Take Heart: Connect 2026

Please arrive at Emmaus between 1400-1800 on Tuesday, July 21. 

Evening meals at Emmaus (including our first night) are called "bread meals," and are very low-key. The main meal is midday. Please plan accordingly and have a nice lunch on the way! 

Address: Udenhoutseweg 15, 5268 CG Helvoirt

Fly into Amsterdam (AMS) Schiphol airport. Please allow at least 2.5 hours from your landing time to arriving at Emmaus. Please plan your flights accordingly. When you exit the airport with your bags, you come out into a mall-like area, called Schiphol Plaza. Directly below it is the train station. You can buy one-way or round-trip tickets to the city of 's-Hertogenbosch (known as "Den Bosch"), either using the yellow NS kiosks, or buying ahead of time. We strongly recommend you buy your train ticket ahead of time so you don't have to worry about it. 

Trains directly from Schiphol to 's-Hertogenbosch run hourly, and take 73 minutes (full details and option to buy online here.) Alternatively, download the NS trains app; you can buy your ticket right in the app. You WILL need to return to Schiphol after the conference so you may wish to buy a round trip. Note that the name of 's-Hertogenbosch begins with an apostrophe when you are searching for tickets! Your ticket is generally valid for ANY TRAIN, all day, until 0400 the next morning. 

PLEASE BE CAREFUL: We encourage you to be sure you get on a direct train to 's-Hertogenbosch/Den Bosch so you don't have to transfer trains! 

The plan currently is for van transfers from the 's-Hertogenbosch train station to Emmaus. We will ask for your itinerary (flight and expected train arrival in Den Bosch). If you arrive outside normal hours, we'll likely ask you to take a taxi or Uber from Den Bosch. If loads of people all arrive on the same train, we may need to coordinate via taxis anyway, as we will only have one van. The ride to Emmaus is about 15 minutes. 

PS: If you arrive early and want to explore Amsterdam before coming to Emmaus, Schiphol airport has luggage storage . To avoid confusion, be sure you store bags LANDSIDE. There are also lockers AIRSIDE (for people with long layovers who want to visit Amsterdam), but that requires another boarding pass! You don't want that: check for the luggage lockers OUTSIDE ARRIVALS. 

Emmaus Bezinningcentrum lies in the countryside, surrounded by fields and forests. It is a beautiful area! It lies about a 25 minute walk from Helvoirt, the nearest village, where Aldi and Plus supermarkets may be found.

Emmaus is NOT a hotel, it is a Catholic retreat center. According to Dutch custom, the breakfast and evening meals are low key and are called "bread meals." They include cold cuts and cheeses, spreads and butter, and fruit in the evenings. The main meal of the day includes soup, as well as hot main courses and desserts prepared by the chef. They can accommodate most food allergies or needs, as long as we let them know in advance. If you have an allergy, such as lactose or gluten free, know that your resulting choices may be more limited than at a large hotel. Please consider bringing along some favorite snacks or options for yourself for the bread meals. 

The rooms are very clean and comfortable. We have opted for the towel and bedding service, so when you check in, you will be given a bedding set. Please note that there are no shampoos or soaps in the rooms, you need to bring that along. 

Will it be hot? WHO KNOWS? It could be :). While the Netherlands is usually mild, it can experience heat waves at times. Emmaus only has a few air-conditioned breakout rooms. The main meeting hall and lodging rooms are NOT air conditioned. You may wish to bring along a small fan!

1. Consider bringing:

• • A small, personal fan. The main meeting hall and lodging rooms are NOT air conditioned. 

  • Snacks. The morning and evening meals are "bread meals", in accordance with Dutch custom, and may be lighter than what you prefer.

  • Shampoo and Soap. These items are NOT provided by the retreat center.

2. Eat lunch on your way to Connect. The evening meals at the retreat center are low key and are called "bread meals." They include cold cuts and cheeses, spreads and butter, and fruit.

3. Refund Policy:

• • Before July 1 : 100%

  • After July1: no refunds

4. Travel Insurance: We strongly recommend that, when booking to come to Connect, you arrange suitable travel insurance at the same time to cover things such as:

• • Flight delays or cancellations w

  • Loss of luggage

  • Health care while you are away

  • Theft or loss of money or possessions

  • Accidents

If you are an EU citizen, you should also bring with you a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC), which will cover you for some or all medical expenses.

5.  Updating your registration information: Send an email to Connect2026@gocommunitas.org with the information you need to change or add.