Tickets in the Netherlands

[Lifelong]

Hi all

2 questions please...

1) Benelux interrail passes - can these be bought at any NS ticket office (presumably not from ticket machines)? - I did this in Switzerland, but could only get them from larger stations? (If so, assuming Schipol counts?)

2) Kids' railrunner tickets - am I right in thinking these are valid on any journey, for 2.5 euro? Are there any exclusions? (I'm sure we used these before but on the NS site can't see exactly the regulations)

Many thanks for your help...

 

[AlexNL]

1: Interrail tickets can only be bought at ticket offices which have an NS International desk. Schiphol Airport has that.
2: The Railrunner ticket is exactly as you describe it: valid for one day on all trains in the Netherlands, with the exception of Thalys.

 

[Spoorslag '70]

If you only travel in the Netherlands and during Off-Peak hours, you might want to check if a Dayrover some stores offer sometimes is cheaper (around 15€ usually).
https://www.treinreiziger.nl/category/treinkaartjes/ will usually list them.

A Holland Travel Ticket (off-peak 41€) is valid on all public transport, available at most TVMs (those with a blue banner) and might also be worth it.

 

[Benno]

If you only travel in the Netherlands and during Off-Peak hours, you might want to check if a Dayrover some stores offer sometimes is cheaper (around 15€ usually).
https://www.treinreiziger.nl/category/treinkaartjes/ will usually list them.

A Holland Travel Ticket (off-peak 41€) is valid on all public transport, available at most TVMs (those with a blue banner) and might also be worth it.

I’ve used the Holland travel ticket on a couple of occasions and found it excellent value, even the one that includes peak time travel at €55, but I have a couple of questions for anyone in the know.

1) Is the Holland travel ticket valid for use on the private rail operators such as Arriva and Keolis etc?

2) Is it necessary to “check out” and back in again when changing direction when using the ticket. The example would be that I check in at Rotterdam Centraal and travel to Breda but decide to head back to Rotterdam before exiting Breda station. Does the Holland travel ticket show that I am travelling in the wrong direction?

 

[Spoorslag '70]

I’ve used the Holland travel ticket on a couple of occasions and found it excellent value, even the one that includes peak time travel at €55, but I have a couple of questions for anyone in the know.

1) Is the Holland travel ticket valid for use on the private rail operators such as Arriva and Keolis etc?

2) Is it necessary to “check out” and back in again when changing direction when using the ticket. The example would be that I check in at Rotterdam Centraal and travel to Breda but decide to head back to Rotterdam before exiting Breda station. Does the Holland travel ticket show that I am travelling in the wrong direction?

1. Yes, remember to "change" the operator by checking out with NS and in with the other (or in reverse).
2. In my experience, it is enough to just be checked in at all. But I would definitely check in when entering and out when leaving a station, to avoid any complications on local transport.

 

[Groningen]

If you are traveling towards the point of checkin you are traveling in the wrong direction. Remember that there is a 2 minute waiting time between checkin and checkout and v.v.. How it is at the gates i do not know; this about poles that stand alone. Not all stations will get gates especially the minor ones.

 

[Bletchleyite]

If you are traveling towards the point of checkin you are traveling in the wrong direction.

One would have thought this not important with an unlimited travel ticket and rather petty to enforce it. Or are the operators paid based on distance even though the passenger pays a fixed sum for the ticket, so the data it creates is important?

 

[AlexNL]

If you are traveling towards the point of checkin you are traveling in the wrong direction. Remember that there is a 2 minute waiting time between checkin and checkout and v.v.. How it is at the gates i do not know; this about poles that stand alone. Not all stations will get gates especially the minor ones.

The 2-minute rule only applies at the same stand-alone validator, and only if it has not been used by someone else in between. At the gates you can immediately touch out and back in again, you can also do that by finding a different validator.

One would have thought this not important with an unlimited travel ticket and rather petty to enforce it. Or are the operators paid based on distance even though the passenger pays a fixed sum for the ticket, so the data it creates is important?

NS guards are usually lenient when it comes to not being touched in 'properly' with an unlimited travel product, but this might not be the case for the private operators. This is because their income stream depends on proper registration of all journeys.

 

[dutchflyer]

NS-INT also charges an extra 7,50 or 8 € as ''servicefee'' for issuing INT tickets. BE and CH do this too-different amounts. For 3 days an IR is just a little less as 3x HTT-OffPeak (which includes also bustrammetro)Personally i think they are bad value (I pay 24 €/month for weekend subscription as senior).
Its very wise to always check in for a ''private (non is in fact)'' operator and also the right one! There are still odd cases where a station has 3 different validators for 3 companies! in general when found without proper OK validation, you will be sent off train next stop (whereever it is) and asked to validate (check-in) there-the train may wait-but most likely not.
There is currently an offer by AH-supermarkets for off-peak train daytickets for 16,50 (or 14,50 if buying >3), but since 1/1/19 ALL such promotional tickets are as codes and must be exchanged for e-tickets (and printed) before use-this may form a handicap for tourists. Once being fed in online they cannot be changed in anyway.
@bletchley: not per distance, but per trip (its a matter of a few cents in my case).

 

[radamfi]

There is currently an offer by AH-supermarkets for off-peak train daytickets for 16,50 (or 14,50 if buying >3)

The only payment method available to buy this online is iDEAL, and therefore requires a Dutch bank account.

 

[Spoorslag '70]

There is currently an offer by AH-supermarkets for off-peak train daytickets for 16,50 (or 14,50 if buying >3), but since 1/1/19 ALL such promotional tickets are as codes and must be exchanged for e-tickets (and printed) before use-this may form a handicap for tourists. Once being fed in online they cannot be changed in anyway.

You don't have to print them since some time last year. You can simply download the .pdf file onto your smartphone or (what I would recommend to be fair) install the "NS" app on it, click on the appropriate link in the confirmation e-mail and thereby add the ticket to the app.

It is indeed correct that you can only get them online if you have have a Dutch bank account, but popping into a local AH is also perfectly possible (most stores even accept cash!), eventhough you will need a free Bonuskaart, which you will also get at the same information desk you get the codes for the tickets from. However, the sale period is not exactly long (I think they are on sale till Easter Monday (2019-04-22)).

 

[Groningen]

That AH ticket is not valid on Kingsday (April 27). Even myself can use it. I like to have a remembrance of my travel so no ticket on my smartphone. The code on my receipt moving to the NS website, enter date and e-mail account + print it.