Practical information

Practical Information
When you prepare for a trip to Oerol, make sure you arrange at least these two things:

  1. Make reservations for your accommodation
  2. Book your ferry ticket online

Accommodation
During the Oerol Festival, the island, normally inhabited by a little over 5.000 people, welcomes 50.000 visitors. Therefore, early booking of hotel rooms is recommended. Camping, however, is always possible! For accommodations we suggest you check the Tourist Information site of Terschelling www.vvv-terschelling.nl or a handy overview of accommodations on www.op-terschelling.nl. If you type ‘accommodation Terschelling’ on Google, you’ll find more options. Don’t hesitate to contact Oerol if you need assistance in finding a place.

Ferries
Oerol is held on the island of Terschelling, one of the five islands off the Northern shore of The Netherlands in the Wadden Sea. In order to get to the island you need to travel to Harlingen Harbour. There a ferry service runs on a daily bases. There are two types of ferries that go from the harbour in Harlingen to the island Terschelling. The regular ferry with a travelling time of nearly two hours, and a fast service, travelling time 45 minutes. With the latter, it is not possible to take either cars or bicycles. You need to book and pay for your crossing beforehand via the website of the shipping company. www.rederij-doeksen.nl

Flights
From abroad, best way to fly into the country is via the national airport Schiphol, near Amsterdam. There are flexible, usually daily connections between all major European airports and the rest of the world. Check flights on www.schiphol.nl

Public transport
To get from Schiphol Airport to the harbour of Harlingen, where the ferries to the island leave, one can travel by our national railway company, NS. Travel information can be found on their website (also in English), including the train fares. Tickets can be bought at the airport in the main arrival hall of Schiphol, where also the entries to the different train platforms are situated. Or you can buy them online. The travelling time from the airport to the harbour is approximately three hours. www.ns.nl
There are also buses from Amsterdam to Harlingen. Check www.9292ov.nl for more information.

Car
If you come by car, you can follow from Amsterdam the A7 (direction Leeuwarden) and then the N31 from the Afsluitdijk. If you come from the east, you can take the A31 from Leeuwarden. Harlingen Haven (Harlingen harbor) will be signposted from the main roads.
www.routenet.nl
Attention! Due to highway construction on the Afsluitdijk (N31), you may experience delays in your travel time. Please plan accordingly.

Parking
There are various parking facilities in Harlingen, both car parks and parking lots. There is a difference in long-term parking facilities and short term. You will be shown the way to the parking lots by means of signposts all over Harlingen. Most of them have a regular shuttle bus service which connects to the ferry departure times.

Taxi
It is possible to order a cab to transport you to the harbour. The drive is approximately 1½ hrs, depending on the traffic. You can make reservations beforehand and inform yourself on the fare. www.schipholtaxi.net or arrange one via www.schiphol.com
If you are travelling with two or three people, this is a cheaper and faster option than public transport.