Eindhoven Beyond the Conference

Travel, Stays, Food, and Culture for AIESEP 2027

If you plan to attend AIESEP 2027 in Eindhoven (July 12–16, 2027), the practical questions are easy to answer: fly into Amsterdam, take the train, stay near the venue or in the city center, and rent a bike. This post collects everything Menno and Lars shared in the second half of our conversation, plus a set of links to hotels, restaurants, bike rentals, and day trips.

My guests are the same as in Part 1: Menno Slingerland and Lars Borghouts of the Fontys School of Sports Studies, who are on the local organizing committee. In Part 1 we covered the theme, the session formats, and the submission rules. Here we cover travel, lodging, food, family activities, side trips, and a few lessons in Dutch culture.

Two reminders from Part 1 before you start planning. The deadline for abstracts and pre-conference session proposals is December 1, 2026, and early bird registration runs through March 31, 2027. Also, we will follow up closer to the conference with a separate post on specific restaurants, bars, and places to meet.

Getting to Eindhoven

Most visitors should fly into Amsterdam Schiphol and take the train, because Eindhoven Airport will be closed during the conference. The Eindhoven airport is being renovated over the summer, so check the airport’s status if you book there.

From Schiphol, the train station sits directly under the airport, and the ride to Eindhoven takes about one hour. You arrive at the station in the city center. Brussels Airport in Belgium and Düsseldorf in Germany are also options, each a train ride away.

Buying train tickets

You do not need to book in advance, and there are no seat reservations:

• Tap your bank card. The system is called OV-pay, and it also works on buses. A phone wallet such as Apple Pay or Google Pay works too.
• Tap in and tap out. Scan at the gate or platform entrance, and scan again when you get off the train, and the fare is deducted automatically.
• At Schiphol, watch for the card readers. There are no gates to the platform, only card readers on payment terminals, so remember to check in.
• Prefer a paper ticket? Yellow vending machines sit in the Amsterdam Airport Plaza, the main entrance to the airport, just above the train station.

Visas and invitation letters

If you need an invitation letter for a visa, register and pay for the conference first. The organizers will not send letters to anyone who has not registered and paid.

The hosts suggested this order of steps:

1. Check whether you need a visa on the Netherlands Worldwide
2. If you hold a passport from a Schengen country and your stay is under 90 days, you do not need a visa.
3. If you do need a visa and an invitation letter, register and pay for the conference.
4. Email the conference contact address contact@aiesep2027.org . The organizers will send you a form to fill in with the information they need for the letter, and then your letter.

Where to stay: near the venue or in the city center

Both options work well, so pick based on the kind of week you want.

• Near the venue. A large, comfortable hotel, the Van der Valk, is within walking distance of the faculty. This is the better choice if you want quiet and an early night and a short walk to the conference site.
• City center. A bus or taxi to the venue takes about 10 to 15 minutes at most, and you can also bike. If you prefer a city center hotel at conferences, to get a taste of the nightlife this is it. This is the better choice if you like to meet people for dinner after the sessions and have many places to choose from. Public transport is easy.

The hotels below include the ones I was given, and they are examples, not a complete list. The conference website also links to accommodation, and you can book from there. https://aiesep2027.org/accomodation-information/

Airbnb or similar is certainly also an option. Either within the city or just outside if you want a more quiet surrounding.

Budget options

Fontys does not have student housing available for events like this one. For doctoral students and anyone on a tight budget, the hosts pointed to two hostels in the city: Stayokay and Backpackers Bed and Breakfast.

Book early

This is summer, so hotels and hostels fill up. The hosts and I all say the same thing: book your accommodation early, or you may not find a place.

Getting around: rent a bike

You may consider a bicycle rental, which most locals consider the best way to get around the city during the conference. The venue is about 4 kilometers from the city center, a ride of roughly 10 to 20 minutes depending on how quick you are. Eindhoven is flat, with no hills on the way, and the city has separate, safe bike lanes everywhere. But, be prepared for busy bike paths.

Bike and scooter options

• Shared city bikes: Dott
• E-bikes and e-scooters: Felyx. You download the app and unlock a vehicle with it.
• Traditional rental, by the day or week: Fietsverhuur Eindhoven. The hosts also suggested searching for bike rental in Eindhoven to find other shops.

The conference website links to some of these as well. I would suggest a weekly rental over an app-based bike or scooter. When the conference ends and 400 or 500 people are leaving at once, the shared vehicles near the venue may be gone, and you do not want to be stuck without a ride.

Buses and taxis

No train is needed to reach the venue. A bus from the city center takes about 10 minutes, and taxis and Uber are both available.

Cycling etiquette

A few rules for riding in the Netherlands:

• Keep to the right.
• Use hand signals when you turn, especially at busy crossings or when someone is behind you. Not everyone does, but it is recommended.
• Watch out for e-bikes and cargo bikes. Electric cargo bikes can go fast and do damage if they hit you, so leave them some space.
• A helmet is not an obligation, and you will rarely see a local wearing one. This may seem strange, but as you will be cycling on separate biking lanes most of the time, and assuming you will respect the rules above, this is as safe as biking can get. If you feel more comfortable wearing a helmet, that is perfectly fine!
• Lock your bike! Some people in the Netherlands like biking so much that they actively search for the best ones….

Also, an important tip is for pedestrians. Visitors often step into a bike lane without looking, thinking it is part of the pavement. Do not walk into a cycle lane while looking at your phone, because riders can be fast and do not expect you to cross.

Eating and drinking

Your registration covers coffee breaks, lunches, and the conference dinner, so everything below is for the rest of your time in Eindhoven.

Dutch treats to try

Here are several things worth trying:

• Sweets: licorice is very popular, and so are caramel waffles (stroopwafels).
• A Dutch hot dog: a worstenbroodje, which is literally sausage bread, a sausage baked in a piece of bread.
• Vlaai: a fruit-filled cake topped with whipped cream, which the hosts described as a specialty of the south.
• Pannenkoeken: Dutch pancakes, either savory or sweet, in many varieties.
• Craft beer: the hosts recommend a visit to the city’s craft brewery in the city center (Stadsbrouwerij Eindhoven), which they described as really nice.

Casual eating

• Down Town Gourmet Market is an international street food market. There are 21 food stands from all over the world, and is a local favorite.
• Streat is another street food option.

Luxury dining

• Wiesen holds a Michelin star and is very upmarket.
• Zarzo is another restaurant that was recommended.

These are only examples. Eindhoven has restaurants serving food from all over the world, and we will have a separate post on specific places closer to the conference.

July weather: pack for sun and rain

Expect 25 to 30 degrees Celsius in summer, but rain is possible because the Netherlands has a sea climate. It won’t be anything like the humidity of Taipei or Florida in the last two conferences however!

A packing list: sunscreen, a hat, a raincoat, and maybe an umbrella. If you plan to stay a few days before or after the conference, add a swimsuit. The Netherlands has lovely beaches, especially in the north, with sand dunes along the North Sea and bars on high wooden posts right on the beach.

If you bring family

You can bring an accompanying person to the conference, who can join the social events. Spouses and kids will have plenty to do around Eindhoven while you are in sessions. Some ideas:

For kids, or for the whole family

• Efteling is the national theme park. By far the best and most beautiful theme park in the Netherlands, and it is close, just one city further than Eindhoven. It works with or without kids.
• Eindhoven is the birthplace of Philips, and there is a Philips Museum in the city. There is also a Philips-related kids’ museum, the Museum Kids Factory, where children can build technical things.
• The Philips Fruit Garden is a green area just outside the city where you can picnic or eat pancakes in a restaurant.
• NEMO Science Museum in Amsterdam is excellent for children. Menno gave me this recommendation when I was stranded in Amsterdam with my kid after snow canceled flights in January, and I highly recommend it for anyone spending time in Amsterdam with kids.

For museum lovers

• Van Abbemuseum in Eindhoven is a well-known art museum, mostly modern art by renowned painters.
• Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam.
• Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, for the Dutch masters.

Extending your trip: cities and countries nearby

The Netherlands is small enough to cross in about three hours, so you can reach almost anywhere you like. Perhaps the best thing to come out of Eindhoven is the train to Amsterdam??? Since most visitors will pass through Amsterdam anyway, Menno and Lars suggested exploring other places you might not normally visit.

Dutch cities

• Amsterdam, about one hour by train. As nice as it is, this is where everyone goes, so we encourage you to look beyond this city!
• Utrecht, about 45 minutes away, and the secret tip of Menno, (it is his hometown). Everyone passes through it by train but few stop. It is sometimes called Small Amsterdam, or Amsterdam without all the tourists. The canals are even better here!
• The Hague, about one hour away. It is the only big Dutch city right next to the sea, with a boardwalk and a pier where you can eat and drink in summer.
• Rotterdam, the traditional harbor city. It once had a reputation as an ugly city, but over the last 20 to 25 years a lot of modern architecture has been built, and it has many art galleries, bars and restaurants.
• Maastricht, A beautiful university city in the south of the country. A lovely place for a day visit.
• Hiking and biking: to the north-northeast of Eindhoven there is more nature.

Belgium

Eindhoven is only about 15 minutes from the Flemish border. Some suggestions: Antwerp, Brussels, Leuven, Bruges, and Ghent, with a trip of roughly two hours.

Germany and France

Germany is also close. Düsseldorf and Cologne are both good options. For Paris, there is a good train that takes about three hours, which you can board in Breda or Rotterdam.

If you are flying a long way, for example from Australia, New Zealand, Canada, or the US, this is an easy way to turn the conference trip into a longer European visit.

Dutch culture basics

Tipping

Tipping is not obligatory, because staff generally receive an acceptable wage. If you are satisfied with the service in a restaurant, leaving about 5 to 10 percent is quite common. There is no expectation of US-style tipping.

English is not a problem

Virtually everyone from about 9 or 10 years old will speak to you in English or answer you in it. You can easily get by without learning Dutch.

Plan ahead: register and book early

I expect a big, successful conference. Eindhoven is in central Europe, you can take the train, and Amsterdam is a large hub for many airlines, so the cost of getting there should not be crazy. My advice is the same as the hosts’: register early and book your hotel early. The conference website has a lot of information and is easy to navigate.

• Submit your abstract(s) or pre-conference proposal by December 1, 2026
• Register by March 31, 2027 for the early bird rate
• Book a hotel or hostel, near the venue or in the city center
• Plan your route: fly into Amsterdam Schiphol and take the train, with a bank card or phone wallet ready
• Check visa requirements, and if you need an invitation letter, register and pay first
• Reserve a bike for the week
• Pack for 25 to 30 degrees, sun, and rain
• Decide whether to add days before or after for a side trip

See you in Eindhoven!