Where to live if you work at Schiphol: Nieuw-Vennep for families
If you work at Schiphol, the obvious places to look are Amsterdam, Amstelveen and Hoofddorp. Nieuw-Vennep rarely makes the list, even though it is just as close to the airport and you get a lot more space. We have lived in Getsewoud, in the west of Nieuw-Vennep, for years. Here is what we would tell a colleague who asked us where to live.
Ten minutes to the airport by train
Nieuw-Vennep has its own railway station on the line between Leiden and Amsterdam. Trains to Schiphol Airport take 10 minutes, with no change. From our street that is about 25 minutes door to door: a 12-minute bike ride to the station, park your bike, and get on the train.
There is also a bus. R-net line 397 stops 100 m from the house and runs on its own bus lane via Schiphol to Amsterdam, so it is not held up by traffic jams. That makes it a good option for early or late shifts when you would rather not cycle to the station.
| To | By | Travel time |
|---|---|---|
| Schiphol Airport direct from Nieuw-Vennep station | Train | 10 min |
| Leiden Centraal direct | Train | ±15 min |
| Amsterdam Centraal direct | Train | ±25 min |
| The Hague Centraal change at Leiden | Train | ±35 min |
| Schiphol Airport R-net 397 from the Getsewoud Zuid stop (±100 m), own bus lane | Bus | ±20 min |
| Hoofddorp via the N207 | Car | ±15 min |
| Amsterdam Zuid via the A4, off-peak | Car | ±30 min |
Indicative. Check current times at ns.nl, 9292.nl or your route planner.
Room for a family
Getsewoud was built around water and green space. Most homes are family houses on three floors with a garden, and many back onto the water. Through traffic goes around the neighbourhoods rather than through them, so the streets are quiet and the schools are within cycling distance.
The difference with Amsterdam is mainly space: here you live in a whole house, often with a garden or a terrace on the water.
Schools: Dutch and international
There are 5 Dutch primary schools within one kilometre of our house, from public and Montessori to Christian schools. Some international families choose a Dutch school for younger children, so they learn the language early.
If you prefer an international school, there are options nearby:
- Optimist International School in Hoofddorp, an international primary school, about 6.7 km from Nieuw-Vennep as the crow flies.
- International School Haarlem, with a secondary campus about 15.6 km away.
- An international secondary stream in Hoofddorp has been announced at the Haarlemmermeer Lyceum, linked to Optimist. Check the schools' own websites for the current situation and admissions.
Everyday life
Getsewoud shopping centre is 950 m away, about 15 minutes on foot, with an Albert Heijn, a Lidl, fresh food shops, a chemist and GP practices. The Venneperhout, a woodland park for walking and cycling, is 800 m from the house. There are clubs for football, hockey, korfball and tennis in Nieuw-Vennep itself.
For a bigger choice of shops, restaurants, a hospital or a cinema, you go to Hoofddorp or Haarlem. Amsterdam Centraal is about 40 minutes door to door and Leiden about 15 minutes by train.
Who is it for?
Nieuw-Vennep suits you if you want to be close to Schiphol without living in a city, if you have or are planning children, and if space and quiet matter more to you than having restaurants around the corner. If you want city life, Amsterdam or Haarlem will suit you better.
More about travel times, including by car, is on our getting around page. And if Nieuw-Vennep sounds right, have a look at Flierveld 9, the house we are selling in Getsewoud-Zuid.