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Being set up as a commuter city, Zoetermeer has a very good infrastructure.
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By car
From the A12 highway, take the "Zoetermeer-Centrum", "Zoetermeer" or "Bleiswijk" exit. The "Zoetermeer-Centrum" exit/ramp is only accessible from/to The Hague, "Zoetermeer" also from Utrecht. Bleiswijk is a neighboring town who's exit gives easy access the the most recently build part of Zoetermeer: District Oosterheem.
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By train
From The Hague you can take the sprinter train to Gouda or Utrecht. Jump out at "Zoetermeer" or "Zoetermeer Oost".
Please note: The Intercity Services do NOT call at Zoetermeer Stations.
You can also take the "Randstadrail", which is somewhat a crossover of a light rail and a tram. This system runs throughout the city. It also connects Zoetermeer with the Hague, Rotterdam and Leidschendam.
Station "Zoetermeer" has a Randstadrail platform, a train platform and a bus platform. Station "Zoetermeer Oost" only has train and bus platforms. Station "Zoetermeer" is best served by these types of transport.
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Zoetermeer has a excellent transportation system. The "Randstadrail" runs throughout the whole city. Parts that are not covered by it are easily reachable by bus.
When coming from The Hague or Utrecht you probably end up at "Zoetermeer" train station, part of "Mandelabrug" (Mandela bridge), which is also a bicycle/footbridge. You can walk across the footbridge to any other desired platform. You can find the Randstadrail, which can bring you to "Zoetermeer Centrum West". All buses depart there. You can also find the police station, shops and town hall a moments walk from "Centrum West". Some bus lines also service the bus platform of station "Zoetermeer".
You can buy a ticket on the bus from the driver: Note that this is quite expensive, between €2 and €4 for a one-way ticket! Like the rest of the Netherlands, all buses, trams and trains otherwise require a OV-chipcard. These can be bought at most train stations, kiosks and some supermarkets. The cost of a blank card is €7,50, after which you will have to top them up using special vending machines.
The "Randstadrail" has a ticket machine on board, but beware, they will only take coins. If you don't have any, or the machine is broken, walk up to the conductors as soon as they come in. If you are a foreigner, they will either let it be, or require you to buy a (more expensive) ticket with them. Probably the first option though.
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Zoetermeer is not that much when it comes to sightseeing material. There are some, listed below, but the most interesting thing about Zoetermeer is Zoetermeer itself. Since it's truly a planned city constantly expanded over a 50 year span, it's a museum of ideals and concepts in it's own right. Every district is conceived and build in a different era, reflecting what was perceived as the perfect neighborhood structure at the time.
* With first constructions dating back to the 16th century, it's one of the oldest buildings in Zoetermeer. The Italian architect Guidici made the design in Classicist style. The church houses some nice antiquities, for example a Lodewijk XVI style pulpit. A sculpture made in 1664 by Harmannus Brouckman from nearby Leiden.
* In its present shape, it's been around since 1896. You can visit the windmill when the blue wimple (flag) is up or when it working.
* A small museum about the history of the city with temporary exhibits.
* A 45m watertower built in 1928. Not really interesting to see unless you have some special affection for them.
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Zoetermeer likes to see itself as a fun city. Its possible to do some snowboarding or skiing, ice-skating, see movies, rockclimbing, do some rafting or white water canoeing.
*
The biggest indoor ski facility of Europe, here you can do some skiing and snowboarding. There is also a restaurant with a nice view on the piste.
* Indoor climbing, obstacle course, bow shooting, canoing, abseiling, minefield game... You name it.
* Mainly indoor ice skating, consisting of an 250m oval and an ice hockey platform. Also used for events.
*Karts, lasergame, bubble football, bungee run, bungee soccer, mission impossible and many more.
* Wild water course for rafting and canoeing. And "Flowrider", an artificially created 2 meter high wave for body boarding and flowboarding.
* The only cinema in town.
* Cultuurpodium De Boerderij is a venue mostly used for concerts but it is used for theater and comedy as well. Besides the big venue there's also a cafe sporting it's own stage. It also has practice rooms for amateur musicians. Check out the list of upcoming shows on it's website.
* A well hidden small cozy music center, located in a public park together with sports facilities. It features four practice rooms for musicians and a main stage in a room suitable for around 150-200 visitors. See the list of upcoming shows on it's website. It's known for it's good sound, nice atmosphere and wide array of beverages to choose from.
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Zoetermeer has an excellent shopping area called 'het Stadshart' (meaning city heart). It's easily reachable by public transport, just go to station "Centrum West".
It has the usual set of brands and shopping chains: H&M, WE, C&A, Primark, Hema, V&D, Xenos, Kruidvat, Apple store, Media Markt, etc.
Just a short walk from the Stadshart, you will find the Dorpsstraat. This is the oldest part of the city and offers a wide variety of specialty shops and boutiques.
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There are a lot of small restaurants in Zoetermeer, these are just a few of the decent ones:
*
* Eten & Zo serves food from all over the world. It's a large restaurant with a different kind of food from a different part of the world in each corner.
* Serves a varied menu depending on the season.
* One of Zoetermeer's hidden treasures when it comes to cuisine. Bookable from 10 people onwards.
* Romagna is an excellent true Italian ristorante, serving Italian food such as pasta and of course pizza.
* Selamat Datang is a nice example of remnants from the colonial history of The Netherlands. It serves Indonesian food.
*
*
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Like restaurants, there are few pubs in Zoetermeer.
You will find some in the old centre (Dorpsstraat), mostly open at daytime.
Around the 'Stadhuisplein', there are some pubs (The Old Pal, Queen of Hearts, Vrienden).
These are opened until 2:00 a.m. in weekends, until 00.00 at weekdays (Sunday-Thursday)
It is strictly forbidden in the centre of Zoetermeer to have any opened cans, bottles, etc. containing alcoholic beverages. There is strict police enforcement and a fine will set you back €60.
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There are some hotels in Zoetermeer, they mostly cater to businessmen. Here are a few:
* Exclusive hotel.
*
*
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Alternatively there is:
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And there's couch surfing.,The community is quite active and sufficiently large.
This is also advised if you are having troubles finding a host in, for example, The Hague, since its only 20 mins by train or Randstadrail from downtown to downtown.
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The international calling code for the Netherlands is 31. The netcode for Zoetermeer is 79.
The Dorpstraat and the Stadshart feature government-sponsored free WiFi. There's lots of wireless connectivity elsewhere too.
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[wiki=b715e2852dc2609a2e60a8a9435d4e57]nl:Zoetermeer[/wiki]
[[Wikipedia:Zoetermeer]]
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