Cheapest way to travel by train in the Netherlands?

[freddie1729]

I will be visiting the Netherlands shortly and was wondering if there's any good value way to use the trains. Lots of the tickets are quite expensive. E.g. €20.80 single for Rotterdam to Amsterdam

I've looked into the season tickets that give you 40% off but you need a Dutch credit/debit card and Dutch address for that.

Group tickets would work if I was in a group but there's only two of us so none of the journeys we want are cheaper.

A Benelux Interrail pass is too expensive too.

Anything else I haven't thought of?

We want to visit several Dutch cities while staying in Rotterdam.

I've just found the Gaiyo app, which gives a 10% discount buying on there so that's decent.

 

[DanielB]

When you've already got a personal OV-chipcard it's also possible to buy the 40% discount product by phone via the customer service. But unfortunately the OV-chipcard website only supports Dutch, Belgian, Luxemburgian and German adresses to order such a card.

Next best alternative for train travel is the Holland Travel Ticket which is valid as a day ticket. The off-peak variant costs € 48 (not valid in the morning peak: 6.30 - 9.00 Mo till Fr), there's also a variant valid at peak hours but with a price of € 70 buying singles is probably cheaper.
So it would be really a matter of comparing if such a day ticket is worth it or a return ticket is cheaper. Some regions also have their own ticket but those are often not valid on trains.

I'm wondering where you've looked up the prices by the way as I'm getting a price of € 17,90 for Rotterdam to Amsterdam from the NS journey planner.

In case you're buying singles and returns it's worthwhile by the way to purchase them as an e-ticket (also possible via the NS-app). This will avoid the 1 euro surcharge for a disposable chipcard from the ticket machine.
Alternatively buying an anonymous chipcard and loading credit is an option as well. Anonymous chipcards are available from the ticket machines with a big belly (a bit of a weird description, but you'll understand what I mean when you've seen the different types of ticket machines next to eachother)

 

[freddie1729]

Thanks for your response.

I'm wondering where you've looked up the prices by the way as I'm getting a price of € 17,90 for Rotterdam to Amsterdam from the NS journey planner.

That price included the intercity supplement of €2.90. Seemed worth it to save half an hour of travel time!

 

[Bemined]

Single tickets are quite expensive yeah, quite insane actually that a weekend free pass (unlimited travel from Friday 18:30 till Monday 4:00 for a month) is cheaper than a return ticket Rotterdam - Amsterdam. But I'm not sure if those passes are available for tourists, probably not.

 

[DanielB]

That price included the intercity supplement of €2.90. Seemed worth it to save half an hour of travel time!

Ah, that explains... I happened to be looking at a journey outside peak hours when the supplement is only € 1,73 (do note: the discounted supplement only applies when travelling with an OV-chipcard and loading the supplement at the special red validator at the platform).

It's worth to take the IC direct for a trip with ICRmh-stock (which will go out of service relatively soon), but in general the old route via Haarlem is more attractive in terms of views from the train window.
The high speed line with an IC direct is not really an high speed experience, as ICRmh has a speed limit of 160 km/h. It's mainly faster due to the route itself being shorter, but a lot runs through tunnels.

Also nice: the Sprinter service from Rotterdam via Gouda and Breukelen to Amsterdam takes almost the same time as the IC via Haarlem, but with a more rural route. For the fare it won't matter: all four routes from Rotterdam to Amsterdam have exactly the same price.

 

[freddie1729]

It's worth to take the IC direct for a trip with ICRmh-stock (which will go out of service relatively soon), but in general the old route via Haarlem is more attractive in terms of views from the train window.
The high speed line with an IC direct is not really an high speed experience, as ICRmh has a speed limit of 160 km/h. It's mainly faster due to the route itself being shorter, but a lot runs through tunnels.

Thanks! That's good to know. Might take the longer route then!

What's good about the ICRmh-stock?

Do you know if break of journey is allowed so we could get off at Haarlem or Gouda?

 

[biko]

Do you know if break of journey is allowed so we could get off at Haarlem or Gouda?

Break of journey is permitted on e-tickets, but doesn’t work if travelling with an ov-chipkaart because you need to check in and out at the intermediate station. That means that you will pay each journey separately.

 

[Feuillesmortes]

There are sometimes supermarket promotions for day or weekend tickets, but I have forgotten which supermarket.

 

[dutchflyer]

NOT anymore, since even pre-covid. I think there was even a kind of official announcement that NS would not sell via that way anymore. Best known shop as such was Kruidvat, which is simply our version of Watson (HKGbased worldwide pharmacy). Anyway, when still there it was weekend-only to use.
WithOUT any clue of what trips you intend to make-also for local bustram etc. this Q is impossible to answer.
For a few longer trips the 3-day InterRail1 country=in this case BeNeLux, so also BE=(free anyway LUX), can be spread over 1 mnth, is often best for tourists. Is then slightly cheaper as HTT above and has NO time limit. However, HTT ALSO incl bustram in whole country. IR should even include the ICD surcharge. If HTT does I am not sure. Beside HTT NS also offers its own slightly cheaper 1dayticket, again whole day or off-peak only (which probably then also includes barring the PM peak from 16.00-18.30).
IF travel restricted to area around AMS: there is the ATT and ARTT- AMS travel Ticket and Ams REGION, these include bustrammetro. But does not reach out to Rtm.
The seasons mentioned are as such not forbidden to use by tourists, but the way to get them is so hard that its in practice un-doable. By EU-law NS MUST accept any IBAN in the EU-I understand since Brexit you still have IBAN, but I dk how they look at that now. The way to do that is calling them. Cred-cds are certainly not accepted and are as such an uncommon way to pay for us locally.
(when I am @ home I most of times hold a weekend-free subscription, reduced for seniors, this cost me now about 23€ for 1 month, or is 33 for adult)
Also note that for a considerable time now due to staff shortages there is a reduced timetable on about all major lines-but that boils down to now 2/hr in stead of 4 or 4 in stead of 6. The railplanner from NS is only reliable for the next 4-5 days, they , again shortages!, have also considerable effort to adapt it to the seemingly ever increasing nr of works and other mishaps, mostly on weekends. Shortages may even also affect replacement buses.

 

[rvdborgt]

The seasons mentioned are as such not forbidden to use by tourists, but the way to get them is so hard that its in practice un-doable. By EU-law NS MUST accept any IBAN in the EU-I understand since Brexit you still have IBAN, but I dk how they look at that now. The way to do that is calling them.

You can only get an NS subscription by phone when you already have a personal chipcard, which you cannot order to a UK address (only Benelux and Germany).
You can order an NS subscription online if you pay using iDeal and have a Dutch address (where the chipcard is then sent to, supposing you don't have one yet). If you have a Revolut card, you can do iDeal payments. You then only need a Dutch address to have your chipcard delivered to.

 

[DanielB]

Break of journey is permitted on e-tickets, but doesn’t work if travelling with an ov-chipkaart because you need to check in and out at the intermediate station. That means that you will pay each journey separately.

It should work fine with a disposable chipcard from the ticket machine as well.
Do note however that NS recently changed the rules for ticket validity: tickets are valid for any route (with NS) the journey planner comes up with. When breaking an Rotterdam to Amsterdam trip that's probably only the direct Sprinter, so you might end up being questioned when you've taken an IC from Rotterdam to Gouda.

Though the odds of encountering a ticket inspection are rather low.

 

[johncrossley]

When you've already got a personal OV-chipcard it's also possible to buy the 40% discount product by phone via the customer service. But unfortunately the OV-chipcard website only supports Dutch, Belgian, Luxemburgian and German adresses to order such a card.

I wonder if it is possible to use a forwarding mail/parcel service to get around this restriction? Or get the card posted to a hotel in the Netherlands?

 

[Gerald Fiennes]

Poste restante seems no longer to be available in NL. But if you go to Germany first (eg Duesseldorf?), it may then work: https://www.deutschepost.de/de/p/postlagernd.html., ie. you asked them to send the Personal OV Kaart there.

Bookng a hotel in NL first and then asking them if they would kindly hold the item is probably the least worst option here.

Although IR is indeed a bit pricey it does really seem to be the best option these days for non-NL residents?

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

This may not help, but there is an €18 Rotterdam-Brussels fare (€36 return) on IC trains if you book more than a week in advance.
These are Early Bird fares Mon-Thur, more expensive Fri-Sun.
Use any IC train (not Thalys) on the route, valid locally in Brussels too.
A similar fare to Antwerp is €14/€28.

Train tickets with Intercity Brussels - Various destinations in Belgium | NS International

►With Intercity Brussels naar Belgium: Antwerp, Brussels, Ghent and Bruges. Find all the information on routes and travel times of Intercity Brussels on NSinternational.nl.

www.nsinternational.com

 

[scragend]

I wonder if it is possible to use a forwarding mail/parcel service to get around this restriction? Or get the card posted to a hotel in the Netherlands?

I used mailboxde.com. I have a Dutch bank account but live in the UK and have no Dutch address to send post to.

Mailboxde.com is based right on the Germany/Czechia border. They give you a forwarding address in Germany, and then they drive across the border and send you the mail via the Czech postal service (which apparently is quite cheap).

 

[Feuillesmortes]

I wonder if it is possible to use a forwarding mail/parcel service to get around this restriction? Or get the card posted to a hotel in the Netherlands?

Perhaps the forum Netherlands residents could offer this service in return for a Nitro subscription or a small gift card.

 

[freddie1729]

If you have a Revolut card, you can do iDeal payments. You then only need a Dutch address to have your chipcard delivered to.

I signed up to Revolut and tried to use iDeal but it wouldn't work for me.

 

[johncrossley]

Is iDEAL going to be scrapped once the Netherlands has switched to MasterCard debit cards? iDEAL was only created because Dutch bank cards can't be used online.

 

[DanielB]

Wouldn't expect that, iDeal is too well known for that.

Actually Dutch bank cards are being used for a lot of things online: you just need a physical device to generate a unique code after inserting your bank card with most banks.
Is a while ago however that I physically needed my bank card for an online payment. As long as the amount is below the limit I just need to scan a QR-code with my bank's app. And for example my dentist bill has a QR code on it enabling iDeal payment, usually without needing my bank card.

Only iDIN, which enables logging in at my mortgage provider requires my bank card. But again with a similar process as iDEAL (but then for identification instead of payment).

 

[rvdborgt]

I signed up to Revolut and tried to use iDeal but it wouldn't work for me.

"It wouldn't work" is hard to troubleshoot. I've used my Revolut account to order NS subscriptions, so it should work. I also have a physical Revolut card but AFAIK that shouldn't be necessary.

What did you try exactly?
Could you post a screenshot of any error you saw or of the screen where you got stuck?
Maybe iDeal doesn't work immediately after signing up.

Actually Dutch bank cards are being used for a lot of things online: you just need a physical device to generate a unique code after inserting your bank card with most banks.

Revolut uses its app for that.

 

[freddie1729]

What did you try exactly?
Could you post a screenshot of any error you saw or of the screen where you got stuck?
Maybe iDeal doesn't work immediately after signing up.

This was the error I got when trying to login after selecting Revolut as my bank on the NS website.

 

[rvdborgt]

View attachment 127678

This was the error I got when trying to login after selecting Revolut as my bank on the NS website.

Trying to log in on Revolut? They claim iDeal is available "for Dutch and European customer across all our plans".

 

[biko]

It should work fine with a disposable chipcard from the ticket machine as well.

Yes, never thought about those as I’ve never use one, but should work indeed.

Do note however that NS recently changed the rules for ticket validity: tickets are valid for any route (with NS) the journey planner comes up with. When breaking an Rotterdam to Amsterdam trip that's probably only the direct Sprinter, so you might end up being questioned when you've taken an IC from Rotterdam to Gouda

That isn’t a recent rule is it? But still, if the planner suggests a route via Gouda, it shouldn’t be a problem using an intercity between Gouda and Rotterdam, it’s just that you might need to explain what you did.

 

[DanielB]

That isn’t a recent rule is it?

It is. The ban on doubling back was only dropped last year, since then the journey planner is leading.

 

[37201xoIM]

On a linked topic, has anybody come across a way to add balance to an OV Chipkaart outside the Netherlands, without a Dutch bank account? The ns.nl facility appears only to support NL banking facilities.

If the answer is no, is it relatively easy to top it up at an NS station ticket machine using a Mastercard or Visa (issued in GB)?

Thanks!

 

[johncrossley]

If the answer is no, is it relatively easy to top it up at an NS station ticket machine using a Mastercard or Visa (issued in GB)?

Yes, you can top them up by Visa or MasterCard at any NS ticket machine as well as those operated by other operators in the Netherlands.

 

[37201xoIM]

Thanks, John - that's much appreciated.

 

[johncrossley]

Is the Netherlands the first country to have touch in touch out contactless nationwide for train fares? There's now no point in getting an anonymous OV-Chipkaart, for NS at least.

OVpay on NS: Check in on Dutch trains with your phone or debit card

From January 31, train travellers in the Netherlands will be able to check in and out using contactless payment systems on their mobile phones, debit and cr...

www.iamexpat.nl

From January 31, passengers on Nederlandse Spoorwegen (NS) trains across the country will no longer need their OV-chipkaart in order to travel. Instead, they’ll be able to check in and out using contactless payment systems on their mobile phones, debit cards and credit cards.

 

[biko]

Is the Netherlands the first country to have touch in touch out contactless nationwide for train fares? There's now no point in getting an anonymous OV-Chipkaart, for NS at least.

OVpay on NS: Check in on Dutch trains with your phone or debit card

From January 31, train travellers in the Netherlands will be able to check in and out using contactless payment systems on their mobile phones, debit and cr...

www.iamexpat.nl

For tourists there will be little point indeed as soon as the all public transport operators are included in the system. It's still unclear if all regional train operators take part and some bus operators do not take part yet. If those operators also are part of the system, the only reason one would use an anonymous OV-Chipkaart would be if you're travelling together with somebody who uses a railcard and you would like to travel with a discount too. So that's pretty much not applicable to most tourists.

 

[johncrossley]

I suppose if you want 1st class that is not available on contactless but is on the OV-Chipkaart and on the app.