Outrunning My Feet
Outgrowing My Shoes
• Netherlands •

A gloomy day trip biking through Eindhoven

When you think of a place you'd like to raise your children with good education and a safe social structure it's natural to gravitate towards places like Norway, Sweden, the Netherlands, etc. It's more of some far away place you can compare to the shortfalls of the American way of life than an idea for a vacation. Even Google will tell you that it is "an ideal 2-3 day destination for lovers of design, modern architecture, and industrial history." Wow...groundbreaking. Well, I'm here to tell you that we were pleasantly surprise by Eindhoven. It was a totally adorable city with a lot of bikes. When in Rome! Or, I guess, when in the-way-colder-more-architectural-less-roman-empire-version-of-Rome? I say that to say, Aiden re-taught me how to ride a bike (am embarassingly life long struggle of mine) and we were on our way!

July 12, 2024
Eindhoven
Day trip, electric bikes, city center, easy wandering
Pretty much the only must-see activity we had for this section of the itinerary was this giant bowling statue. It was a 2000 public art installation that cost €1.1 million to showcase the city's innovative and "strike energy" spirit according to the artists Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen.

The quick snapshot

Dates
July 12, 2024
Where we stayed
Day trip only — no overnight stay
Trip style
Quick city stop, biking, public transit, and casual exploring
Overall rating
6.5 / 10
Where we stayed

Stay details

Hotel / Airbnb

Area: Eindhoven

What I liked: Because it was only a day trip, everything felt light and easy. By this point in the trip, we had really mastered getting around with the backpacks and the bikes made it even easier. The abstract hope that the day would work itself out was enough to get us through and it unfolded quite nicely. I honestly felt like one day was plenty.

What I didn’t: If anything, I wish we had given ourselves a little more time to see what the city felt like after dark.

Would I stay here again? Yes — I would love to come back and explore more slowly.

Booking notes

  • Trip type: Day trip
  • Best for: A flexible one-day stop where you want to wander, bike, eat something good, and keep the schedule loose.
  • Good to know: The city was super easy to move through without needing a car.

Getting there

Travel: Flew in from Vilnius

Travel cost: $32.00 per person, ($64.00 total)

Arrival notes: Arrival was easy, and the public transportation felt simple right away. We did have to go through customs and the gate agent was pretty indifferent about our travel plans. He asked where we came from and where we were going so I started to tell him about our European Tour plan and that I thought Aiden was planning on proposing on the trip. He stopped me halfway through to tell me he didn't actually care, and asked if I had anything in my bag that I wasn't supposed to. For reference, I was correct and Aiden proposed three days later. Once we got out of the airport we hopped onto a tram and rode into the city. After that, we walked to the bowling pins and grabbed some bikes. There were rental bikes everywhere, which made the whole city feel extra accessible and fun to move through. The architecture was, admittedly, spectacular and it was quite a colorful city despite the rain.

Food + drink

Where we ate and what we ordered

What we ordered: Chicken skewers and mango sticky rice at Mood Streetfood in Eindhoven

The story: As far as traditional Dutch food goes, we weren’t particularly interested. We ended up biking into Winkelcentrum, the city shopping center. We walked around a bit until wandering upon some delicious-smelling Asian food. The mango sticky rice was absolutely delicious, and the chicken skewers were great. Unfortunately, every kebab that we eat is in a head-to-head competition with the шашлыки in the Riga Central Market. Overall, totally delicious and sparked a love for mango sticky rice within us.

Rating: 7.5 / 10

Would I go back? Yes

Notes: Unfortunately, this restaurant location has since closed. I do still recommend exploring the shopping center if you ever find yourself in Eindhoven.

Daily notes

What we did, day by day

Day 1

Date: July 12, 2024

Main plan: Arrive in Eindhoven, take the bus through the city, hop on electric bikes near the bowling-pin structure, and ride into the city center to explore.

Best part: Biking around the city was easily the highlight. It made Eindhoven feel playful, easy, and very much itself. There is something so fun about landing somewhere brand new and almost immediately moving through it on two wheels like you belong there.

Worth repeating? Absolutely

Little moments I do not want to forget

Memory: The weather was a little gloomy, but it somehow worked with the city instead of against it. The people felt a bit standoffish at first, but still generally kind, and the whole day ended up feeling much warmer than we figured it would.

Why it mattered: Eindhoven surprised me by being more fun and more charming than I expected. It reminded me that not every travel day has to be loud, packed, or dramatic to be worth keeping.

Worth keeping? Definitely

Favorites

Best part: Riding electric bikes through Eindhoven

Best food memory: The mango sticky rice

Best activity: Letting the city unfold by bus and bike instead of rushing it

Best little moment: Realizing a gloomy weather day could still feel so fun and easy.

What I’d recommend

Use the public transit, rent the bikes, and keep the day flexible. Eindhoven felt like the kind of place that rewards just moving through it naturally instead of trying to over-plan every hour. It is a great stop for wandering without making the day feel too serious.

What I’d skip

Honestly, not much. I just wish we had given ourselves a little more time. Eindhoven felt like a city with more to offer than we got to see in one day, and I think it would have been nice to see how it felt at night or with a slower morning.