After the Enschede Marathon: Utrecht
The Route: Enschede → Utrecht → Schiphol Airport Logistics: NS train, about 1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours, usually with a change. The old centre is a flat 10-minute walk from the station. Marathon Month: April Duration: 2 nights
Enschede ──(1h45-2h, NS, usually one change)──> Utrecht Centraal
│
Schiphol Airport (AMS) <──(about 30 mins, direct)┘
The Enschede Marathon finishes in the centre of Enschede on a Sunday in April. Utrecht is the first city on the way to Schiphol that is large enough for two nights, and its centre is flat.
April in Utrecht: daytime highs are about 13°C, with showers likely, and the trees along the Oudegracht are coming into leaf. Some museums close on Mondays, so check opening hours. April is a good month for quiet canal-side cafés before the summer crowds arrive.
Dutch rail has no advance fares, so there is nothing to book early. A single is paid with a contactless card or OVpay. The journey from Enschede usually involves one change, so check the NS planner for your date.
Nights One and Two: Utrecht
The Oudegracht is a sunken canal, with the quays about four metres below street level and former wharf cellars that now serve as cafés. At the bridges there are stairs between the street and the quay, so keep to the upper pavement if stairs trouble your quads. The walk along the canal is level and about 1 km long, with benches.
The Dom Tower is 112 metres tall and is climbed by 465 steps with a guided tour and no lift. It is a poor choice for the day after a marathon, so look at it from the Domplein. The Centraal Museum, in a former convent, holds the Dick Bruna collection and has lifts; check whether it is closed on Mondays. Museum Speelklok, in a former church, shows mechanical instruments on short tours.
On the second day, the Spoorwegmuseum, the national railway museum in a former station, has level halls and seating and suits a rainy afternoon. The Rietveld Schröder House, a 1924 building by Gerrit Rietveld, takes small guided groups and needs booking well ahead; it is a flat 1.5 km from the station, but a tram is kinder on tired legs.
NH Utrecht on Jaarbeursplein is the easiest hotel for arrival and departure. Hotel Karel V on Geertebolwerk is a quieter hotel in a former commandery, about 10 minutes from the centre. Confirm lift access at both.
Winkel van Sinkel, a grand café on the Oudegracht in a former department store, serves Dutch classics. Cycle lanes are busy everywhere in the centre, so look both ways before stepping off the pavement.
A quieter way to spend the second morning is to walk the Singel, the outer canal, which loops around the old centre. The path is level, paved and about 4 km all the way round, so take a section only. The Botanic Gardens at Utrecht University, in the Fort Hoofddijk area, are a gentle outing in spring and are free or low cost. Check opening dates, because the garden's season depends on the weather.
The Monday after the race is not a market day. A boat tour of about an hour along the Oudegracht costs around €12 to €15 and runs in spring. The boats are low and the seats are fixed, so mind your head at the bridges.
If you are carrying luggage, the station has lockers. Take the train to Schiphol in the morning of your flight day rather than on the evening before, because the Intercity runs every 10 minutes for most of the day and there is no need to rush.
Getting to Schiphol Airport (AMS)
Utrecht Centraal to Schiphol is a direct NS Intercity of about 30 minutes, several times an hour. The airport station is under Schiphol Plaza, with lifts to the terminal. Check the NS planner on the day.