One of the first questions you will deal with is: where in the vicinity of Eindhoven should you live?  The answer to this question depends a lot on two factors: your access to transportation, and where you want to go most frequently.  Expats in Eindhoven tend to live either in the vicinity of their work or in the vicinity of the schools their children attend.

At present, there are concentrations of expatriates living in two primary areas in Eindhoven.  The first is in Nuenen, nearish to the ISSE, and the second is in Veldhoven, nearish to the RIS. Nuenen, (at approximately 2 o’clock if Eindhoven had a clock face set in the middle of it) is just outside the area where the International Secondary School of Eindhoven is located.  Teenagers do bike and take public busses from Nuenen to the ISSE.  The town has a lovely town center; many longtime expats families (if you can still call them such) live here.

Veldhoven has a younger, more spread out, more suburban feel than the town of Nuenen, and it is almost opposite Nuenen on the clock at 7 o’clock.  It is outside the beltway.  Many expats live in Veldhoven because it is physically closer to the Regional International School, ASML, and the new Philips high tech campus.   This is also probably the closest location “in” Eindhoven from which to get to the European School in Mol.

In general a number of expats also live inside the beltway between Karel de Grootlaan, and the high tech campus below Antoon Coolenlaan, and as well on either side of the Eindhovenseweg between the A2 and the Ring.  Other towns that have much lower concentrations of expats are Best (near Philips medical systems) and Aalst/Waalre.

As of September, 2004, the Eindhoven city government is looking to combine the ISSE and RIS onto one campus.  Locations all over the Eindhoven have been discussed, so be sure to learn where it will be before selecting your home.  Note also that the drive between the RIS and the ISSE is approximately 20 to 25 minutes during rush hour periods.