Question Regarding Economical Transportation from Amsterdam to Groningen

If you want an economical option, take the train. With 5 checked suitcases and three persons, a taxi will probably cost around €200, the train tickets less than half of that. And there are direct trains from Schiphol to Groningen so no need to change along the way.

It is too late for you but for others who may read this later with a similar question. You may have packed too much stuff. When our son studied abroad for a year, he was advised by the program director to take no more than a two weeks of clothing. And buy what is needed once he arrives and has a little feel for the current environment. Regardless of what he takes it will still be American style clothing and students will want to wear clothing that matches their peers in class. That was true. We visited about three months later and met in a cafe. He looked and dressed just like any other Spanish student. At first we didn't recognize him and until quite close. We carried home all of his US clothing except for blue jeans.

Frank has a good point. Does she really need all that stuff?

Good point 😂😜🤪

Getting all her stuff home will be an even bigger issue, I'm afraid. She will naturally buy things while she's there. Even on the way over, unless you have the right sort of credit card, your airline is going to charge extra for the 4th and 5th bags, isn't it?

Acraven
Between our three airline tickets, we are able to take over all checked bags at no additional cost. She will actually be there for at least three years, more likely four years with only trips back to the USA to visit us. So I guess we won’t have to worry about moving it all back for some years…

But what is she bringing? There are shops in Groningen.

Unless she is taking text books, computers, reference critical to her graduate studies, you still have a week to cut everything in half. When our son returned he sold or gave away most of his items he had acquired in Europe. Expensive things like a leather jacket, shoes, etc. he kept but the daily stuff went into the next student's wardrobe. And remember none of the US electric things like hair dryer, curling irons, etc. will not work well on a 240v even if dual voltage. Anything that has a cord (computer, excluded) including cell phone needs to be purchased in Europe especially if she is going to be there for four years. It all will work much better if local.

"She will actually be there for at least three years, more likely four years with only trips back to the USA to visit us. So I guess we won’t have to worry about moving it all back for some years…"

I'd be more concerned about her having to move it herself if she doesn't live in the same place the whole time. 😉 Especially if she has to schlep it up and down several flights of stairs. I'd also be concerned that all those suitcases will take up a lot of space wherever she lives unless she has a separate place to store them.

I'm imagining a scenario where she gradually brings them all back home on her visits, if she doesn't get rid of them locally, like some folks have reported their student kids did. 😁

It was the dim, dark past of the early 1980's, that I lived in Nuremberg for 3 years, working for the US Army. As a civilian, we were not allowed to live on post. The only place I could find was on the top floor of a building without an elevator. It was 99 steps up to my apartment. Not a problem at 36, but it's amazing how many young people can't imagine doing any stairs at all. And of course, the stairs in the Netherlands are narrow, steep and plentiful.

Similar to what someone already mentioned, even though I had access to the Commissary and PX, I quickly chose to shop for shoes and clothes "on the economy," both for style and fit. I also tended to shop at the grocery store around the corner from where I lived and not get much at a time.

With dual voltage electronics, it's a different world now. She can probably use typical plug adapters like these, but there may not be very many sockets in the right places to plug into. When my husband needed to plug in his Cpap, phone and tablet all on the same side of the bed, we bought a European power strip with 4 sockets. We used plug adapters
between the American plugs and the European sockets. We got it at a grocery store in Bruges.

She may need something similar for where she lives, for her electronics and for any European appliances she might get. There are many options to choose from. I agree that she should plan to get as many appliances as she needs locally. They will work much better.

For inexpensive incidentals once she has arrived - everything from AA batteries to snacks to plates and inexpensive linens and ear buds it is worth her finding where the local branches of HEMA are. Lots of good stuff. They make very good packaged Stroopwafel. https://www.hema.nl/ There are 6 branches in Groningen.