How to get to ESTEC
The 2026 NTN Forum General Assembly will be held at the Space Research and Technology Centre of the European Space Agency (ESA/ESTEC) in Noordwijk, located 35km south-west of Amsterdam International Airport.
ESTEC is well connected with the local public bus services. Website links to train and bus time schedules are published here below. No dedicated transportation between Noordwijk and ESTEC will be provided by the course organiser.
Arriving by Car
ESTEC is located at the southern tip of Noordwijk.
From Amsterdam: take the A4 (direction Den Haag-Rotterdam) then at the junction follow the A44. Take the exit "Noordwijk-Voorhout", continue to Noordwijk and from there, follow signs to "ESTEC".
From Den Haag (The Hague): take the A4 (direction Amsterdam) and exit at "Leiden". Follow the N206 towards Katwijk and Haarlem. Take the exit "Katwijk Noord". From there follow signs to "ESTEC" (small white squares).
To reach ESTEC from Noordwijk or how to navigate to Noordwijk please use the following link: Map and Directions.
The nearest railway station to ESTEC is Leiden Centraal and the Amsterdam Airport railway station is called: Schiphol. To plan your trip, visit www.ns.nl.
Arriving by bus
From Leiden Centraal station, take the number 400 Qbuzz bus to Katwijk ESA/ESTEC. The bus stops in front of the ESTEC entrance gate. Please note that this bus leaves four times an hour during peak periods and twice an hour during normal hours. Journey time is approx. 30 minutes.
Alternatively, you can take Qbuzz Bus 385 from The Hague Central, which stops at the 'Schorpioen' bus stop. To get from this bus stop to ESTEC is only a five-minute walk. To plan your trip, visit www.9292.nl.
USING PUBLIC TRANSPORT IN THE NETHERLANDS
Public transport in the Netherlands uses a unified system (OV-chipkaart or contactless payments) for trains, buses, trams, and metros, requiring passengers to check in and out for every journey. Use contactless credit/debit cards (OVpay) for easy, ticketless travel or purchase an anonymous OV-chipkaart.
- Contactless (OVpay): Use your contactless debit card, credit card, or mobile phone to check in and out at gates or terminals. This is the most convenient option, especially for tourists.
- OV-chipkaart: An anonymous smart card (purchasable at stations/shops) can be loaded with credit for all transport modes.
- Single-use tickets: Available at stations but are more expensive.
Checking In and Out:
- You must check in at the start of your journey (at a pole or gate) and check out at the end.
- Crucial: When transferring between different transport companies (e.g., train to bus), you must check out of the first and check in to the second.
Arriving by plane
From Schiphol airport, either take a taxi to ESTEC (30 min), or a train to Leiden (20 min) and then the number 400 Qbuzz bus to Katwijk ESA/ESTEC (30 min). The bus stops in front of the ESTEC entrance gate. By rental car, follow the "Arriving by car" instructions as above from Amsterdam.
Visiting address
European Space & Technology Centre - ESA-ESTEC
Keplerlaan 1
2201 AZ Noordwijk (The Netherlands)