Netherlands (NS)

Country info: Netherlands (Nederland)

Rail companies: NS (Nederlandse Spoorwegen)

Tickets for trains to/from France & Belgium can also be purchased via www.b-europe.com

Dutch Rail Network Map 

Currency : Euro



Train travel in Netherlands: train types, tickets, fares, discounts & other info

 

National Train Service:

Train types in Netherlands: Regional, Express, InterCity, InterCity Direct, international high-speed trains (Thalys, ICE) & CityNightLine trains

ns_stoptrein

Validity of Trains Tickets in Netherlands: Single & Return domestic tickets in Netherlands are valid for one day, thus from 00:00 on the date shown on the ticket till 04:00 am the following morning

 

Discounts, special offers & ways to save money for passengers traveling by train in Netherlands:

  1. Passengers planning to visit couple destinations in the Netherlands can save some money with purchase of one through ticket instead of two (or more) separate tickets for each leg of the itinerary. General idea here is very simple - since NS single and return tickets allow stopovers on route, instead of buying two or three separate tickets you can purchase only one ticket via all the destinations you plan to visit. Due to regressive nature of NS domestic tariff such through ticket will be much cheaper than any combination of two or three separate tickets.
  2. Passengers planning to travel extensively in the Netherlands might consider NS Day Travel Cards (Dagkaart) which allow unlimited journeys within Netherlands during one day. Day Travel Cards costs either 52,60 euro (2nd class) or 89,40 euro (1st class)
  3. Traveling with children? Take advantage of NS special child fare - Railrunner Offer - children (4 to 11 years old) can travel for just 2,50 euro (up to 3 children for one adult traveling on full fare ticket)
  4. Besides full fare Day Travel Cards offered at the train station, NS often has Day Travel Cards sales through various Dutch consumer chains (HEMA, Albert Heijn or JUMBO supermarket, Kruidvat farmacy, Blokker, Intertoys, etc.). As reported by fellow travelers from the Netherlands, sometimes such ticket can cost as low as 12,50-15 euro. So in case you or some friends of yours happen to go shopping, why not to shop for cheap rail tickets?
  5. Those who plan to travel a lot by train in the Netherlands (and perhaps also neighboring Belgium & Luxembourg) and most of those trips won't be short distance, then it might make sense to think about buying Eurail (non Europeans) or Interrail (Europeans) rail pass for Benelux countrie. Keeping in mind rather high Dutch domestic train ticket prices (stadard full fare) and not cheap Netherlands-Belgium & Netherlands-Luxembourg international tickets, pass can actually make sense with some travl itineraries.
  6. Passengers planning trips in Netherlands also can take advantage of SCIC-NRT international tickets for domestic journeys (for more info in Western Europe – how cheap it can be?). For example, SCIC-NRT ticket from the southwest part of the Netherlands (Vlissingen) to the farthest north-east region (Groningen) allowing you to see the entire country costs only 46,80 euro, and the best part is that it will be valid for 15 days & allow unlimited stopovers on the way. Basically in such cases SCIC-NRT international ticket can be a rail pass for the predefined route of your choice
    ns_fyra_trains

 

International Train Service:

a) Regular discounts

Not available

b) Special offers (SpaSrchiene)

Ticket offers with limited number of tickets per each departure (purchase in advance required):

+ special offers to the neighboring biggest airports (like Cologne/Bonn; Düsseldorf; Paris etc.)

c) CityStars

Not available

Passenger planning to travel extensively to/from the Netherlands (& between other European countries) also might consider purchasing Rail Plus Card which allows receive 25% discount on standard fare international tickets

 

In order to save on international journeys it is as well possible to use SCIC-NRT tickets (for more details see Western Europe – how cheap it can be? section). For example, Amsterdam to Rome SCIC-NRT ticket via entire Germany, Switzerland and half of Italy with unlimited stopovers on the way & 15 days validity period will costs  288 euro

ns_sprinter_train


How to Buy Train Tickets in Netherlands:

National (domestic) & many international tickets (including offers) can be bought online NS websites - www.ns.nl (domestic) and here - www.nshispeed.nl (international)

amsterdam_centraal_station

 

Do you still have further questions or want to share your own travel experience? You are welcome on our Forum page


Disclaimer

Information contained on this website is for general information purposes only. While we make every attempt to manage and update all the data regarding ticket fares, discounts, travel options etc., EuropeTrainsGuide.com gives no assurance or warranty regarding the accuracy, timeliness, or applicability of any of the content or information on the site.

EuropeTrainsGuide.com is not a profit oriented company or travel agency, we just a small website created by group of rail fans in order to share knowledge & expertise about traveling by train in Europe. Therefore, we’ll appreciate any help/corrections from your side, in case you’ve noticed a mistake or know some additional information that might help other fellow travelers please contact us at Этот адрес электронной почты защищен от спам-ботов. У вас должен быть включен JavaScript для просмотра., lets together make European rail travel easier & cheaper

 

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