Hi everyone, thank you for watching this weeks video. You notice that a few times the voice over is saying something different than the subtitles, but the subtitles are right, I made a few mistakes (a well, we're all human). Also, if you buy an E-ticket for at the NS online you'll save 1 euro for every ticket, that you'd have to pay if you'd buy a ticket from the ticket machine at the train stations. Also, don't forget to join my patreon here; www.patreon.com/visitingthedutchcountryside And if there are any questions, don't be afraid to ask them to me, I'm more than happy to help (as always)! New update: From the 31st of January 2023, you can use credit cards, bank cards or your phone also to check in and out at Arriva, NS or QBuzz. This is especially easier for tourists, so now you do not need to constantly buy separate tickets or an ov chip card. For discounts (buses, trains, etc.), subscriptions or travels in first class (trains) you still need to buy a ticket at the ticket machine or use an OV Chip card. And you can also not rent an OV fiets (bike) with the this method (you need to have a personal ov chip card for that connected to a home address in The Netherlands).
This is a superb video! Dutch public transport is generally excellent. IN Europe, it comes a good second after the Swiss system. Like Switzerland, the fact that THE WHOLE COUNTRY is systematically covered 365-days a year is a huge selling point. The other huge selling point is the fact that the OV-chipkaart is valid throughout the country. In Britain, where I live, London with its Oyster Card is relatively cheap. But in the rest of the country public transport is VERY EXPENSIVE. And each operator has its own ticketing system.
So glad you like it! Most Dutch people like to complain about our public transportation a lot, but after so many years of using it, I’ve only very rarely have had issues. I guess we’re spoilt haha. I found the Oyster Card so useful in London, it would be amazing if people could use it all over the country too, it makes it so much easier!
Thanks Manon, brilliant and intuitive video. Makes me less confused about travel in the Netherlands. I can't wait for my visit to Maastricht now, kind regards
You're very welcome; I'm glad it was useful. Maastricht is a beautiful city - with tons of things to do, so I'm sure that you will have a wonderful time :)
Thank you so much for this video! I just arrived in Rotterdam and will be traveling all over your beautiful country. It's so helpful to know how the transportation system works and how to work it. Cheers!
Very clear, helpful and informative especially for those visiting. The video is broad in scope, covers many details and presented in a very organized manner.
Thank you, I'm very glad it was useful! Yeah, not everyone is aware of that and it can really be shit if you don't know it haha; I remember a good friend of mine had to use the train years ago and didn't know she had to press the button. She took one of the last trains in the direction of her station and when the train stopped she was waiting for the doors to open, but they obviously didn't. So, she had to get out at the next station and take the (I believe) last train back to her original station.
Thanks! I also love that it is now possible to simply check-in and check-out using contactless payments on all Dutch public transport, making it easier (and still the same price) as an anonymous ov-chipcard.
Great video! Is there the possibility you could help with public transportation directions, please. Step-by-step instructions on how to get from Rotterdam Cruise Port with end destination at Gouda City Center. Exactly which train/tram to take. Exactly where to pick them up from etc. We will be in Rotterdam for one day from 8am to 5pm and would like go to Gouda from the cruise port and back. Thank you.
Hello We are travelling next month to Amsterdam. We would visiting Lisse, Rotterdam, Hague, and Giethoorn. Which kind of card would suggest for us. Both Amsterdam and Region plus OV Chip card or only OV Chip card? I don’t have contactless phone payment option
Hello! Thank you for the very clear and informative video. May I ask you for some advice? I will be in the Netherlands from September 3rd to 6th this year and I'm trying to create an itinerary for these days. I would like to visit mainly cities like Utrecht, Delft... Do you have any recommendations for visiting the most interesting cities in such a short time? Thank you very much!
Looks like I did the correct thing in doing all my travelling years ago when I was young, fit and mentally alert. Just the Eurail ticket and the strip cards or day/several day passes and you could go anywhere. These days, without owning or knowing how to operate a mobile phone, I'd be doing a lot of hobbling along on walking sticks! I do remember (and have retained here somewhere) the Dutch rail map with the different coloured lines depending on the frequency of service on them. The apologetic tone in the "We're sorry but there is only 1 train per hour on this line" was laughable to an Australian who only had 1 train a week on the line through his country town! 😱😵💫🙄
As someone who is extremely interested in public transportation infrastructure - how do you manage (possibly a lot of, possibly heavy) luggage/items on trains and buses? Is there an extra fee? Other related questions: how much Dutch should a tourist know? how do you recommend learning the basics of the language? also, at 2:49, i'm not sure what buttons to press - looks a bit confusing at first glance (also, the text on screen blocks the door text). when do you press the button? (when it comes to a complete stop, when you're kind of near the stop, etc) Finally (sorry), any other (English) resources to answer these simple questions ? 😂
There's no extra fee to take luggage with you; unless it's a bike (except for those fold bikes that fit everywhere). Honestly, most tourists don't know anything and it's very easy to get around as most of us speak English. What we do really like is when people enter a small shop, before they ask a question etc. is to say 'goedemorgen' (good morning), etc. just as a little nice greeting. And 'dank je wel' (informal thank you) or 'dank u wel (formal thank you). Oops, sorry about that! But, it's very straight forward once you see it in real life as there are these images that show the door opening; that's the one you should press. These kind of openings are in intercity (yellow) trains. You need to press them once it comes to a complete stop, sometimes it takes a few seconds (I'm usually impatient, so I'll push it several times). I will create a blogpost about public transportation in The Netherlands soon as well on my blog visitingthedutchcountryside.com , right now it's not on there just yet. Also, no need to be sorry haha - these are all very valid questions! Hope it helps!
@@skyblockreborn1379 And if you are interested in such infrastructure, here's a little extra knowledge that can tell you something about when to open the doors and how: On trains where the doors are still operated by pneumatics (where all Sprinter trains an the newest intercity train use electric doors) there usually is a small puff of air right before the train comes to a stop: this is the automatic release of the pneumatics below 6 km/h. Once the driver releases the doors, you will hear a (less audible) click. You will than be able to open the doors but I usually depress the 'open' button once I hear the air-puff. I don't know if it can still be done (the trains I commute with are Sprinters only), but not that long ago, a driver that would release the doors before the auto-release of the pneumatics would kick in, would enable you to open the doors as soon as the auto-release would clear the pneumatics and thus you could disembark while the train was still coming to a full stop ;) Never had any problem with it doing so. On the 'old new' Sprinter trains (the ones with actual physical buttons ON the doors, not the trains with the annoying touch-buttons) you'll notice that (just like with the new Sprinter trains) the retractable step first has to extend before the doors actually open. If you press the button as soon as the light turns green, this has let the computer know that you want to open the doors as soon this is possible and once the retractable step has been extended and secured, the doors will open.
@@skyblockreborn1379 You're welcome ;) On how much Dutch you should know: I think that in every country, you will just be rewarded a bit extra if you try to use the language as much as you can.
My favorite Dutch youtuber 😉 thank you Manon for this useful information. How much is it if someone got fined? Oh ya,, are English instructions available in all public transportation in Netherlands? Or all instructions are in Dutch only?
You're very welcome! So, generally speaking the 'fine' is 50 euros; it's technically not a fine, but the extra costs for buying a ticket inside the train. On big train stations that see a lot of tourists and in trains to destinations that get a lot of tourists, such as Rotterdam, Amsterdam, Utrecht and Den Haag/ The Hague, you will sometimes get announcements in the train in English as well, but not always. On those busy train stations itself the speaker will announce changes for international trains and trains to Schiphol in English and sometimes also in German and French, but not all of the regional trains nor on all train stations. However, we do have platform signs that will show the updates in English and Dutch. Inside trams and buses it is usually in Dutch but sometimes both (depending on the city), inside metros it's sometimes both, depending on your destination (at the main tourist stops it's often in both Dutch and English). The trainstations, metrostations, etc. are generally all in Dutch too. I forgot another important thing to add in the video and that is for smoking (I don't know if you smoke, but yeah haha); smoking is not allowed at train stations anymore and if fined it costs you roughly 100 euros.
Thank you for this video. It’s exactly what I needed. I will be staying Driebergen and will want to do a day visit in Amsterdam and do most of our visit around Utrecht. Does your transit system also work with bike share options?
I'm glad it's helpful! So the most common one we have is what we call OV fiets, but this is where people with a personal ov chip card (the ones that are yellow and can only be bought when you have a Dutch home address) can hire these bikes all throughout The Netherlands; they do need to add the subscription for those bikes onto their ovchipcard. But, we have tons of bike shops (with many having rental bikes) all throughout the country. If you look for 'fietsverhuur' (bike rental) and then the city or town where you want to rent bikes, then you can easily find them. You can usually just sent the bikeshop an email to reserve in advance. I hope this helps! Have a great trip!
@@TheDutchcountryside thank you so much. It helps that I’ll be staying with family but my boyfriend and I still want to get around via public transportation to explore. So happy I found your channel.
Great video! I went to the Eindhoven station and bought a paper ticket from the counter. Can I use my ticket I bought to get through the gate? She said something about a debit card but I couldn't understand her. Would you recommend getting an OV-chipkaart anyway and is that how I get through the gate?
Yes. Every ticket you get (whether that's a QR-code or disposable chipcard-based ticket) will open gates as long as it is valid. A debit/credit card with wireless transaction possibilities can be used to travel on all public transport on every modality there is. But you will allways pay the full fare this way: discounts (for as far applicable to non-registered (anonymous) chipcards that can be bought from NS ticketmachines and convenience stores and such) do not apply when using your bankcard/creditcard. Equally important is that you always tap in and out on every journey. While it's very unlikely that you forget on metrostations or at most bigger stations because you will encounter gates, Schiphol is one of those major-station exceptions as it does not feature gates but only posted validators, making it easier to forget. Upon tapping in, a deposit is deducted (20 euro at NS, which is why the minimum balance on the card needs to be 16 euro, as you are only allowed to go down to -4 euro max upon tapping out) which is than calculated upon tapping out with the price of your journey. If you forget to tap out, the full deposit will be deducted. You can ask for a refund at NS, but considering the hassle I'd say it's better to avoid getting to that point...
Is it just the intercity line from Schipol to Rotterdam that incurs the surcharge, and is it obvious when you need to tap in on the red post when on a platform for the service?
It's only between Schiphol and Rotterdam yes! I don't think it's the most obvious thing unfortunately - as it depends on where you enter the train and there are usually only one or two of those red posts. And if you look another way when you walk towards the train you can easily miss it. But it's found on the departing platform of the train, so it's definitely there; usually just when you get onto the platform near the stairs.
Just present the QR-code face down when you encounter a gate. A transparent window on the RH side of the gate you want to pass even shows a QR-code logo, so it's hard to go wrong there.
Oh yes ;) Most likely you will even be able to use it directly if it is enabled/can do wireless transactions, should you feel like trying that. I've seen the most weird bankcards pass by and have only seen 1 being refused by the validators at the airport (where I come 4 days a week and usually start to see if I can help people if my train is delayed or even cancelled, so I meet a lot of people with bankcards).
Yes: if you don't mind a longer wait from arriving at the airport and getting to your hotel/stay over and you got the option to wait, you can use a group-ticket for the train. This can save you a lot of money, but how much depends on the distance and amount of people you travel with. Major downside: it can only be acquired online. It is only valid during off-peak hours on working days and valid the whole day through on weekends and national holidays. There are some limited discount options available for holders of a non-registered chipcard (anonymous card, the blue ones) that can be bought from NS ticketmachines and convenience stores. Subscriptions or discount products are only available to holders of registered cards (personal cards, the yellow ones that carry a picture of the owner).
Hi, if I'm traveling within Amsterdam (eg between the museums), then the minimum credit required on my OV Chipcard would only be 4 Euros right because I wouldn't be using any trains?
Thank you for this video. When traveling between cities, for instance Amsterdam to Sneek, can you take luggage with you? Is there a limit or additional fee for luggage?
You’re welcome! There’s no limit or additional fee for luggage; unless you want to take a bike with you, then you need to have a ticket for the bike as well!
Hi manon, coming to Amsterdam next week. So i can just buy an ov chip card and load it it 40 or 50 euros and tap on and off for train, bus, tram and metro? Dank je wel 😁🇳🇱
Hi! Yes exactly. Also you can now use credit cards, bank cards or your phone to check in and out at buses, trams, metros and trains. So that might be even more useful now for you!
I'm sorry to say that only holders of a registered chipcard (personal card, the yellow ones that show a picture of the card-owner) are eligible for season tickets/monthly tickets, which are loaded on a card.
You can check how much is left at this website: www.ov-chipkaart.nl/applying-for-a-credit-refund/credit-checker.htm#/ Or you can simply just hold it in front of a ticket machine at the train station and there you can see the amount too :)
Eindhoven Airport doesn't have a train station - there are buses from Eindhoven Airport that run directly to Eindhoven main train station. From there you can take a direct train to Amsterdam; I recommend you to check out 9292.nl for the best journey!
i need some guidance as i will be joining the Hanze university Assen campus ... if anyone is willing to guide me regarding the city of Assen, student jobs , should live in the city of assen or Groniegen ? if Groniegen then how would i commute ? And how expensive will it be ... ill really appriciate the guidance
Hi Andrew! You can take any direct train to Utrecht and it’ll cost 10,20 one way. I would recommend you to download the app or have a look at the website 9292 to see the exact times etc. I hope this helps!
The GVB unlimited pass can only be used for the bus, tram and metro in Amsterdam. It’s great if you’re planning on using a lot of public transportation inside Amsterdam. It’s not the same as with an ov chip card, that is more for convenieve. But, you can now (since the end of january) also use credit card, phone and such to check in and out at NS (train company) btw, which is very useful.
You need to have at least 20 euros on the card in order to check in at a train station (5 euros for buses, trams, metros), and when you had a train journey or something you need to top it up again when it’s less than 20 euros (the ov chipkaart and the money on it is valid for years). Since this january though, you can also simply check in with bank cards at most train stations (and generally the large buses and metros, but not always); which is very convenient. The ov chip is generally just a convenient thing, but is less useful now if you are only travelling here for a bit since the introduction of pay by card at the check in poles/ gates (still very useful if you do live here!).
Train strikes from the 24th of August! I just wanted to let you know that employees of NS (national railway service) will go on a strike starting the 24th of August. The strikes are the following dates and locations: 24th of August: Northern region 26th of August: Western region 29th of August: Northwestern region 30th of August: Central region 31st of August: Eastern and Southern regions These all last 24 hours. And if these strikes won't work, then there will be more to come. So be mindful, plan in advance and be kind. They're not quite sure whether these actions will also affect the Eurostar, Intercity to Brussels, ICE and/or Thalys. Also, you can now pre-order by 'Visiting tulip fields in The Netherlands' ebook, which is filled with 100+ pages of tulip fields tips; from history to exact routes in every region to the best places to stay. Only the first 100 people get a 40% discount, so be quick, it's not waiting around: visiting-the-dutch-countryside.myshopify.com/nl/products/ebook-visiting-tulip-fields-in-the-netherlands
Good grief girl .. you are a font of knowledge ... I hope you passed this video on to your FaceBook page readers as well. Excellent information (even for someone who lives here!). 🌹
Hahah thank you! I'm very happy it was helpful. I've indeed shared it on my Facebook page, I didn't yet in the Facebook group, but I saw that you shared it already, thank you!! 😀
Hi! very helpful video considering the transport in the Netherlands is complex! What do you think would be the best way to get from london to Utrecht? Train? flight+train? what airport? We are going to be visiting next May!
So happy to hear that it’s helpful! You can take the Eurostar to Amsterdam Centraal Station and from there take a train to Utrecht Centraal train station (around 25 minutes from Amsterdam). Flights: you could take a flight to Eindhoven Airport (cheap flights) and then head to Utrecht via bus & train; around 1,5 hours. Or take a flight to Amsterdam Schiphol airport and then a train to Utrecht, which takes you around 30 minutes. Or, you can take a flight to Rotterdam/The Hague airport (also cheap flights) and then a bus & train to Utrecht, which is around 1 hour and 15 minutes. I prefer the Eurostar, simply because you’re immediately in the cities & don’t have to wait that much. Plus, I really like the views from the train haha
Thanks for the video. It is informative, but can't deny that reading about transportation in Netherlands made me a bit confused. For a tourist who is planning to spend 3 days in the Netherlands, and traveling around the country, what would be the best option. OV Chipkaart or Holland travel ticket? Your input is appreciated
You’re welcome! I completely get it; sometimes the companies make transportation more confusing then it should be. To answer your question; how far would you travel in those 3 days? Are you planning to head to different places in a day for instance? Because a Holland Travel ticket is either 44 or 64 euros, depending on the ticket (which is very expensive in my opinion). I think the Holland Travel ticket would only be worth it if you are constantly using public transportation (so metros, buses, trains etc. ). If you only want to take one train a day, I recommend you to buy an ov chipkaart when you arrive!
@@TheDutchcountryside Thanks a lot for your prompt response. I am planning to travel a lot during those 3 days (Amsterdam, Haarlem, Edam, Volendam, , Goda and the Hague if I had time). I am assuming that with the Holland card, I don't need to worry about paying for reservation, is that right? I would just show my pass and ride any transportation I like? Thanks again :)
@@Ahmad-bx6vg So, we don't do reservations for public transportation in The Netherlands (except for the ICE & Thalys high speed trains , but those cannot be used with the Holland Travel Ticket unless you pay extra). With the Holland Travel Ticket you can buy it at an NS service desk and then you get a ticket that you can check in and out with. And if you buy it online then it's a voucher that you need to exchange at the NS service desk for the ticket. You always need to check in and out - even with this ticket. And yes, when there's a controller you simply give your ticket and they check if you checked in. To get from Amsterdam to Gouda is 12,70 euros one way , and Amsterdam to Edam is 4,88 one way, for instance. I would have a look at 9292.nl/en to see if you think the Holland Travel ticket is worth it. Here you can check the prices of the transport to the places you want to visit and then check if the 44 or 64 euros a day is worth it or not. You can also choose to simply buy separate tickets each time; the OV chipkaart is mostly for convenience. I hope this helps!
@@TheDutchcountryside Thanks a lot again. I will check the link you have sent. This makes more sense. And with OV Chipkaart, my understanding is I would just load it with credits and check in and out with it, right ?
@@Ahmad-bx6vg Yes exactly! The easiest way is to do that at the ticket machines at train stations, metro stations etc. You first need to choose the amount of money, pay and then hold your ov chipkaart in front of the placement at the ticket machine to add the money.
If you have a personal ov chipkaart you can - for instance- have a monthly subscription which gives you a discount (outside rush hours). If you have an anonymous ov chipkaart and travel with a person with a personal ov chipkaart, that has a subscription, you can get 40% off (if you travel outside rush hours). But, you can also get this discount with buying a ticket in the ticket machine (except the tickets from the ticket machine are 1 euro more expensive). The ov chipkaart is more for convenience, not so much for discounts.
Train tickets can be bought with cash at some machines (usually only coins though!) and at a special info desk at certain stations (not all stations have them). Tram & bus tickets can often only be bought with card :)
I still consider public transport in netherlands pretty bad. Just pick any random two points in the map of rotterdam. Should be litte far and obviously not beside a metro or train station. And you will see Cycle is always the faster route compared to public transport. Even if you get the tram/bus/train in 1 minute after walking to station. No matter the distance. Even for 10-15 km train bus tram metro all fail to you there before the cycle.
Natuurlijk wel. Anonieme kaarten kan iedereen kopen. Je kan geen persóónlijke kaart kopen als buitenlander, wat ik nog altijd een schande vind vergeleken met hoe dat in de rest van de wereld opgelost wordt. Maar ja. Laat grof geld verdienen maar aan de OV-bedrijven over...
Nice video for the basics but I think it could have more details. Especially the fact that every individual company has different use of the card needs deeper clarification. As an expat just moved to the Netherlands, let me tell you my personal experience with ov-chipkaart. I have got a personal ov-chipkaart and I was told that with the NS-flex, I can use the card in metro, tram, buses, trains without worrying about if there is money in it and I will get billed month-to-month. That was true for a while, until I decided to get Eindhoven bus yearly discount into my account. I kept using the card for a while, until in one bus the machine refused to check me in. The driver said I do not have money in my card but I believed I did not need to have money. I did not understand at all because I have been using it a lot in many transportation without money in it. With a lot of digging and talking with the people on the counters, turns out I could do only use NS Flex with the bus, until I got the discount from the local bus company. After buying the discount, I cannot use NS Flex anymore and I need to add money manually. Even more strange is, I cannot add money with the NS machines anymore since I have NS flex, I have to add it online or with the physical counters.
Thank you! And yes, it was definitely meant to be a rough introduction and overview of the public transportation in The Netherlands and how it generally works. That’s why I didn’t go completely in-depth with the personal ov chipkaart stuff etc. NS Flex is very useful yes (I use it too), but to be honest I had absolutely no idea that it couldn’t be combined with other discounts from other companies. So thank you for telling me, as I’ve never heard of that problem before. I suppose you’re not the only one that’s been having troubles with it… did they give you a reason as to why it’s done this way and if they’re thinking of changing it or?
@@TheDutchcountryside That's the problem with all flex-subscriptions, it just can't be used with any other flex-subscription on one card (though they marketed the whole system as 'you just need 1 card only...'). Most likely, the Eindhoven yearly discount is called a flex-based product, requiring another card. Another possibility that could have happened to ninegagaa is the fact that though the NS-Flex subscription is a pay-by-credit system, the year-discount product is probably seen as a regular subscription that is valid for a year. And that unfortunately requires sufficient balance on the card. I work at the airport, got a bus-subscription from the airport to be able to use the circle-lines around the airport for free, while I have 'Dal Vrij' (Free Off-peak) for traintravel, which is an approved-credit product. I don't like to get billed every month and would rather make sure there's sufficient balance or a valid product on the thing, but hey, it is what it is. NS also put 'Reizen op Rekening Bus Tram Metro' on the card once you get Dal Vrij: I don't like travelling on approved credit, and I certainly didn't ask for it, but they just combine it and there's no way to get around it. So you'd think that this means that whatever you do, you don't need any balance, as you pay by approved credit. BUT... the airport bus-service subscription is loaded onto the same card as a regular regional transport star-subscription like one can load onto the card at convenience stores and (for as far they still exist) ticket windows at busstations. This works flawless UNTIL it happens that tapping out on the bus goes wrong. The deposit (which is now 6 euro on the buses I take) is than deducted, lowering the balance to -6 euro, which will not enable you to tap in at the next bus or when you want to return home. (fortunately, with the airport-pass necessary for the airport-bus subscription, drivers are lenient most of the time and will let you in anyway). The major problem comes when you find out about this at Schiphol Airport: as NS sees your card as a fully 'paid by approved credit' type of card, you can not top up your balance (hell, those buttons are even greyed out) or do anything else to eleviate the problem. Only when you would purchase balance via the personal chipcard page at ov-chipkaart.nl (but this requires you to have internet access and your bank details with you, I'm NOT that kind of person...) and than retrieve that balance at either a bus (Connexxion buses have a reader that enables you to load such stuff from the outside of the bus, not that convenient...) or at a NS-ticket machine... Only those yellow blocks in convenience stores and supermarkets enable you to top up your balance, but those machines are nowhere to be found at Schiphol Airport (and guess how I found out that not tapping out with my bus-subscription the day before because of equipment malfunction had such consequences... right)
Thank you💛 if I use 9292 or NS app there’s no difference? Also, if I need to get from Schiphol Airport to Utrecht I can just take the train from the airport straight to Utrecht, and so i won’t need to have to check in and check out at the posts just at the gates (thats if there will be any)? What’s that thing where people can check in with their debit cards? Where do they scan it? (in case they dont buy any tickets) How do people rent their bikes to get around places? It’s something I’ve never seen in my country yet! Lastly do you have Uber in Netherlands? When a person with luggage and bag in Utrecht needs to get ~1km to a certain place in Utrecht from Utrecht’s train station, which transport is best? Thanks so much in advance🙏
It could be there's no difference between the two apps/companies. But the downside I know from 9292 is that, especially when there are multiple options available (different modalities and more than one operator in the same area) 9292 can give you ridiculous travel-advice. 9292 goes for the fastest option based on scheduled times, not for the most convenient. It can happen that you get traveladvice stating that you need to get to the nearest bus-stop, wait for a bus for 3 minutes, be on the bus for 4 minutes, get out, walk to the metro-station, wait for a metro for 2 minutes, be on the metro for 3 minutes, get out, walk to the tram-stop, wait for a tram for 1 minute, and be on the tram for 4 minutes, to than have reached your destination, while if you would have just walked 1 more minute to a different stop ór by travelling on just 1 tram for 2 minutes longer, you would end up in the same destination anyway. From experience I know that both now also have a habit of first sending you from A to C, while you need to go to B. But because the trainservice from A to B is limited to once an hour, both apps than list the option to go to C first, and than travel back to B, as this is something like 8 minutes faster than waiting for 33 minutes and than taking the train that brings you from A to B in one go. And while this sounds like a very nice idea (especially in a sense like 'Look, we got you this faster option'!), travelling from A to C and back to B is far more expensive than a direct ride from A to B... Debit and credit cards are tapped in and out like regular chipcards. As long as you take the most direct route possible, you only tap in on the station where you start your journey, and you tap out at the station where you end your journey. The major exception to this rule is when your railjourney involves multiple operators. Than you will have to tap in at the right operator you start your journey with, and tap out at the validator of the operator you ended the first leg of your journey with, to directly tap in at the validator of the operator you will use to continue your journey with. Do this in the wrong order and you will lose a lot of money (from NS to any other operator: you will lose the 20 euro deposit deducted upon tap-in, you can ask for a refund, but it's better to avoid the hassle in the first place) Bike-rentals by NS are a thing reserved to holders of personal cards only unfortunately. If you need to go for about 1 kilometer, I suggest you walk. Don't forget that basically all cities have excellent walkability, thus it's no problem at all to go walking. If it's the best option for you is something I can't decide, but most Dutch people will tell you to walk I think. A taxi or Uber probably both is a very expensive option and I have no idea if they even show up for such a short ride.
This video and app is a life saver!!!! Thank you. We will be in Amsterdam on April 7th for a cruise out of Rotterdam on the 9th.
Hi everyone, thank you for watching this weeks video. You notice that a few times the voice over is saying something different than the subtitles, but the subtitles are right, I made a few mistakes (a well, we're all human). Also, if you buy an E-ticket for at the NS online you'll save 1 euro for every ticket, that you'd have to pay if you'd buy a ticket from the ticket machine at the train stations.
Also, don't forget to join my patreon here; www.patreon.com/visitingthedutchcountryside
And if there are any questions, don't be afraid to ask them to me, I'm more than happy to help (as always)!
New update: From the 31st of January 2023, you can use credit cards, bank cards or your phone also to check in and out at Arriva, NS or QBuzz. This is especially easier for tourists, so now you do not need to constantly buy separate tickets or an ov chip card. For discounts (buses, trains, etc.), subscriptions or travels in first class (trains) you still need to buy a ticket at the ticket machine or use an OV Chip card. And you can also not rent an OV fiets (bike) with the this method (you need to have a personal ov chip card for that connected to a home address in The Netherlands).
Thank you. Very informative. What app do you download to your phone ?
Thank you so much! I am staying at a friends house in Den Haag and she gave me her ov chipcard :)
This is a superb video! Dutch public transport is generally excellent. IN Europe, it comes a good second after the Swiss system. Like Switzerland, the fact that THE WHOLE COUNTRY is systematically covered 365-days a year is a huge selling point. The other huge selling point is the fact that the OV-chipkaart is valid throughout the country. In Britain, where I live, London with its Oyster Card is relatively cheap. But in the rest of the country public transport is VERY EXPENSIVE. And each operator has its own ticketing system.
So glad you like it! Most Dutch people like to complain about our public transportation a lot, but after so many years of using it, I’ve only very rarely have had issues. I guess we’re spoilt haha. I found the Oyster Card so useful in London, it would be amazing if people could use it all over the country too, it makes it so much easier!
Thanks Manon, brilliant and intuitive video. Makes me less confused about travel in the Netherlands. I can't wait for my visit to Maastricht now, kind regards
You're very welcome; I'm glad it was useful. Maastricht is a beautiful city - with tons of things to do, so I'm sure that you will have a wonderful time :)
@@TheDutchcountryside by the look of the weather it'll be amazing. Thanks once again
Thank you so much for this video! I just arrived in Rotterdam and will be traveling all over your beautiful country. It's so helpful to know how the transportation system works and how to work it. Cheers!
You’re very welcome! Have fun!!
Hi Manon, I from Taiwan. I really like the Netherlands, hoping to travel there again soon. thank you for making this video:)
I'm so glad you like my video and my country, I also hope to visit your beautiful country one day!
Very clear, helpful and informative especially for those visiting. The video is broad in scope, covers many details and presented in a very organized manner.
Very informative, it really helps. Thank you so much!
Thanks for the tips.
I look forward to enjoying your country😊
Interesting to learn some of these things! Well done video, thanks! 👍✔
Thank you! I’m glad it was interesting :)
Very informative.Best video about the Dutch transportation system I have seen.Did not know you had to press a button to open the doors at your stop.
Thank you, I'm very glad it was useful! Yeah, not everyone is aware of that and it can really be shit if you don't know it haha; I remember a good friend of mine had to use the train years ago and didn't know she had to press the button. She took one of the last trains in the direction of her station and when the train stopped she was waiting for the doors to open, but they obviously didn't. So, she had to get out at the next station and take the (I believe) last train back to her original station.
Nice video and great advices, I admire your spontaneous way of explaining things
Nice to see on the video that on the trains you can roll you suitcase right on.
I'm glad you're back....and moving forward. This is a very informative video.
Thank you; Happy to be back :) I'm glad you like it!
I ain't much because I ain't Dutch😃 Concise yet informative video. Calm yet cool. Thank you Manon!
Hahahaha! Thank you for the nice compliment, I'm glad the video was informative :)
Thanks for the info. Very helpful. Will be arriving to Amsterdam this August. Figuring how to use trans system..
Long time!!
Great to see you are back, more videos plz :)
I'm very glad to hear that! Yess, they're definitely coming (I now have ideas for roughly a year or so so I think we should be good haha.
Thanks! I also love that it is now possible to simply check-in and check-out using contactless payments on all Dutch public transport, making it easier (and still the same price) as an anonymous ov-chipcard.
is it kind of contactless Debit Card from the bank ?.. it s good news , then. thank you for the information
Great video! Is there the possibility you could help with public transportation directions, please. Step-by-step instructions on how to get from Rotterdam Cruise Port with end destination at Gouda City Center. Exactly which train/tram to take. Exactly where to pick them up from etc. We will be in Rotterdam for one day from 8am to 5pm and would like go to Gouda from the cruise port and back. Thank you.
Very useful needed this! Thank you!! 💯👍
That's so good to hear, thank you!
Hello We are travelling next month to Amsterdam. We would visiting Lisse, Rotterdam, Hague, and Giethoorn. Which kind of card would suggest for us. Both Amsterdam and Region plus OV Chip card or only OV Chip card? I don’t have contactless phone payment option
This travel video was very helpful. Thank you🌸
That's so good to hear, thank you!
Thank you very much! It was really useful ❤
I'm so glad to hear that!
Very useful and informative. Bedankt, Manon
Graag gedaan! Glad you thought it was useful😄🙌🏻
Hello! Thank you for the very clear and informative video. May I ask you for some advice? I will be in the Netherlands from September 3rd to 6th this year and I'm trying to create an itinerary for these days. I would like to visit mainly cities like Utrecht, Delft... Do you have any recommendations for visiting the most interesting cities in such a short time? Thank you very much!
Didn't know that I don't have to check-in and out with NS app ticket.
Very useful information, thank you!
You’re welcome, I’m glad it was helpful! You can still open and close the gates with that ticket if it is needed to access the platform or station :)
@@TheDutchcountryside many thanks! 💖
Fantastic! Thank you for this awesome video!
You're very welcome, I'm happy you like it! :)
Thanks for Your videos. They are very interesting and useful! Also You have a nice sense of humor :)
🇳🇱
You're very welcome, I'm glad you like them! Thank you for the nice compliment, and I'm glad to hear you've got an excellent sense of humour😉
Looks like I did the correct thing in doing all my travelling years ago when I was young, fit and mentally alert. Just the Eurail ticket and the strip cards or day/several day passes and you could go anywhere. These days, without owning or knowing how to operate a mobile phone, I'd be doing a lot of hobbling along on walking sticks!
I do remember (and have retained here somewhere) the Dutch rail map with the different coloured lines depending on the frequency of service on them. The apologetic tone in the "We're sorry but there is only 1 train per hour on this line" was laughable to an Australian who only had 1 train a week on the line through his country town! 😱😵💫🙄
You don't need an ov-chipkaart anymore. You can use contactless payment when you get off and on.
Yes true: but that is only since this year. It's definitely very convenient especially when one is visiting!
@@TheDutchcountryside Can I use a contactless credit card from the US to tap for payment for trains? Or does it have to be a Dutch bank credit card?
As someone who is extremely interested in public transportation infrastructure - how do you manage (possibly a lot of, possibly heavy) luggage/items on trains and buses? Is there an extra fee?
Other related questions: how much Dutch should a tourist know? how do you recommend learning the basics of the language?
also, at 2:49, i'm not sure what buttons to press - looks a bit confusing at first glance (also, the text on screen blocks the door text). when do you press the button? (when it comes to a complete stop, when you're kind of near the stop, etc)
Finally (sorry), any other (English) resources to answer these simple questions ?
😂
There's no extra fee to take luggage with you; unless it's a bike (except for those fold bikes that fit everywhere).
Honestly, most tourists don't know anything and it's very easy to get around as most of us speak English. What we do really like is when people enter a small shop, before they ask a question etc. is to say 'goedemorgen' (good morning), etc. just as a little nice greeting. And 'dank je wel' (informal thank you) or 'dank u wel (formal thank you).
Oops, sorry about that! But, it's very straight forward once you see it in real life as there are these images that show the door opening; that's the one you should press. These kind of openings are in intercity (yellow) trains. You need to press them once it comes to a complete stop, sometimes it takes a few seconds (I'm usually impatient, so I'll push it several times).
I will create a blogpost about public transportation in The Netherlands soon as well on my blog visitingthedutchcountryside.com , right now it's not on there just yet.
Also, no need to be sorry haha - these are all very valid questions! Hope it helps!
@@TheDutchcountryside thank you so so much!
@@skyblockreborn1379 And if you are interested in such infrastructure, here's a little extra knowledge that can tell you something about when to open the doors and how: On trains where the doors are still operated by pneumatics (where all Sprinter trains an the newest intercity train use electric doors) there usually is a small puff of air right before the train comes to a stop: this is the automatic release of the pneumatics below 6 km/h. Once the driver releases the doors, you will hear a (less audible) click. You will than be able to open the doors but I usually depress the 'open' button once I hear the air-puff. I don't know if it can still be done (the trains I commute with are Sprinters only), but not that long ago, a driver that would release the doors before the auto-release of the pneumatics would kick in, would enable you to open the doors as soon as the auto-release would clear the pneumatics and thus you could disembark while the train was still coming to a full stop ;)
Never had any problem with it doing so.
On the 'old new' Sprinter trains (the ones with actual physical buttons ON the doors, not the trains with the annoying touch-buttons) you'll notice that (just like with the new Sprinter trains) the retractable step first has to extend before the doors actually open. If you press the button as soon as the light turns green, this has let the computer know that you want to open the doors as soon this is possible and once the retractable step has been extended and secured, the doors will open.
@@weeardguy thank you!!
@@skyblockreborn1379 You're welcome ;) On how much Dutch you should know: I think that in every country, you will just be rewarded a bit extra if you try to use the language as much as you can.
Nice video may I come netherland
We are taking a train from schipol to nijmegen. Any special instructions we need tp be mindful of? Thanks
My favorite Dutch youtuber 😉 thank you Manon for this useful information. How much is it if someone got fined?
Oh ya,, are English instructions available in all public transportation in Netherlands? Or all instructions are in Dutch only?
You're very welcome! So, generally speaking the 'fine' is 50 euros; it's technically not a fine, but the extra costs for buying a ticket inside the train.
On big train stations that see a lot of tourists and in trains to destinations that get a lot of tourists, such as Rotterdam, Amsterdam, Utrecht and Den Haag/ The Hague, you will sometimes get announcements in the train in English as well, but not always. On those busy train stations itself the speaker will announce changes for international trains and trains to Schiphol in English and sometimes also in German and French, but not all of the regional trains nor on all train stations. However, we do have platform signs that will show the updates in English and Dutch.
Inside trams and buses it is usually in Dutch but sometimes both (depending on the city), inside metros it's sometimes both, depending on your destination (at the main tourist stops it's often in both Dutch and English). The trainstations, metrostations, etc. are generally all in Dutch too.
I forgot another important thing to add in the video and that is for smoking (I don't know if you smoke, but yeah haha); smoking is not allowed at train stations anymore and if fined it costs you roughly 100 euros.
@@TheDutchcountryside dankjewel
Thanks for video keep going 🤠 greeting from Morocco
You’re very welcome :) Greetings from the lowlands!
Thanks your welcome to Morocco
thank you for the information
Thank you for this video. It’s exactly what I needed. I will be staying Driebergen and will want to do a day visit in Amsterdam and do most of our visit around Utrecht. Does your transit system also work with bike share options?
I'm glad it's helpful!
So the most common one we have is what we call OV fiets, but this is where people with a personal ov chip card (the ones that are yellow and can only be bought when you have a Dutch home address) can hire these bikes all throughout The Netherlands; they do need to add the subscription for those bikes onto their ovchipcard.
But, we have tons of bike shops (with many having rental bikes) all throughout the country. If you look for 'fietsverhuur' (bike rental) and then the city or town where you want to rent bikes, then you can easily find them. You can usually just sent the bikeshop an email to reserve in advance.
I hope this helps! Have a great trip!
@@TheDutchcountryside thank you so much. It helps that I’ll be staying with family but my boyfriend and I still want to get around via public transportation to explore. So happy I found your channel.
want to buy 5 day rail pass between all cites in Holland , how dose this work ?
Great video! I went to the Eindhoven station and bought a paper ticket from the counter. Can I use my ticket I bought to get through the gate? She said something about a debit card but I couldn't understand her. Would you recommend getting an OV-chipkaart anyway and is that how I get through the gate?
Yes. Every ticket you get (whether that's a QR-code or disposable chipcard-based ticket) will open gates as long as it is valid. A debit/credit card with wireless transaction possibilities can be used to travel on all public transport on every modality there is. But you will allways pay the full fare this way: discounts (for as far applicable to non-registered (anonymous) chipcards that can be bought from NS ticketmachines and convenience stores and such) do not apply when using your bankcard/creditcard.
Equally important is that you always tap in and out on every journey. While it's very unlikely that you forget on metrostations or at most bigger stations because you will encounter gates, Schiphol is one of those major-station exceptions as it does not feature gates but only posted validators, making it easier to forget.
Upon tapping in, a deposit is deducted (20 euro at NS, which is why the minimum balance on the card needs to be 16 euro, as you are only allowed to go down to -4 euro max upon tapping out) which is than calculated upon tapping out with the price of your journey.
If you forget to tap out, the full deposit will be deducted. You can ask for a refund at NS, but considering the hassle I'd say it's better to avoid getting to that point...
Is it just the intercity line from Schipol to Rotterdam that incurs the surcharge, and is it obvious when you need to tap in on the red post when on a platform for the service?
It's only between Schiphol and Rotterdam yes! I don't think it's the most obvious thing unfortunately - as it depends on where you enter the train and there are usually only one or two of those red posts. And if you look another way when you walk towards the train you can easily miss it. But it's found on the departing platform of the train, so it's definitely there; usually just when you get onto the platform near the stairs.
Can you explain how to use a eticket (smartphone) in the gate at the train station? Thanks in advance. Phil
Just present the QR-code face down when you encounter a gate. A transparent window on the RH side of the gate you want to pass even shows a QR-code logo, so it's hard to go wrong there.
Thank you so much ! very useful !
So glad it’s useful!! 😄
Can I use a credit card issued in the United States to purchase metro and train tickets at the ticket machines?
Oh yes ;) Most likely you will even be able to use it directly if it is enabled/can do wireless transactions, should you feel like trying that. I've seen the most weird bankcards pass by and have only seen 1 being refused by the validators at the airport (where I come 4 days a week and usually start to see if I can help people if my train is delayed or even cancelled, so I meet a lot of people with bankcards).
You are so much helpful 🥰
Hi, is it possible to travel to Amsterdam by bus from the ferry port at hook of holland?
The public transportation fares in NL are too expansive... Any advise to save more money on travelling?
Yes: if you don't mind a longer wait from arriving at the airport and getting to your hotel/stay over and you got the option to wait, you can use a group-ticket for the train. This can save you a lot of money, but how much depends on the distance and amount of people you travel with. Major downside: it can only be acquired online. It is only valid during off-peak hours on working days and valid the whole day through on weekends and national holidays.
There are some limited discount options available for holders of a non-registered chipcard (anonymous card, the blue ones) that can be bought from NS ticketmachines and convenience stores. Subscriptions or discount products are only available to holders of registered cards (personal cards, the yellow ones that carry a picture of the owner).
Hi, if I'm traveling within Amsterdam (eg between the museums), then the minimum credit required on my OV Chipcard would only be 4 Euros right because I wouldn't be using any trains?
Thank you for this video. When traveling between cities, for instance Amsterdam to Sneek, can you take luggage with you? Is there a limit or additional fee for luggage?
You’re welcome! There’s no limit or additional fee for luggage; unless you want to take a bike with you, then you need to have a ticket for the bike as well!
Hi manon, coming to Amsterdam next week. So i can just buy an ov chip card and load it it 40 or 50 euros and tap on and off for train, bus, tram and metro? Dank je wel 😁🇳🇱
Hi! Yes exactly. Also you can now use credit cards, bank cards or your phone to check in and out at buses, trams, metros and trains. So that might be even more useful now for you!
How can i buy a season or monthly ticket for subway?
I'm sorry to say that only holders of a registered chipcard (personal card, the yellow ones that show a picture of the card-owner) are eligible for season tickets/monthly tickets, which are loaded on a card.
Can you check the anonymous card to see how much is left in or you must keep notes how many times is used and the cost used to count the remaining?
You can check how much is left at this website: www.ov-chipkaart.nl/applying-for-a-credit-refund/credit-checker.htm#/
Or you can simply just hold it in front of a ticket machine at the train station and there you can see the amount too :)
Can somebody tell me if i'ts there any direct train from Eindhoven Airport to Amsterdam please ?
Eindhoven Airport doesn't have a train station - there are buses from Eindhoven Airport that run directly to Eindhoven main train station. From there you can take a direct train to Amsterdam; I recommend you to check out 9292.nl for the best journey!
i need some guidance as i will be joining the Hanze university Assen campus ... if anyone is willing to guide me regarding the city of Assen, student jobs , should live in the city of assen or Groniegen ? if Groniegen then how would i commute ? And how expensive will it be ... ill really appriciate the guidance
Hi Manon, what is the cheapest train from the Amsterdam airport to Utrecht. Thx Andrew
Hi Andrew! You can take any direct train to Utrecht and it’ll cost 10,20 one way. I would recommend you to download the app or have a look at the website 9292 to see the exact times etc. I hope this helps!
Hi! What is GVB unlimited pass? I saw we could by 3 days unlimited pass. Is it the same with OV Chipkaart?
The GVB unlimited pass can only be used for the bus, tram and metro in Amsterdam. It’s great if you’re planning on using a lot of public transportation inside Amsterdam. It’s not the same as with an ov chip card, that is more for convenieve. But, you can now (since the end of january) also use credit card, phone and such to check in and out at NS (train company) btw, which is very useful.
so you only pay 20 euros for an OV chipkaart and use it unlimitless time as many times you want?
You need to have at least 20 euros on the card in order to check in at a train station (5 euros for buses, trams, metros), and when you had a train journey or something you need to top it up again when it’s less than 20 euros (the ov chipkaart and the money on it is valid for years). Since this january though, you can also simply check in with bank cards at most train stations (and generally the large buses and metros, but not always); which is very convenient. The ov chip is generally just a convenient thing, but is less useful now if you are only travelling here for a bit since the introduction of pay by card at the check in poles/ gates (still very useful if you do live here!).
Train strikes from the 24th of August!
I just wanted to let you know that employees of NS (national railway service) will go on a strike starting the 24th of August. The strikes are the following dates and locations:
24th of August: Northern region
26th of August: Western region
29th of August: Northwestern region
30th of August: Central region
31st of August: Eastern and Southern regions
These all last 24 hours. And if these strikes won't work, then there will be more to come. So be mindful, plan in advance and be kind.
They're not quite sure whether these actions will also affect the Eurostar, Intercity to Brussels, ICE and/or Thalys.
Also, you can now pre-order by 'Visiting tulip fields in The Netherlands' ebook, which is filled with 100+ pages of tulip fields tips; from history to exact routes in every region to the best places to stay. Only the first 100 people get a 40% discount, so be quick, it's not waiting around: visiting-the-dutch-countryside.myshopify.com/nl/products/ebook-visiting-tulip-fields-in-the-netherlands
Good grief girl .. you are a font of knowledge ... I hope you passed this video on to your FaceBook page readers as well. Excellent information (even for someone who lives here!). 🌹
Hahah thank you! I'm very happy it was helpful. I've indeed shared it on my Facebook page, I didn't yet in the Facebook group, but I saw that you shared it already, thank you!! 😀
@@TheDutchcountryside 💞
I need VO chipkaart
Hi! very helpful video considering the transport in the Netherlands is complex! What do you think would be the best way to get from london to Utrecht? Train? flight+train? what airport? We are going to be visiting next May!
So happy to hear that it’s helpful! You can take the Eurostar to Amsterdam Centraal Station and from there take a train to Utrecht Centraal train station (around 25 minutes from Amsterdam). Flights: you could take a flight to Eindhoven Airport (cheap flights) and then head to Utrecht via bus & train; around 1,5 hours. Or take a flight to Amsterdam Schiphol airport and then a train to Utrecht, which takes you around 30 minutes. Or, you can take a flight to Rotterdam/The Hague airport (also cheap flights) and then a bus & train to Utrecht, which is around 1 hour and 15 minutes. I prefer the Eurostar, simply because you’re immediately in the cities & don’t have to wait that much. Plus, I really like the views from the train haha
@@TheDutchcountryside I think we're going to do the eurostar route so we can see the countryside and promote train travel.
Den Haag heeft ook een metro lijn, hij loopt helemaal door naar Rotterdam😉
Thanks for the video. It is informative, but can't deny that reading about transportation in Netherlands made me a bit confused. For a tourist who is planning to spend 3 days in the Netherlands, and traveling around the country, what would be the best option. OV Chipkaart or Holland travel ticket? Your input is appreciated
You’re welcome! I completely get it; sometimes the companies make transportation more confusing then it should be. To answer your question; how far would you travel in those 3 days? Are you planning to head to different places in a day for instance? Because a Holland Travel ticket is either 44 or 64 euros, depending on the ticket (which is very expensive in my opinion). I think the Holland Travel ticket would only be worth it if you are constantly using public transportation (so metros, buses, trains etc. ). If you only want to take one train a day, I recommend you to buy an ov chipkaart when you arrive!
@@TheDutchcountryside Thanks a lot for your prompt response. I am planning to travel a lot during those 3 days (Amsterdam, Haarlem, Edam, Volendam, , Goda and the Hague if I had time). I am assuming that with the Holland card, I don't need to worry about paying for reservation, is that right? I would just show my pass and ride any transportation I like? Thanks again :)
@@Ahmad-bx6vg So, we don't do reservations for public transportation in The Netherlands (except for the ICE & Thalys high speed trains , but those cannot be used with the Holland Travel Ticket unless you pay extra). With the Holland Travel Ticket you can buy it at an NS service desk and then you get a ticket that you can check in and out with. And if you buy it online then it's a voucher that you need to exchange at the NS service desk for the ticket. You always need to check in and out - even with this ticket. And yes, when there's a controller you simply give your ticket and they check if you checked in.
To get from Amsterdam to Gouda is 12,70 euros one way , and Amsterdam to Edam is 4,88 one way, for instance. I would have a look at 9292.nl/en to see if you think the Holland Travel ticket is worth it. Here you can check the prices of the transport to the places you want to visit and then check if the 44 or 64 euros a day is worth it or not. You can also choose to simply buy separate tickets each time; the OV chipkaart is mostly for convenience. I hope this helps!
@@TheDutchcountryside Thanks a lot again. I will check the link you have sent. This makes more sense. And with OV Chipkaart, my understanding is I would just load it with credits and check in and out with it, right ?
@@Ahmad-bx6vg Yes exactly! The easiest way is to do that at the ticket machines at train stations, metro stations etc. You first need to choose the amount of money, pay and then hold your ov chipkaart in front of the placement at the ticket machine to add the money.
How much discount on tickets if we use ov chipkaart?
If you have a personal ov chipkaart you can - for instance- have a monthly subscription which gives you a discount (outside rush hours). If you have an anonymous ov chipkaart and travel with a person with a personal ov chipkaart, that has a subscription, you can get 40% off (if you travel outside rush hours). But, you can also get this discount with buying a ticket in the ticket machine (except the tickets from the ticket machine are 1 euro more expensive).
The ov chipkaart is more for convenience, not so much for discounts.
@@TheDutchcountryside thank you :)
its help me! since i am looking for this tutorial😅
Hi, can the ticket be bought with cash ?
Train tickets can be bought with cash at some machines (usually only coins though!) and at a special info desk at certain stations (not all stations have them). Tram & bus tickets can often only be bought with card :)
I still consider public transport in netherlands pretty bad. Just pick any random two points in the map of rotterdam. Should be litte far and obviously not beside a metro or train station. And you will see Cycle is always the faster route compared to public transport. Even if you get the tram/bus/train in 1 minute after walking to station. No matter the distance. Even for 10-15 km train bus tram metro all fail to you there before the cycle.
Excellent.
één tip, je kan geen OV chipkaart kopen als je niet in Nederland en buurlanden woont.
Natuurlijk wel. Anonieme kaarten kan iedereen kopen. Je kan geen persóónlijke kaart kopen als buitenlander, wat ik nog altijd een schande vind vergeleken met hoe dat in de rest van de wereld opgelost wordt. Maar ja. Laat grof geld verdienen maar aan de OV-bedrijven over...
Get a ov chipkaart, put money on it and go 🤪
If the busses run its ago. But nowadays it very often happens busses are cancelled. Are you listening KEOLIS?
Not only Keolis 😮
2:19 get the passengers feet of the chair! We don’t do that dirty kind of stuff!!
Hellow
Taking bicycles on trains is missing, sadly.
My guide: don’t rent a car
Marry me!
Nice video for the basics but I think it could have more details. Especially the fact that every individual company has different use of the card needs deeper clarification.
As an expat just moved to the Netherlands, let me tell you my personal experience with ov-chipkaart. I have got a personal ov-chipkaart and I was told that with the NS-flex, I can use the card in metro, tram, buses, trains without worrying about if there is money in it and I will get billed month-to-month. That was true for a while, until I decided to get Eindhoven bus yearly discount into my account. I kept using the card for a while, until in one bus the machine refused to check me in. The driver said I do not have money in my card but I believed I did not need to have money. I did not understand at all because I have been using it a lot in many transportation without money in it. With a lot of digging and talking with the people on the counters, turns out I could do only use NS Flex with the bus, until I got the discount from the local bus company. After buying the discount, I cannot use NS Flex anymore and I need to add money manually. Even more strange is, I cannot add money with the NS machines anymore since I have NS flex, I have to add it online or with the physical counters.
Thank you! And yes, it was definitely meant to be a rough introduction and overview of the public transportation in The Netherlands and how it generally works. That’s why I didn’t go completely in-depth with the personal ov chipkaart stuff etc.
NS Flex is very useful yes (I use it too), but to be honest I had absolutely no idea that it couldn’t be combined with other discounts from other companies. So thank you for telling me, as I’ve never heard of that problem before. I suppose you’re not the only one that’s been having troubles with it… did they give you a reason as to why it’s done this way and if they’re thinking of changing it or?
@@TheDutchcountryside That's the problem with all flex-subscriptions, it just can't be used with any other flex-subscription on one card (though they marketed the whole system as 'you just need 1 card only...'). Most likely, the Eindhoven yearly discount is called a flex-based product, requiring another card.
Another possibility that could have happened to ninegagaa is the fact that though the NS-Flex subscription is a pay-by-credit system, the year-discount product is probably seen as a regular subscription that is valid for a year. And that unfortunately requires sufficient balance on the card. I work at the airport, got a bus-subscription from the airport to be able to use the circle-lines around the airport for free, while I have 'Dal Vrij' (Free Off-peak) for traintravel, which is an approved-credit product. I don't like to get billed every month and would rather make sure there's sufficient balance or a valid product on the thing, but hey, it is what it is.
NS also put 'Reizen op Rekening Bus Tram Metro' on the card once you get Dal Vrij: I don't like travelling on approved credit, and I certainly didn't ask for it, but they just combine it and there's no way to get around it.
So you'd think that this means that whatever you do, you don't need any balance, as you pay by approved credit.
BUT... the airport bus-service subscription is loaded onto the same card as a regular regional transport star-subscription like one can load onto the card at convenience stores and (for as far they still exist) ticket windows at busstations.
This works flawless UNTIL it happens that tapping out on the bus goes wrong. The deposit (which is now 6 euro on the buses I take) is than deducted, lowering the balance to -6 euro, which will not enable you to tap in at the next bus or when you want to return home. (fortunately, with the airport-pass necessary for the airport-bus subscription, drivers are lenient most of the time and will let you in anyway).
The major problem comes when you find out about this at Schiphol Airport: as NS sees your card as a fully 'paid by approved credit' type of card, you can not top up your balance (hell, those buttons are even greyed out) or do anything else to eleviate the problem. Only when you would purchase balance via the personal chipcard page at ov-chipkaart.nl (but this requires you to have internet access and your bank details with you, I'm NOT that kind of person...) and than retrieve that balance at either a bus (Connexxion buses have a reader that enables you to load such stuff from the outside of the bus, not that convenient...) or at a NS-ticket machine... Only those yellow blocks in convenience stores and supermarkets enable you to top up your balance, but those machines are nowhere to be found at Schiphol Airport (and guess how I found out that not tapping out with my bus-subscription the day before because of equipment malfunction had such consequences... right)
Tourists dont speak dutch
Thank you💛 if I use 9292 or NS app there’s no difference? Also, if I need to get from Schiphol Airport to Utrecht I can just take the train from the airport straight to Utrecht, and so i won’t need to have to check in and check out at the posts just at the gates (thats if there will be any)?
What’s that thing where people can check in with their debit cards? Where do they scan it? (in case they dont buy any tickets)
How do people rent their bikes to get around places? It’s something I’ve never seen in my country yet!
Lastly do you have Uber in Netherlands? When a person with luggage and bag in Utrecht needs to get ~1km to a certain place in Utrecht from Utrecht’s train station, which transport is best?
Thanks so much in advance🙏
It could be there's no difference between the two apps/companies. But the downside I know from 9292 is that, especially when there are multiple options available (different modalities and more than one operator in the same area) 9292 can give you ridiculous travel-advice. 9292 goes for the fastest option based on scheduled times, not for the most convenient.
It can happen that you get traveladvice stating that you need to get to the nearest bus-stop, wait for a bus for 3 minutes, be on the bus for 4 minutes, get out, walk to the metro-station, wait for a metro for 2 minutes, be on the metro for 3 minutes, get out, walk to the tram-stop, wait for a tram for 1 minute, and be on the tram for 4 minutes, to than have reached your destination, while if you would have just walked 1 more minute to a different stop ór by travelling on just 1 tram for 2 minutes longer, you would end up in the same destination anyway.
From experience I know that both now also have a habit of first sending you from A to C, while you need to go to B. But because the trainservice from A to B is limited to once an hour, both apps than list the option to go to C first, and than travel back to B, as this is something like 8 minutes faster than waiting for 33 minutes and than taking the train that brings you from A to B in one go. And while this sounds like a very nice idea (especially in a sense like 'Look, we got you this faster option'!), travelling from A to C and back to B is far more expensive than a direct ride from A to B...
Debit and credit cards are tapped in and out like regular chipcards. As long as you take the most direct route possible, you only tap in on the station where you start your journey, and you tap out at the station where you end your journey. The major exception to this rule is when your railjourney involves multiple operators. Than you will have to tap in at the right operator you start your journey with, and tap out at the validator of the operator you ended the first leg of your journey with, to directly tap in at the validator of the operator you will use to continue your journey with. Do this in the wrong order and you will lose a lot of money (from NS to any other operator: you will lose the 20 euro deposit deducted upon tap-in, you can ask for a refund, but it's better to avoid the hassle in the first place)
Bike-rentals by NS are a thing reserved to holders of personal cards only unfortunately.
If you need to go for about 1 kilometer, I suggest you walk. Don't forget that basically all cities have excellent walkability, thus it's no problem at all to go walking. If it's the best option for you is something I can't decide, but most Dutch people will tell you to walk I think. A taxi or Uber probably both is a very expensive option and I have no idea if they even show up for such a short ride.
Thank you so much for all the information! This video is perfect!
Thank you! very helpful!