City Guide

The Hague

Population

±570,000

Public transport

Trams, buses, trains

Official city site

denhaag.nl

Time zone

CET (UTC+1/+2)

Getting around The Hague

Markets & local favorites
Public transportation & parking

Haagse Markt | Herman Costerstraat

A large multicultural market with fresh fruit and vegetables, fish, meat, herbs, spices, clothing, electronics and household products.

Open: Mon, Wed, Fri and Sat

View Haagse Markt

Farmers’ Market | Lange Voorhout

A weekly market for fresh, organic and locally produced food in one of The Hague’s most attractive historic streets.

Open: Wednesday

View Farmers’ Market

Antique and Book Market | Lange Voorhout

Browse antiques, second-hand books, old prints, paintings, curiosities and decorative objects beneath the trees of Lange Voorhout.

Open: Thu, seasonally from Mar to Sept

View Antique and Book Market

Le Marie Marché | Lange Vijverberg

A recurring French-inspired market beside the Hofvijver, featuring food, handmade products, fashion, design and gifts.

Open: The first weekend of the month from March

View Le Marie Marché

Local favorites to look for

Haagse Hopjes

Traditional hard sweets with a coffee-and-caramel flavour.

Haagsche Kakker

A filled loaf made with cinnamon-almond paste and currants.

Dungelmann croquette

A croquette associated with the long-established Dungelmann shop.

Haagse Bal

A chocolate bonbon made using Haagse Hopjes liqueur.

Meet people, practise Dutch & find support

Taalhuis Den Haag

Get advice about learning Dutch, suitable courses, language activities, books and self-study materials.

Gilde SamenSpraak

Practise Dutch regularly with a volunteer language coach. Participants decide together where, when and how they meet.

Dutch Language Café

An informal community where people from different countries meet, join activities and practise speaking Dutch in everyday situations.

Wijkz

Find neighbourhood activities, community centres and practical social support across The Hague.

The Hague International Centre

Official information and support for international newcomers living, working or studying in The Hague region.

Volunteer The Hague

Find volunteer opportunities with local non-profit organisations. The listed vacancies are selected for internationals and generally do not require fluent Dutch.

The Hague has an extensive network of trams, buses and regional train connections. HTM operates trams, light-rail services and buses in The Hague and the surrounding region, while NS operates train services to Schiphol Airport and other Dutch cities. Plan your journey before travelling, check in and out correctly, and check the parking conditions if you travel by car.

Plan your journey

Use the HTM app to see routes, departures in real time.

Plan with HTM

Pay as you travel

Check in and out with your contactless using OVpay.

How OVpay works

Travelling by train

Use NS for journeys to other Dutch cities and to and from Schiphol Airport.

Plan a train journey

Which type of transport should you use?

Tram: convenient for travelling around The Hague and to nearby places such as Rijswijk, Delft and Zoetermeer
Bus: useful for neighbourhoods and regional routes not directly served by a tram.
Train (NS): suitable for Schiphol Airport and journeys to other Dutch cities.
Night bus: HTM night buses operate on six routes during the nights from Friday to Saturday and Saturday to Sunday.
HTM operates city trams, RandstadRail connections and local buses. The night-bus network consists of lines N1 to N6 and has a separate night-bus fare.

In many parts of The Hague, you have to pay for on-street parking. Parking times and prices vary by neighbourhood, so always check the signs, parking meter or official parking information before leaving your car. You can pay at a parking meter or use an approved pay-by-phone parking service.

Consider P+R (Park and Ride)

Park at a P+R location and continue to the city centre or Scheveningen by public transport.

Check the conditions before travelling

P+R locations, prices and booking conditions differ. Some locations offer a combined parking and public-transport ticket or require an online reservation. Always read the conditions for the specific P+R location you plan to use.

IMPORTANT!

When changing between different operators, follow the check-out and check-in signs.
When travelling with OVpay, always check in and out with exactly the same card or device. Do not check in with your physical bank card and check out with your phone.
Forgot to check out?
You can usually correct a missed check-in or check-out through the OVpay app or through the relevant transport operator.
Read more on NS

Routes & schedules

Official resources

Good to know

Let passengers exit before boarding | Avoid rush hours when possible | Official taxis have a blue number plate, roof light, taximeter and driver permit