Train before departure from Amsterdam Centraal
Explore Holland by train
Railway travel is a comfortable way to get around in Holland. The country boasts an extensive railway network, with some 400 stations, and the trains are modern and perfectly comfortable.
Since Holland is a relatively small country, you can travel from Amsterdam to Utrecht in just 30 minutes and from The Hague to Amsterdam Central Station in just 50 minutes. And even traveling all the way up to the north (Groningen) and down south (Maastricht) takes just 2 hours from Amsterdam Central Station.
Where to buy tickets?
As of 2014 it is not possible to travel with standard paper tickets anymore, traveling using the railway network requires a public transport chip card (OV-chipkaart) or a one way ticket. To avoid the hassle of buying a travel ticket seconds before departure it is possible to buy your ticket online .
If you do not have an OV-chipkaart, use a single-use smart card or e-ticket!
• Single-use smart card
You can use a single-use smart card (Single ticket ) or an OV-chipkaart (smart card) to travel by train in Holland. The single-use chipcard is perfect for incidental travellers. You can buy it at a NS ticketing machine or service desk. Single-use smart cards always cost 1 euro more per trip. You don't have to charge credit to the single use chip card but you do have to check in and out.
• OV-chipkaart
If you want to travel by train, you need at least 20 euros worth of credit on your OV-chipkaart! You must check in prior to every trip and check out at the destination. Look for the OV-chipkaart pillars on the railway station. An OV-chipkaart has a one-time price (application fee) of €7.50 and is complicated to order. Therefore, for visitors it is more convenient to buy a Single ticket, e-ticket or mobile phone ticket.
• Mobile phone tickets
Do you make the occasional journey by train, and buy a ticket from the ticket machine or the service desk? You could be doing this faster and cheaper! Simply arrange everything online: order tickets using the Reisplanner Xtra travel planning app or on ns.nl , pay and load the ticket onto your mobile phone. You don't need to print anything.
Traveling with kids
Children under 4 years may travel for free. For children 4-11 years old, Railrunner tickets are available for € 2.50.
Night trains
The special night trains allow you to travel by train at night. In the Randstad (Rotterdam - Den Haag - Leiden - Schiphol Airport - Amsterdam Centraal - Utrecht), the night trains run every night, while in other parts of the country they only run on the weekend. See the NS Travel Planner for the exact departure and arrival times, and check your route before departure to see the most up-to-date travel information.