Connecting your business to Europe
From major seaports and airports to an extensive network of roads, railways and inland waterways, the Netherlands offers seamless multimodal connections that help businesses reach customers across Europe efficiently, reliably and sustainably.
Multimodal connectivity at a glance
30+
inland container terminals
40+
inland ports
Over 500M consumers
across Europe
1-3 days transit time
to most European destinations
All transport modes
road | rail | inland waterways |short sea
Efficient network
multimodal & synchromodal
Seamless connections to European markets
The Netherlands offers one of Europe’s most advanced multimodal transport networks, seamlessly connecting ports, airports, inland terminals and logistics hubs by road, rail and inland waterways. This integrated network enables companies to distribute goods quickly, reliably and sustainably throughout Europe. Whether your priority is speed, cost efficiency or resilience, the Dutch transport system provides flexible access to more than 500 million European consumers.
A fully integrated transport network
The strength of the Netherlands lies in the way different transport modes work together. Extensive road, rail and inland waterway networks connect the country’s ports and airports with logistics hubs and industrial regions across Europe. With more than 30 inland container terminals and dedicated logistics corridors to Germany, Belgium, France, Switzerland and Northern Italy, companies can combine transport modes to optimise transit times, capacity and costs. Inland terminals also bring cargo closer to customers while reducing pressure on the road network.
Smart and flexible logistics
The Netherlands has been one of Europe’s pioneers in developing synchromodal logistics. Building on multimodal transport, synchromodality allows logistics providers to dynamically choose or switch between road, rail and inland waterways based on real-time information such as congestion, capacity or weather conditions. This improves reliability, increases flexibility and helps supply chains recover quickly from disruptions.
Efficient and sustainable distribution
Multimodal transport improves both operational performance and sustainability. By using each transport mode for what it does best—rail and inland waterways for long-distance, high-volume transport and road transport for regional distribution and the last mile—companies can reduce transport costs, improve resilience and significantly lower CO₂ emissions without compromising delivery performance.
Supporting the shift to sustainable transport
The Dutch government actively supports the transition from road transport to rail and inland waterways through investments in infrastructure, inland terminals, rail freight corridors and digital logistics solutions. Programmes that encourage modal shift help companies redesign their transport networks, reduce congestion and create more resilient and future-ready supply chains.
How can HIDC help?
HIDC can help you design an efficient European distribution network by identifying the most suitable transport modes, logistics hubs and service providers for your business. Through our member network, we can introduce you to specialists in multimodal transport, inland shipping, rail freight and integrated supply chain solutions.