EZTrip.com International Destination Guide and Hotel Listings

Groningen's bus and train stations are on the south side of town, fifteen minutes' walk from the VVV at Ged Kattendiep 6 (Mon-Fri 9am-5.30pm, Sat 10am-5pm; tel 0900/202 3050; www.groningen.nl ); they'll give you a short list of private rooms (£5-10/$8-16/¬9-18), though few are near the city centre. Otherwise, the cheapest accommodation is in the dorms of Simplon Jongerenhotel , north of the centre at Boterdiep 73 (tel 050/313 5221; www.xs4all.nl/~simplon ; £5-10/$8-16/¬9-18). Three reasonably priced hotels are just south of the Grote Markt: Friesland , Kleine Pelsterstraat 4 (tel 050/312 1307; £10-15/$16-24/¬18-27); Garni Groningen , Damsterdiep 94 (tel 050/313 5435; £15-20/$24-32/¬27-36); and the likeable old Weeva , Gedempte Zuiderdiep 8 (tel 050/312 9919; £20-25/$32-40/¬36-45), with a decent restaurant. Bus #4 from the train station runs via Peizerweg on a ten-minute ride to the campsite   Stadspark (tel 050/525 1624; mid-March to mid-Oct).

For Groningen's cheapest food , head for Roezemoes , Gedempte Zuiderdiep 15. Best of the rest are concentrated around Poelestraat: Bistango , at no. 14, is a decent Tex-Mex with veggie specialities; the pizzeria Costa Smeralda next door is slightly cheaper; 't Pakhuis , around the corner at Peperstraat 8, has good Dutch snacks and a lively bar in an atmospheric building. On the south side of Grote Markt is a flank of outdoor cafés , best of which are the old-style brown café Der Witz , no. 47, and Hooghoudt , no. 42, which also contains a night café serving food until 4am at weekends. De Smederij , over the canal west of the centre at Tuinstraat 2, is an eetcafé with a great atmosphere; in the opposite direction at Akerstraat 24, you'll find high-quality, moderately priced fish and vegetarian food in Brussels Lof .

Thanks to its large student population, Groningen has good nightlife . For live music try Vera , in the basement at Oosterstraat 44; or Troubadour , Peperstraat 19. De Spieghel , Peperstraat 11, has live jazz most nights. Good clubs include Index , Poelestraat 53, and Palace , Gelkingestraat 1, which occasionally hosts live bands. There's an Internet café at Turfsingel 94.