Brussels ↔ Utrecht
A trade fair at the Jaarbeurs, dinner on the Oudegracht or a family weekend: Utrecht with no changes and no bags to carry, in a chauffeur-driven car. Book now.
Utrecht with a private driver
Utrecht is the hub of the Dutch rail network: its central station, the busiest in the country, sends trains off in every direction. Just behind it, the Jaarbeurs lines up exhibition halls and conference centres, making it one of the largest trade fair and congress venues in the Netherlands. From Brussels, however, the train usually means a change, whereas the road runs via Antwerp, Breda and the A27 right up to the entrance of the halls in two and a quarter hours without traffic. For a team travelling with display stands, samples and suitcases, the difference is clear from the outset: you set off from outside your office rather than from a station platform.
In the evening, the city moves down a level. Along the Oudegracht, the low wharves built at water level in the Middle Ages and the former storage cellars dug beneath the street, the werfkelders, now house restaurants and terraces, a layout found nowhere else in the Netherlands. Above the rooftops, the Dom Tower, at one hundred and twelve metres the tallest church tower in the country, has stood alone since a storm brought down the nave in the seventeenth century; visits are guided and must be booked in advance. A team dinner by the water and a night-time return to Brussels fit into the same evening.
With the family, Utrecht shows a different side. The Nijntje Museum, devoted to Miffy, the little rabbit created by Utrecht-born Dick Bruna, was designed for children aged two to six; the Spoorwegmuseum, the national railway museum housed in the former Maliebaan station, lets older children climb aboard locomotives from days gone by. With young children, a direct journey counts twice over: no changing trains with a pushchair, each child's seat booked at the same time as the journey, and a break halfway when one of the passengers asks for it.
- Drop-off at the Jaarbeurs entrance for a trade fair or congress, without crossing the station at peak times.
- Van Business for a team of exhibitors, with room for brochures and small items of stand equipment.
- An evening on the Oudegracht wharves and a night-time return to Brussels, with no last train to worry about.
- A family day between the Nijntje Museum and the Spoorwegmuseum, with a seat suited to each child's weight.
- Onward journey to Amsterdam Airport Schiphol after the fair, for participants catching a flight the same evening.
Brussels – Utrecht: your questions
During a trade fair at the Jaarbeurs, is it better to stay in Utrecht or to travel there and back each day?+
It depends on your stand hours. With more than two hours' travel each way, a daily return trip is feasible for a visitor, but less comfortable for an exhibitor on the stand from opening to closing. A mixed arrangement works well: travel out on the first morning, stay overnight on site and return on the last evening with the equipment. We organise each of these journeys, and a chauffeur at your disposal for the whole fair can be arranged on quotation.
Can you drop us beside the Oudegracht for dinner?+
The Oudegracht quaysides are narrow and part of the historic centre is reserved for pedestrians, cyclists and buses. The driver therefore stops where stopping is permitted, a short walk from your restaurant or hotel, and agrees with you where to pick you up for the return. Give us the name of the restaurant when you book: the stopping point will be chosen according to its location.
From what age do children enjoy the Nijntje Museum?+
The museum is aimed at children aged two to six, with rooms on their scale and hands-on activities. For older brothers and sisters, the Spoorwegmuseum takes over in the same city. As for the car, tell us the children's weight: the right seat, from a Maxi-Cosi for babies to a booster seat for school-age children, is fitted before departure.
Can we combine Utrecht and Amsterdam on the same trip?+
Yes, Amsterdam and Schiphol Airport are less than an hour's drive away. A one-way trip to Utrecht, a night there, then a second journey to Amsterdam or Schiphol the next day make for a programme that is simple to organise. Each journey shows its fixed price before confirmation, with no online payment. If you would like to keep the same driver for several days in the Netherlands, we will provide a quote for having a chauffeur at your disposal.
A ride to Utrecht?
Book online, by phone or on WhatsApp — fixed price confirmed before departure.