Bus Hire in Assen

Assen is the capital of the Drenthe province in the northern Netherlands, with around 68,000 residents. The city is internationally known for the TT Circuit Assen, which has hosted a round of the MotoGP World Championship every year since 1925, making it one of the longest-running motorcycle racing venues in the world. The Dutch TT in late June transforms the city and its surroundings; in the weeks around the event, coach capacity across the region is typically fully committed and advance booking is essential.

Drenthe is the most sparsely populated province in the Netherlands and the one with the highest concentration of prehistoric monuments. The hunebedden, megalith tombs built by Neolithic communities around 3,400 BCE, are found only in Drenthe and the adjacent parts of Lower Saxony; there are 54 in the province, the largest group being at Borger, 30 kilometres from Assen. The Drenthe Museum in the city covers the province's prehistory, natural history, and 20th-century history and makes a practical starting point for a wider Drenthe group tour.

The TT Circuit and Race Events

The TT Circuit Assen, with a capacity of around 105,000 spectators, sits on the south-eastern edge of the city. Race weekend in late June, the Dutch TT, is the largest annual event in the northern Netherlands. It requires extensive coach shuttle services between Assen town centre, regional car parks, and the circuit gates, and the whole regional road network is managed for the event. Pre-booking coach hire months in advance for TT week is standard practice. Outside the race weekend, the circuit hosts track days, exhibitions, and events including a summer music festival. The circuit museum covers the history of the race from 1925 to the present.

Getting to Assen

Assen has no commercial airport. Groningen Airport Eelde (GRQ) is around 45 kilometres north, approximately 35 minutes by coach. Amsterdam Schiphol (AMS) is around 200 kilometres south-west, about two hours by coach. The city is on the main rail line between Amsterdam and Groningen, with direct trains from Amsterdam (two hours) and Groningen (20 minutes). The A28 motorway connects Assen south to Zwolle (75 kilometres) and north to Groningen (30 kilometres).

Hunebedden and the Drenthe Landscape

The hunebedden are the most distinctive feature of the Drenthe landscape. These megalith tombs, built from large boulders deposited by glaciers during the last ice age, were constructed by Neolithic farming communities and used for collective burials. The D27 hunebedden route runs north from Assen through Gieten to the National Hunebedden Information Centre at Borger, taking in a sequence of the tombs in their open-field settings along the way. The centre at Borger includes the largest hunebed in the Netherlands. Beyond the prehistoric monuments, the Drents-Friese Wold National Park, around 20 kilometres west of Assen, is the largest continuous area of old forest and heathland in the province, with walking and cycling routes through pine forest and moorland.

Popular Day Trips from Assen

What Bus Hire Costs in Assen

As a rough guide, a minibus (up to 19 seats) in Assen runs around 260 to 460 EUR per day, a midi-coach (around 35 seats) around 430 to 760 EUR per day, and a full-size coach (49 to 55 seats) around 640 to 1,080 EUR per day. Assen has very high demand during TT race week in late June when the entire regional coach fleet is typically committed; book at least three to four months ahead for that week. Outside the race, the northern Netherlands is a quieter market. The final figure depends on your route, the date, and how long you need the vehicle and driver. We confirm a fixed price with no hidden charges, so send your details for a free quote.

Services Available in Assen