Texel Transportation

The English language version of the Wikipedia states that it is possible to fly to Texel (and land on Texel International Airport), but as a matter of fact there haven't been any scheduled international flights to the airport for many, many years ... So the only practical way of getting there is by ferry run by TESO between Den Helder and 't Horntje. Which is what we did, too. Here you can see me trying to catch up on the latest information on Texel by reading a local news bulletin aboard the ferry.

3 more images

The only way to reach Texel is by ferry from Den Helder, the most northern town on the mainland of the Dutch province Noord Holland. The ferry harbour is well signposted. We had to buy our return tickets (once you will have to leave the island) at the ticket booth in Den Helder and paid (2008) € 35,- for ourselves and our car.

Normally the ferry leaves Den Helder every hour on the half hour (from Texel on the hour) for a sailing of about 20 minutes for the 4200 metres to the harbour of ‘t Horntje. There are extra sailings on busy days or moments. It is NOT possible to make reservations for the ferry, which means on peaks moments there might be rather long delays.
The ferries offer a buffet for a drink or snack and digital information about Texel as well.

For information about schedules and the several fares take a look at the website of Teso, the company which is operating the ferry service from the year 1907. (For instance if you want to make a day trip by bike on the island it is much cheaper just to buy a passenger return ticket and to leave your car on the mainland.)

You'll need to take the boat to go to Texel.
Go to Den Helder to catch the boat.

The boat leaves each hour, and the trip takes about 20 minutes.
You then will arrive at Hoorntje.

We went by car, and had to pay per car = 35 euro (2 ways)

Are you nervous about taking your baby or child on a plane trip? You aren't alone, most parents are nervous about it. We have moved with Iris to Texel by car this holiday and drove some distances by car on the island itself and we learned a few things that hopefully will help you.

General:
Bring books, old favourite toys and new surprise toys. Do remember that balls are not a good idea as they can end up anywhere! Our best buys were definitely books, especially sticker books are great! They can peel the stickers off, are glossy, have thick pages to turn easy, have bright colours and come in endless subjects. They're a nice break from the other books your child might be tired of, too. Put aside fears of setting poor eating habits, and bring on the snacks! We told Iris: “Welcome to the world of boredom eating."

Car:
Toy bars meant for stroller use are a big help in the car, as they often feature toys plus a snack cup, and are big and easy for you to grab from the front seat for refills. During the car trip it’s always a good idea to play a game and sing some songs. It sounds rather easy, but it does work!

Finally:
We only have one last statement! Just do it! Don’t be afraid that it might go wrong. We have learned this, because we have been travelling with Iris from the beginning. She was only 6 weeks young when we had our first short vacation and stayed in a hotel. Iris has been used to it rather fast and (maybe because of it) has always been an easy kid to get along with.

If you want to explore the island of Texel the Dutch way, this is simply something you have to do ... drive a bike! You can bring your own bicycle, but there are also more than enough rental bikes available on Texel. There are several rental places spread out over the island. Some rental shops also rent out tandems, ATBs, motorised bicycles and mopeds. The prices are very low and you can always toggle off a nice "all weekend long", "All week long" price. Just try it!

There is over 135 kilometres of cycling path, mostly separate from the road and they will take you anywhere you like. The nice thing about these paths is that they will go right through the dunes, along the beaches and will finish up in a nice little village, in which a nice refreshment is waiting.

Of course, you can explore Texel yourself (like we did), but there are also several cycling routes which allow you to acquaint yourself with the island according to a theme.

Eigen Stoomboot Onderneming N.V. (Teso) has been operating the ferry service between the island of Texel and Den Helder since 1907.

Under normal circumstances, a ferry departs from Texel every hour from 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.

A ferry leaves Den Helder every hour from 6:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.

The crossing takes about 20 minutes.
On Sundays and bank holidays, the ferry service begins one or two hours later, depending on the season.

The island of Texel is part of the Northern Island above the Dutch main land. These islands are called Waddeneilanden (Wadden Islands), named after the sea they are in, the Wadden Sea.

It's one of the few islands on which you are allowed to take your car with you, and there are also limited rental possibilities on Texel. We thought this was a huge advantage as we had to carry along a lot of stuff for our 2 year old daughter.

The roads on Texel are very good and you're able to get to every small town and all the attractions. You can bring your own car to Texel, but there are also limited rental possibilities on Texel.

Members of the Dutch AA can call the ANWB emergency number in case of car trouble: 0800-0888. Help on the island is taken care of through the central emergency room. The signposted Texel route (length 75 km) is also suitable for drivers. The route has also been indicated on the map of Texel.

If you want to go to Texel, you have to come by ferry, there is no bridge from the mainland. The ferry goes from Den Helder to Texel in 20 minutes. You can get on the boat with your car or motorcycle as well as going on foot. On board you can get a bite to eat, or get information on Texel at one of the computers.

A return ticket for passengers costs 4 Euro. The ferry runs from Den Helder to Texel every hour at 30 past, and from Texel to Den Helder every hour at the hour. But be sure to be back at 9 in the evening, that's the last run of teh day.