Buses in Maastricht are a great way to get around the city when it’s raining and you can’t be bothered to bike. The bus service is provided by Arriva Transport and you can catch the bus everywhere in the city as well as places like Aachen, Maastricht-Aachen airport and Valkenburg. Arriva is a public transport company that provides bus and train services within the Limburg region.
You can look at the Arriva website or 9292.nl to find the timetable for the bus you need. All bus lines can be found here. All buses work with the OV Chipkaart, the public transport card for the whole of the Netherlands. If you don’t have one yet, you can apply for one here.
If you’re planning on using a certain bus or train journey with Arriva public transport a lot, then you could save money with one of the Arriva subscriptions.
International Buses
How do I take an international bus?
As well as buses around the city, you can catch buses to international destinations. If you’re at the Maastricht station, the bus station is located in front of the station. Buses from Arriva and de Lijn (Belgian bus company) stop here.
Flixbus
It is possible to catch a bus from Maastricht to many other cities in Europe. This might take longer than taking the train but is usually cheaper, and there are plug sockets and wifi on the buses. The main company that is popular with students is Flixbus. There is also an option available to travellers that would like to bring their bikes with them, as many of the Flixbuses have a bike carrier on the back.
Where is the Flixbus station?
The Flixbus bus stop is at the train station, on Meerssenerweg. You can cross the train tracks through the station to get to the bus station. From the train station, walk through the bridge, go down the stairs and walk past the bike racks and the P+R carpark. Keep walking until you reach the bus shelters, which will have signs displaying information about the international buses arriving soon. All international buses that are not part of Arriva will stop here.
Where can I travel by Flixbus?
Currently, there are direct lines to Brussels, Amsterdam, many cities in Germany and even Prague and Italy. If you’re willing to have a connection in your journey, then there is even the option of getting to Rome or Madrid, though it might take you even 25 hours to get there!
Also, make sure you arrive at the bus stop on time! Your ticket will tell you to get there 15 minutes earlier than the departure time. If the bus arrives early, it can leave early too.
Can I travel by bus to Aachen?
Although trains are normally faster and cheaper than buses, the best option to get to Aachen is the Arriva 350 bus. For €6 you can buy a day pass which counts as a one way ticket to Aachen. If you need to get back to Maastricht, buy a return ticket for €8.50 instead. This site provides the most accurate information on prices and information to plan your journey.
Night buses
As a student who is living young, wild and free you may need to travel around the city on a weekend night. Good news! There are night buses on some (but not all) routes on Friday and Saturday night. These routes include lines 4, 5 and 6. All of these run until around 12.30 am. You can check the exact schedule here (in Dutch).
