Transport:

9292

This is an essential app for students navigating public transportation in Maastricht. 

Here you can find up-to-date travel information for trains and buses. You can also use it in other cities in the Netherlands, so it also applies to trams, subways and ferries. 

The main reason why we love this app is because it allows you to easily plan journeys by entering your starting point and destination! The app then provides you with travel times, transfer points, and fare information. Most importantly, knowing both Arriva and NS sometimes cause some struggles, real-time updates on delays and disruptions are provided so you can adjust your plans on the go! 

SnappCar

In case you have a driver’s licence but don’t have a car, this app connects you with people who have one and are willing to share it! Both reasonably priced and eco-friendly, you could say this is an alternative to the traditional car rental services, and can help save you some money in comparison, especially if you share the price among more people. The app comes with a bunch of safety features, such as insurance and user reviews, to make sure you get a trustworthy experience! We’d recommend it for short getaway trips or moving out, as it’s more flexible than a normal rental process and saves you some hassle.

Glimble

If you do prefer public transport over car rentals, you can try out Glimble. The app is developed by Arriva and provides similar features to 9292, but also includes the option to buy a ticket through the app! One thing you might not be aware of is that here in The Netherlands if you buy a paper-based ticket from the bus driver, you’ll be charged for the whole route the bus goes on regardless of the station your journey starts and ends at. However, if you scan your OV chipkaart or your debit card at the beginning and end of your trip, you’ll be charged less, specifically for the amount of stops travelled. If you for instance forgot your wallet at home and hate using NFC payments on your phone, you can simply indicate the start and end point of your journey on the app and buy the ticket for the same lowered fare!

Groceries:

Flink 

This is a rapid delivery service that has become increasingly popular among students here. Besides the comfort and convenience of ordering groceries from your couch instead of braving the rain to get to Albert Heijn, another life-hack Flink provides is that they’re open until 23.59 – almost four hours later than normal supermarkets in town! If you have a busy schedule, forgot to get your groceries in time or simply don’t want to go to your neighbourhood store, explore other options such as this one and keep an eye out for discount vouchers!

Weather:

Buienradar

Everyone in the Netherlands complains about the weather often. What if we told you there’s a way to master weather forecasting and pinpoint the exact perfect time to leave the library so you won’t get soaked on the way home? Buienradar provides real-time radar images showing precipitation, allowing users to see exactly when and where rain will occur, but it’s not limited to that. You can see other things including temperature, wind speed, and UV index, making it easier to decide what to wear and how to plan your day! If you allow the app access, it will also send you notifications in case the weather’s about to take a turn for the worse.

Health:

Uw Zorg Online

If you follow us, you already know what a GP is. If you’re not familiar with the term, make sure to read more about general practitioners … (insert link), as they are the bridge between you and access to specialist medical care in the Netherlands. This app is meant to facilitate communication between you and your doctor – you can set up appointments, e-consultations or manage your medicine prescriptions. It’s convenient as it works 24/7 and often reduces the wait times of phone calls, and you can also find parts of your medical records on there!

Studying:

Study Drive

If you’re reading this, you’re most likely a student. If that’s the case and you have no idea what Study Drive is, you’re truly missing out. This platform is designed for students to share and access a wide range of study materials, categorised by courses. You can find a lot of useful resources here, from other people’s notes to past exam samples or solved exercises to help you grasp the course material better. You can also upload your own notes and earn points which then allows you to buy different items from their store at a discount, such as cute notebooks, hoodies or hydro flasks – saving some money and helping others sounds like a win-win to us!

Forest

If you’re struggling with focus, this is the app for you. Forest allows you to set a timer for the amount of time you want to stay focused – during this period a virtual tree grows! You can see how many trees you’ve grown in your virtual forest and get the fulfilment of observing your productivity streaks. If you exit the app while the tree is growing, it will die (extreme, we know, but it does wonders for motivation), but if you succeed you get coins, making this app a bit of a game as well. The super fun part about this app is that they partner with tree-planting organisations like Trees for the Future, and you can spend the coins you earned to plant real trees – reducing distractions and saving the planet, what better combination is there?

Furniture:

Marktplaats

Although you’ve probably already heard about this one, it’s too handy to not include it in the list. One of the leading online marketplaces in the Netherlands, you can use this not only to buy but also to sell a wide range of items, from textbooks and furniture to electronics and clothing. If you’re looking to furnish your apartments on a budget, especially if you’re on exchange/ will not be staying there long, this is one of the best options in terms of quality and price ratio!