driver who waits, and an evening exit that does not depend on a connection at Tilburg.
EftelingNetherlands
The route from Amsterdam
~100 km, about 1 hour 25 each way. For comparison, roughly 2 hours 10 by train and bus, with a change at Tilburg.
Efteling is the largest theme park in the Netherlands and it is closer to Amsterdam than most visitors realise: about an hour and twenty-five by road. By public transport it is train to Tilburg and then a bus, roughly two hours ten each way, and the bus is the part that goes wrong.
That is really the whole proposition. Not speed — the difference is forty-five minutes — but the end of the day. Efteling stays open late in high season and the park is at its best after dark, when the Fairytale Forest is lit. With a driver waiting, closing time is closing time.
Why take a private driver
The practical case is families. Small children, a pushchair, bags, and a long day: the difference between a vehicle at the gate and a bus at Tilburg is considerable. We fit child seats at no extra cost and the vehicle takes everything you would rather not carry around a theme park.
A sample day
This is how we would plan it. Nothing here is fixed — the point of a private day is that it bends to you.
Pickup at your hotel
Earlier or later to suit; the park opening time varies by season.
Arrive at Efteling
Dropped at the entrance rather than the far end of a car park.
Your day
We are not going to tell you how to do a theme park. Your driver waits and you go at your own pace.
Bags in the vehicle
Coats, purchases and anything else you do not want on a ride can go back to the car during the day.
Pickup at the gate
Or later. In high season the park is open into the evening and that is when it is best.
Back at your hotel
Door to door, with sleeping children if it goes the way it usually does.
What is included
- Private vehicle and driver for the day
- Hotel pickup and drop-off in Amsterdam
- Child and booster seats at no extra cost
- Fuel, tolls, parking and all road costs
- Flexible return time
What is not included
- Efteling entrance tickets — book directly, they are cheaper and dated
- Food and drink inside the park
- Gratuity
Questions
Do you sell park tickets?
No. Buy them directly from Efteling: they are date-based, cheaper than any reseller, and the park sells out on peak days. Tell us your date and we will match the driving to the opening hours.
How long is the day?
Whatever you need. Park opening hours change by season and stretch into the evening in summer and at Halloween. We quote per day rather than per hour for this one, because a theme park does not run to a schedule.
Do you have child seats?
Yes, at no extra charge, for every vehicle. We need the ages when you book so the right ones are fitted before we arrive.
Is this cheaper than the train?
No. A family of four pays far less by rail. What you are buying is a door at each end and no connection to miss after a twelve-hour day with tired children.