We analyze the different transport options available to attend Defqon.1, the biggest hardstyle festival in the world.
Defqon.1 is located in the Netherlands, more specifically in Biddinghuizen, right next to the Walibi Holland amusement park, which we will use as a reference to get there.
HOW TO GET TO THE NETHERLANDS
- Defqon.1 takes place the last week of June, from Thursday to Sunday. Flights are usually reserved for Wednesday, spending a night in a hotel, hostel, Airbnb. It is also possible to travel early on Thursday, although it will depend on the availability of each person. It is important to note that last year, for those who traveled on Wednesday, prices for one night's accommodation in Amsterdam were around €55 per night. Be sure to book in advance.
- To travel to the Netherlands, there are several options. The most convenient way to get to the festival later is fly into Amsterdam Schiphol Airport. The prices of the flights can vary depending on the origin, but can generally be found between €80 and €150, round trip, if booked well in advance.
- Another option is to fly to secondary airports like Eindhoven or Rotterdam, which are usually a little cheaper, but are further away from the festival.
- Different airlines operate these routes, but we recommend Transavia, the Dutch low cost airline. This airline allows you to carry a carry-on bag and a backpack at no additional cost, which is perfect for taking any camping accessory, clothing or food with you without having to pay extra for the plane ticket.
A cheaper option is to fly to Brussels Airport, in Belgium.
HOW TO GET TO DEFQON.1
Once you have landed in the Netherlands or, failing that, Belgium, you have several options:
- DEFQON.1 SHUTTLE
Defqon.1 organizes buses that run from the city center to the festival at different times. These buses are available from Amsterdam (around €50 round trip), Eindhoven (around €80 round trip) and Rotterdam (around €60 round trip). Buses are also organized from Belgium, Germany, Austria and Denmark (prices on request). They can be purchased using the order number on your Weekend Ticket through the Q-dance store. An advantage of this option is that it leaves you exactly at the gate of the festival and you can access campsites 0 and 4 in case of camping in a standard way. Our recommendation for this option is that travel from other cities to Amsterdam using services such as Flixbus, which can cost around €5 to €10.
- Price: € 50 - € 90
- Duration: 1 to 3 hours
- PUBLIC TRANSPORT
This option can be slowest to get to the festival, but not necessarily the cheapest. Depending on your origin, the ticket to Dronten (City closest to the festival) can cost around €17,50 from Amsterdam, €30 from Eindhoven and €27 from Rotterdam. Once in Dronten, Defqon.1 has shuttles that take you directly to the festival. However, last year there were problems due to the large number of people and traffic, which caused long queues and waits of several hours to get on the Dronten shuttles.
- Price: € 35 - € 80
- Duration: 2 to 6 hours
- ORGANIZE PRIVATE BUS
Although it may seem crazy, The number of Spaniards who visit the festival is surprising and it is not difficult at all to find people to fill a bus. For this option, you should contact a Dutch company that offers this service. It is highly recommended to do it well in advance, since you will not be the only ones requesting these services and they run out months before. The prices may vary, but in our two experiences running this service, it has been around between €25 and €50 per person round trip, depending on availability and advance notice. Organizing this can be a bit laborious, but it's a cheaper and more fun way to get to the festival. Like the official buses, this will leave you at the door of the festival. The coach must be registered on the page that you will find in the Q-dance Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) section.
- Price: € 25 - € 50
- Duration: 1 to 3 hours
- CAR RENTAL
For this option, You can rent a vehicle in any of the cities in the Netherlands. Prices are usually between €115 and €200 for the 4 days of the festival. If you fill the car with 5 people, the cost will be around €25 per person, round trip, adding the cost of gasoline. You must return the fuel tank as you received it. For these options, it is recommended that the older person is the driver and it is essential to have a credit card in the name of the driver, since a deposit will be retained that will be returned when returning the car. If you do not have a credit card, the only option you will be offered is to pay for insurance that costs around €200, which makes the process quite expensive. Do not confuse credit card with debit card.
If you rent from Brussels, You have the option of renting a car through applications where individuals offer their vehicles for rent. This option is usually cheaper, but it is not available in the Netherlands, so traveling to Brussels is not a bad option. Approximately, The drive from Brussels takes about 2 hours. You must also pay for parking in Defqon.1, having two options:
- Priority parking (€70): Closer to the festival, slightly faster access and allows camping at campsite 0 and 4.
- Normal parking (€30,50): Closer to campsites 5 and 6, slower access, camping is not allowed at campsites 0 and 4, unless you have Friends Camp, or stay packages.
The advantages of taking your own transport, in addition to not being conditioned by a schedule, is having the option of going to look for something that you are missing at any time. Last year, the queues to access the festival parking lot lasted from 2 to 5 hours.
- Price: € 30 - € 60
- Duration: 1 to 6 hours
