How do I visit the Dickens Festival in Deventer in 2026?
The Dickens Festival fills Deventer's Bergkwartier with more than 950 characters from Charles Dickens's novels on Saturday, December 12, and Sunday, December 13, 2026, from 10:00 to 17:00. New this year, you buy a ticket for a timed entry slot: €7.50 online or €9 at the door, free for children aged 7 and under, and the slots aim to keep the line under about an hour. The only entrance is via the Keizerstraat, near Hotel Finch, and Deventer is about 112 km from Amsterdam, 1 h 34 by car on a clear road.
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With a driver by the hour: prices per vehicle
| Option | Price | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Business Class, Deventer day from Amsterdam | €65 / hour | per hour · minimum 2 hours · 40 km included per hour · E-Class, EQE, EQE SUV, BMW i5, BMW 5 Series · up to 3 passengers, 3 bags |
| Van Class, Deventer day from Amsterdam | €80 / hour | per hour · minimum 2 hours · 40 km included per hour · V-Class, EQV · up to 7 passengers, 7 bags |
| First Class, Deventer day from Amsterdam | €100 / hour | per hour · minimum 2 hours · 40 km included per hour · S-Class, EQS, EQS SUV, BMW i7 · up to 3 passengers, 3 bags |
By the hour: minimum 2 hours, 40 km included per hour, and the day starts and ends in the same city. The driver waits between stops. Prices are per car, not per person, with 9% Dutch VAT included, and the same day and night. During ADE week (pickups October 20 to 26, 2026) fixed ADE-week prices apply, shown before you book; promo codes cannot be used that week. Booked less than 12 hours before pickup: +10%. At an airport or an intercity station the first 60 minutes of waiting are free, elsewhere 15 minutes; after that waiting is charged per minute at the class's hourly rate (Business €65 an hour). Free cancellation up to 1 hour before pickup.
What is included in the price
- A fixed price confirmed at booking, with VAT included: no meter and no surge
- The chauffeur’s name, car and phone number before pickup, plus e-mail reminders 24 hours and 2 hours ahead
- Water and phone chargers (iOS and Android) in the car
- Status updates to the person who booked, if that is not the passenger: confirmed, chauffeur en route, guest in the car, arrived
Practical
| Item | 2026 |
|---|---|
| Hours | 10:00 to 17:00, both days |
| Tickets | €7.50 online plus a €0.25 fee, €9 at the door; age 7 and under free |
| Entrance | Keizerstraat only, near Hotel Finch |
| Parking | Centrumgarage, Op de Keizer 1, open 24 hours |
| Train | Deventer station is about 3 minutes' walk from the center |
| Accessibility | Assistance dogs skip the line; electric wheelchairs can charge at the Bergkerk |
A day from Amsterdam
Pickup at 08:30, your entry slot at about 10:15, lunch, the Christmas streets of the old town, and back in Amsterdam by early evening. A day of 7 hours: €455 in Business Class, €560 in Van Class for up to 7.
Related questions
Is it busy?
Deventer's Christmas town draws more than 125,000 visitors a year, and more than half come for Dickens.
Is the Dickens Festival in English?
The characters are mostly visual; spoken lines are usually Dutch.
Where are tickets sold?
Only in the organizer's shop or on TicketSwap; the organizer warns against tickets offered on social media.
Sources
- Dickens Festival Deventer (checked October 20, 2026)
Book it, or ask dispatch first
Book online in a few minutes (no account, no app), or send your flight number and address on WhatsApp and dispatch replies in English, 24 hours a day.