Utrecht The Practical Matters

This information should help you find your way around the shops in Utrecht.


Regular business hours for stores are on Monday-Saturday from 10 am. to 6 pm.
Supermarkets stay open longer, usually until 8 pm.
Monday mornings, most stores are closed

Each Thursday is koopavond in Utrecht; all stores in the city center remain open
until 9 pm.

First Sunday of the Month is koopzondag. Stores are open from noon until 5 pm.

Find the exact location of the stores on your Utrecht map or here:
http://maps.google.nl/maps?hl=en&tab=wl

For further reference in the Dutch Yellow Pages: http://www.goudengids.nl/ (also
available in English)


1. Groceries
Supermarkets
Albert Heijn has probably the largest quantity of stores, other supermarket chains
are Super de Boer, Plus Supermarkt and Spar.

Most supermarkets are open on Monday-Friday (8 am. 8 pm.).
On Saturdays opening times usually are from 8 am. 6 pm. On Sunday most are
closed, except the Albert Heijn To Go at Utrecht Centraal Station.
Keep in mind that stores from the same chain may have different opening hours

Albert Heijn
Burgermeester Reigerstraat 57
Damstraat 58
Hammarskjoldhof 64
Nachtegaalstraat 55
Oudegracht 85
Voorstraat 38

Albert Heijn To Go: Utrecht Centraal Station arrival hall
(open until midnight)
Super de Boer
Adriaan van Ostadelaan 40 (closest to UCU campus)
Biltstraat 74
Plus Supermarkt
Hof van St. Jan 27 (near Voorstraat)

Spar supermarket (on UU campus Uithof)
Heidelberglaan 1b


Local Health Food Supermarket (vegetarian and unsprayed food)
De Groene Winkel Zadelstraat 16-18
De Natuurwinkel Nachtegaalstraat 51a
Fruit and vegetable market
All super markets sell a variety of fresh fruit and vegetables.
But the best and usually the cheapest place to buy these, as well as dairy products,
is the market on the Vredenburg square.
Visit this market on: Wednesday, Friday and Saturday from 10.00 17.00 hrs.

2. Restaurants

If you dont feel like cooking your meals and would like to eat out, the best area to
go is the Oudegracht area. Here youll find dozens of restaurants; cafs and bars
serving food from all four corners of the world. Its advisable to make a reservation
especially when dining in large groups.
For students, some restaurants give a discount or serve a relatively cheap dish (this
is called studentenhappen). Some examples are:

The Florin Monday Tuesday - 6 - Nobelstraat 2-4
Mick OConnells - Tuesday Wednesday - 5,50 - Jansdam 3
Popocatepetl - Monday to Wednesday - 5,90 - Nobelstraat 163
Havana - Sunday to Thursday - 6,50 - Oudkerkhof 29
Stairway to Heaven - Every day - 8 - Mariaplaats 11/12

Websites like www.utrechtyourway.nl can also help you make a choice.
Ordering in:
Pizza delivery
Il Forno, Jan van Scorelstraat 62, 030 254 57 75,
http://www.pizzeriailforno.nl/
New York Pizza, Nobelstraat 6, 030 240 02 04,
http://www.newyorkpizza.nl/
Pizzeria Pinocchio, Nobelstraat 26a, 030 240 01 92
http://pizzeria-pinocchio.nl/
Dominos Pizza Rijnlaan 6a, 030 288 87 12
http://www.dominos.nl/web/dominos/home

Mexican Food
Taco Mundo, Voorstraat 83, 0900 123 82 26,
http://www.tacomundo.com/

Oriental Food
Daily Wok, Nachtegaalstraat 68, 030 231 43 44
http://www.dailywok.nl/ (no delivery)
Wok To Go, Burgermeester Reigerstraat 27, 030 251 99 02
http://www.woktogo.nl/

Fast Food
MacDonalds - Oudegracht 136
- Gildenkwartier 204 (Hoog Catherijne shopping mall)
Burger King - Stationshall 10 (Railway station arrival hall)


Snackbar
Here typically Dutch fast food is sold, as well as French fries.
Unlike the English we dont put vinegar on our fries but anything from mayonnaise to
ketchup, onions, sate sauce, garlic sauce etc.

Examples of Dutch snacks:
Kroket: small deep fried roll: crunchy outside, minced meat on the inside.
Frikandel: a sort of deep fried minced meat hot dog.
Cheese Souffl: deep fried cheese snack, crunchy outside, melted cheese on the
inside.

Snackbar De Smurf, Jan van Scorelstraat 28
Snackbar De Reiger, Burgermeester Reigerstraat 56
Manneken Pis (Belgian style fries), Vredenburgplein 144
Bakkerstraat 1
Steenweg 2

Sandwiches
Broodnodig op t Spoor Wagenstraat 50
Bagels en zo Nachtegaalstraat 70 (open from 09.00-18.00 hrs)
Bagels & Beans Biltstraat 60
Pizzakraam Mario - Oudegracht 130-132 (Famous among students for its broodje
Mario)
Park Caf Prins Hendriklaan 2 (this is a restaurant near campus, prices are mid-
range and you can take away sandwiches)
Vegetarian
Vegetarian restaurant De Werfkring Oudegracht 123, 030 231 17 52
Vegan restaurant ACU Voorstraat 71, 030 231 45 90

Cafeteria on campus

UCU campus:
James Boswell Restaurant - Kriekenpitplein 21-22 (open for breakfast and lunch).

UU campus (Uithof)
The Basket Genevelaan 8, 030 251 67 83
http://utrecht.thebasket.nl/
3. Phones

Pre-paid cell phones are frequently on offer; underneath youll find a list with stores.
Its certainly worth shopping around for the best offer.
Once youve bought one, ask the store employee to switch the phone language and
the upgrade menu language into English.

Telecom providers

Achter Clarenburg 22 (near entrance Hoog Catherijne
shopping mall)
Lange Elisabethstraat 26, 030 236 87 51, www.vodaphone.nl
Lange Elisabethstraat 23
Lange Elisabethstraat 34

Stores that sell phones

Achter Clarenburg 23, 030 230 01 00,
www.belcompany.nl

Vredeburg 151, 030 231 16 82,
http://www.dixons.nl/

Vredeburg 156, 030 231 78 36,
http://www.phonehouse.nl/

Vredeburg 152-153, 030 239 30 00,
http://www.gsm-shop.nl/

Achter Clarenburg 37, 030 234 50 50
http://www.tfortelecom.nl/

Gildenkwartier 181, 030 233 71 00,
www.mediamarkt.nl


Rijnkade 5 (Hoog Catherijne shopping mall)
http://electronica.vd.nl/Telefonie/Mobiele_Telefoon

Nachtegaalstraat 55 or Achter Clarenburg 46

There are several stores which offer cell phones, supermarkets like Albert Heijn
frequently have offers. Website: http://telecom.ah.nl/ahm/mcsmambo.p
4. Bikes

Bikes are the easiest way to get around Dutch cities, everybody has at least one.
An average price for a second-hand bike is about 60,- depending on the state of
maintenance. This price usually doesnt include locks.

Since bikes are stolen quite frequently, it is advisable to have a bike with two locks,
one ring shaped lock attached to the frame and one additional U-shaped or chain
lock.
Make sure you use the second lock to attach your bike to something that cant be
removed so easily, for example a fence! Use the lock in such a way that the wheel is
locked to the frame, because otherwise you may only recover your front wheel whilst
the rest is stolen.

Some addresses:
Fietspunt Nobelstraat 293, 030 230 08 49, www.fietspunt.net
Hei-Bike Nachtegaalstraat 1, 030 230 29 16
Wheels Nobelsstraat 3-5, 030 232 82 21
http://www.wheelstweewielers.nl/default.asp
Laag Catherijne Catherijensingel 34, 030 231 67 80
http://www.laagcatharijne.nl/index.html


If you lose the keys of your bike lock, call Fietspunt (030 230 08 49) to make an
appointment for cutting the locks.


5. Public Transport

Many destinations can be easily reached by bus. For information about Utrecht city
buses, go to GVU Information Kiosk at the city bus station or telephone OV Travel
information: 0900-9292 or visit www.9292ov.nl. This website will tell you exactly
how to travel from destination A to destination B.
Information about other public services is also available through this number. For
bus and tram a strippenkaart is required. Buy them at the Central Railroad Station,
GVU, Bruna bookshop or tobacco shop.
Important!: A new paying system for public transport is being implemented. In
Utrecht you can use it, but you are not obliged to, a strippenkaart is still valid. If
you go to Rotterdam or Amsterdam, however, you will need an OV Chip Card. You
can buy one at the Central Station and put money on it.

For information on trains: please visit ww.ns.nl.

Taxi
Utrechtse Taxi Centrale
T: (030) 230 04 00 www.utc.nl

Taxi Midden Nederland
T: (030) 299 25 08

Mobinet
T: (030) 287 90 00

Note that taxi services tend to be quite expensive in the Netherlands.


6. Money

ATM

Utrecht city center has quite a large number of ATMs. Most of these will accept your
bank card. In case of doubt, compare the pictographs on the back of your card with
those published on the ATM.

The ATM closest to UCU campus:
ABN AMRO: Adriaan van Ostadelaan 22

ATM on UU campus (Uithof)
ING: Coimbrapad 1b

Chip card

A non-rechargeable chipcard work on university vending machines, ticket machines
at the railway station etc. If youre running low on credit, here are some addresses
where you can purchase a new one.

Uithof (UU campus)
Marinus Ruppert Building Leuvenlaan 21
University Library Heidelberglaan 2

City center:
Humanities Department t Hoogt 13
University Library Drift 27

Credit Card
In super markets, pharmacies, drugstores and small shops payment by credit card
will in general not be accepted. But you can of course always use your credit card for
withdrawal and pay cash.



International payments or sending money to an recipient in the Netherlands

If you need to send money abroad or have a large bill to pay in the Netherlands, for
a small fee Grenswisselkantoor (GWK) offices take care of this for you. The GWK is
also an exchange office.
Most large cities have a branch office located at the central railway station.

To make a payment, withdraw the amount from a local ATM and bring the money,
passport and banking details of the recipient to the GWK near you. After submitting
the money, youll receive a proof of payment.


7. Useful stores

Hoog Catherijne (Utrecht railway station) Shopping mall attached to Utrecht
Centraal Railway station.
Department stores

Hoog Cartherijne shopping mall: a Dutch chain of
department stores which sell designer clothing & shoes, jewelry, cosmetics, a wide
selection of books, CD & DVD home entertainment, electrical goods, stationery,
cards & posters, furniture, home wares and a selection of delicatessen. The average
V&D store also features one or more restaurants, a travel agent and an ING ATM.
Steenweg 59: a Dutch department store chain. The chain is
characterized by relative low pricing of generic house wares, which are mostly made
by and for the chain itself. Almost every town in the Netherlands has a HEMA.
Locations carry a wide variety of goods, including clothing, food, bicycle equipment,
gardening tools, and office supplies.
Nachtegaalstraat 55 or Achter Clarenburg 46: Blokker is
a chain of stores which sell a variety of household goods kitchen utensils, lamps,
cleaning equipment etc. Blokker also has cell phone offers
Achter Clarenburg 20-22: Comparable to Blokker with a
little more focus on interior design items.
Burgermeester Reigerstraat 42, Nachtegaalstraat 82,
Steenweg 72 A chain of stores which sells non-prescription medicines such as
cold medicine, aspirin, etc. as well as a large variety of personal care products.
Adriaan van Ostadelaan 18, Nachtegaalstraat 20
Comparable to ETOS but often cheaper.
VVV - Domplein 9/10 Utrecht tourist information desk and one
of Utrechts souvenirs sales points.