Crossing the Atlantic

Saturday, the eighteenth of September, two thousand and twenty-seven

Schiphol to the venue

Landing
Overnight US flights arrive 6–11am. Allow an hour to clear the airport; the train station is directly beneath Arrivals.
By train
Schiphol to Driebergen-Zeist: 45–50 min, around €13, direct or one change at Utrecht. Then bus 50, or a 20-minute taxi.
By hire car
Desks on Schiphol Plaza. A4/A2 south, then A12 east — 70 km, about an hour outside rush hour (7–9am, 4–6.30pm).
By taxi or private transfer
About an hour. Book before you fly; ride-hailing thins out fast once you leave the big cities.
From Amsterdam
Centraal to Driebergen-Zeist is ~45 min with a change at Utrecht. Allow two hours door to door on the day.
From Utrecht
Ten minutes by train to Driebergen-Zeist, half an hour by car to the venue. The easy base.
Where to stay
Utrecht, Amsterdam, or out on the ridge in Leersum or Doorn. Hotel block, rate and code posted here by spring 2027.

Money, phones and bicycles

Tap on, tap off
Contactless card or phone on the yellow OVpay reader, boarding and leaving. Forget to tap out and you pay a penalty.
One card each, no Amex
Same card both taps, one card per traveller. American Express is not accepted on Dutch public transport at all.
Bring a debit card
Some supermarkets and cafés decline foreign credit cards. Cash machines are yellow, branded Geldmaat; €20–30 cash is plenty.
The red asphalt is a road
Bike lanes, not pavement. Riders are fast, silent and will not stop for you. Look both ways before stepping back.
WhatsApp
How the whole country communicates, and how we will reach you that weekend. Emergency number is 112.
Phone data
An eSIM costs a few dollars. Or check your carrier — "included" roaming and usable roaming are different promises.
Tikkie
A payment request sent as a link. Marius’s family will send you one; cash euros are also fine.

Before you fly

All of it is easier six months out than six days out.

Check your passport twice
Valid three months beyond leaving the Schengen area, and issued within the last ten years. People miss the second rule.
ETIAS, most likely
Expected in force during 2027: around €20, ten minutes online. Check the official EU page a few months before you fly.
Expect a slower border
EU biometric entry takes fingerprints and a photo on first arrival. Build it into any onward connection.
Travel insurance
US health cover generally does not travel. Medical plus cancellation, for a trip built on one unmovable Saturday.
Prescriptions in original packaging
Enough for the trip plus a few spare days. A pharmacy is an apotheek; a drogist covers the everyday rest.
An adapter, not a converter
Type C and F sockets, 230V. Chargers cope; hairdryers often do not unless the brick says 100–240V.
Layers and shoes you can stand in
Mid-September runs 18°C by day, 11°C at night, with unannounced rain. Lawn and gravel eat a fine heel.
Land Wednesday or Thursday
Two full days on Dutch time is the difference between dancing at eleven and slipping away at nine.
Book museums, not restaurants
Rijksmuseum and Anne Frank House tickets go weeks ahead, as does any airport car. Dinner does not.

Things nobody wants to ask out loud

Do I need to speak any Dutch?
No. English is near-universal and the ceremony is in English. "Dank je wel" still buys disproportionate goodwill.
How much should I tip?
Far less than at home. Round up a café bill, 5–10% for a dinner you enjoyed, nothing extra in a taxi.
Can I drink the tap water?
Yes — excellent and unchlorinated. Ask for a kraantje water; restaurants don’t always offer it unprompted.
What is open on a Sunday?
City shops noon to six, museums normally, villages barely. Small shops often stay shut on Monday mornings too.
Do we need a car for the weekend?
Not from Utrecht or the ridge. Useful for castles on the Sunday, a liability in Amsterdam.
Three kisses, or a handshake?
Family and old friends: three kisses, starting to your left. Everyone else shakes hands.
What time does the ceremony start?
Still with the venue. It goes on the schedule page by spring 2027, along with the dress code.
What should I wear?
Dress code is on the schedule page. Whatever it says, add a layer — an estate lawn at night is cold.
What if something goes wrong on the day?
Call or message us. And if you are running late, come in halfway rather than skip the ceremony.

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