the Netherlands
Eindhoven
Away-day guide
Eindhoven is an easy away trip: the centre is compact, the airport transfer is simple and Philips Stadion is about a 15-minute walk from the station. Markt and O’Shea’s are the safer defaults for visiting groups, while the bars immediately beside the stadium are strongly PSV territory.
Public transport
Central Eindhoven is compact: Eindhoven Centraal, Markt, Stratumseind and Philips Stadion are all comfortably walkable. There is no metro or tram. Hermes runs the local buses, with 400 and 401 linking the airport and centre. OVpay is easiest for most visitors: tap the same contactless bank card or phone when boarding and tap out when leaving; each traveller needs a separate card or device. The same system works at NS railway gates, although bus and rail journeys are charged separately. Paper or app-based bus tickets are available, but they are rarely better value for a short weekend. Bravo sells regional day products rather than a simple central Eindhoven tourist pass, so compare the current price with pay-as-you-go travel. Use 9292 for door-to-door planning, the NS app for trains and Bravo for local bus changes.
Typical prices
- Beer (0.5L)
- EUR 6.5
- Coffee
- EUR 3.5
- Meal, mid-range
- EUR 22
- Taxi from airport
- EUR 35
- Single transit ticket
- EUR 4.8
✈ Airports & cheaper alternatives
- Eindhoven Airport EIN primary 8 km Hermes buses 400 and 401 run to Eindhoven Centraal. Allow roughly 25 minutes, longer in the rush hour; use OVpay by tapping a contactless card or phone when boarding and leaving. The obvious choice for Eindhoven and well served by budget airlines. Fares can jump around European match dates, so book early.
- Amsterdam Airport Schiphol AMS alternative 125 km Direct NS Intercity trains normally run from the station beneath the terminal to Eindhoven Centraal. Allow about 1 hour 30 minutes and check the NS app for engineering works. Often useful when Eindhoven flights are expensive or badly timed, but the train adds time and cost.
- Düsseldorf Airport DUS alternative 115 km Take the SkyTrain to Düsseldorf Flughafen railway station, then travel by train via Düsseldorf Hbf and Venlo to Eindhoven. Expect at least two hours and check both DB Navigator and NS before travelling. Can be much cheaper for some routes, particularly with a group, but the cross-border transfer is slower and more vulnerable to delays.
🍺 Supporters' pubs
PSV Eindhoven
Home fans: Stadionbar De Aftrap beside the stadium on Vonderweg, PSV Supportershome at Frederiklaan 10A, Café Bar ’t Lempke on Stratumseind and the official Brainport FANzone east of Philips Stadion. Stratumseind generally is busy with PSV supporters before and after matches.
Away fans: O’Shea’s Irish Pub, Jan van Lieshoutstraat 9, is the most consistently recommended neutral option and has hosted visiting European groups alongside locals. Markt, particularly Grand Café Centraal at Markt 8, is another common gathering point. Drinkers Pub, Kerkstraat 11, is an international-friendly fallback that regularly shows football. None is guaranteed for every fixture: police or door policies can change for high-risk games. Avoid De Aftrap, the PSV Supportershome and the stadium fan zone in away colours; ’t Lempke and the rest of Stratumseind can also become heavily PSV-dominated.
PSV are Eindhoven’s UEFA club in 2026–27. The stadium is close to the centre, so home and away groups can cross paths easily. Visible away groups are better based around O’Shea’s or Markt rather than immediately beside the ground.
Sourced from supporters' forums — always follow your club's and police advice for the fixture.
Nightlife
Stratumseind is the main nightlife strip, packed with bars and clubs and busiest after midnight. It is also a major PSV area, particularly around ’t Lempke, so obvious away groups should use judgement on matchday. Markt is central, easy for groups and generally more neutral, with O’Shea’s just off the square. Wilhelminaplein has traditional cafés and live music with a less frantic crowd, while Kleine Berg is better for food, specialist beer and quieter bars. Eindhoven Centraal is within about ten minutes’ walk of all four areas.
Food & drink
Try friet with mayonnaise, oorlog sauce or a frikandel speciaal, plus bitterballen with mustard. Kapsalon is a filling late-night option found at many kebab shops. Eindhoven has a decent independent beer scene: Van Moll and 100 Watt Brewery are local names, while ordinary cafés usually serve smaller 250ml or 330ml glasses rather than British-style pints. Stratumseind is best for volume and late opening; Kleine Berg and Wilhelminaplein are better for a calmer meal or a few beers.
Cheap eats & beer
For a quick feed, Friture Martin Zwerts on Boschdijk is a well-known old-school chip shop and is within walking distance of Philips Stadion. Happy Italy near Catharinaplein is useful for inexpensive pizza or pasta when a group wants tables without much fuss, while HEMA in the central shopping area is handy for a cheap breakfast or sandwich. Kruisstraat, north of Eindhoven Centraal, has Turkish bakeries, grills and takeaway places that are generally better value than Markt. Bar prices are lower around Wilhelminaplein and in ordinary brown cafés than on the busiest parts of Stratumseind; Markt and the Irish pubs are convenient but not especially cheap. For PSV matches, O’Shea’s, Markt and Drinkers Pub are the sensible neutral choices for away groups. Do not treat De Aftrap or the PSV Supportershome as cheap away-fan drinking options: both are firmly home territory.
Staying safe
Eindhoven is generally straightforward, but matchday common sense matters. Keep away colours covered around De Aftrap, the PSV Supportershome and the immediate home-fan zone, and do not walk alone around the stadium in colours after a tense fixture. Watch for fast-moving bikes and scooters when crossing cycle lanes; looking only for cars is the usual visitor mistake. Keep phones and wallets secure in packed bars on Stratumseind and around Eindhoven Centraal. Public drinking restrictions apply in parts of the centre, and police are quick to act on glass, fireworks, drugs or public urination. Cross-border and Dutch rail engineering works are common at weekends, so check the NS app before the return journey.
On matchday
The PSV away allocation at Philips Stadion is segregated, with visiting supporters required to use the entrance and route printed in the visiting club’s instructions. Each person should keep their own mobile ticket available; ID checks, named tickets or compulsory coach transfers can be imposed for individual European fixtures. Do not enter home or hospitality areas in away colours. Police can close or restrict Frederiklaan, Vonderweg and streets immediately around the ground, and away groups may be held after full time. Eindhoven Centraal does not routinely close, but police may hold, escort or redirect supporters between the station, centre and away entrance. Follow the visiting club’s final travel notice rather than relying on a normal walking route.