Single train tickets

OV-chipkaart

With the OV-chipkaart you can pay for public transport.

You can credit your card with a balance in euros, or with a travel product such as a season ticket. The OV-chipkaart has a chip and can be recognized by the pink logo.

If you haven’t purchased the OV-chipkaart at the NS, it is necessary to activate the OV-chipkaart for travelling on account at NS the first time it is used. One of the reasons is that you have to indicate whether you are travelling first class or second class. This can be done via the NS website or via customer service. After that you check in and out at the gates.

If you have an OV-chipkaart with one of the latest NS season tickets or a Voordeelurenabonnement (Off Peak season ticket) dated after the 6th September 2010, it has already has been activated for travelling on account at NS. So there is no need to apply for nor activate an account.

Paper tickets

Next to the OV-chipkaart you can still use a paper ticket for the train. This will probably be the case until the end of 2012.

One-way

If you will not return the same day, you need to buy a one-way ticket. So if your return trip takes place another day, you need buy two one-way tickets.

Day return

If you travel up and down the same route on the same day, you have to purchase a day return ticket. If you visit several places on the same day, you should buy a ticket stating via which destination(s) you will be travelling.

A day return ticket is valid from 00.00h – 04.00h the following day.

Weekend return

A weekend return costs the same as a day return, but is valid for a longer period of time: from Friday evening at 19.00h to Monday morning 04.00h. Should the Friday or the Monday be a holiday, the weekend return is valid even longer. The outward journey has to be completed in one day, and the same goes for the return trip.

Railrunner

This is a train ticket for max. three children aged 4-11 accompanied by someone over 18 years old.

Other train companies

The regional transport companies Arriva, Syntus, Connexxion, Veolia Transport and DB RegionalbahnWestfalen are all responsible for a particular part of train traffic in the northern, eastern and southern part of the Netherlands. NS train tickets can also be used in these regions.

‘Via’  ticket

If you are going to travel via one of the following routes, you need to put the corresponding ‘via station’ on your train ticket.

Only with this Via-ticket the price is being calculated on the basis of the Syntus – or the Arriva route. This gives you cheaper travel than if you didn’t mention via-station.  With your Via-ticket you can only travel via the Syntus- or Arriva route. If your ticket does not state any via–station, you travel the NS-net. The price of your train ticket will therefore also be calculated on the basis of the NS-net.

Check the NS site for more detailed information on single train tickets.