Travel guide for dutch trains

Are you considering planning a future train journey from the Netherlands to various cities in Europe? Well, you can easily do so because the railway transport in the Netherlands is very well developed, and new routes to various countries are being added with each passing day.

Today, we will show you the steps you need to take to plan your dream trip, provide you with the information you should consider when deciding to purchase train tickets, and share the available train routes and stations at the current moment.

But to better understand why we, the members of DB Work, are so excited about this mode of travel, first, we will present the evolution of railway transport in the Netherlands.

Evolution of Train Travel in the Netherlands

The current situation regarding rising fuel costs represents an opportunity for the evolution of railway transport, making it gradually one of the most popular means of transportation.

Currently, Green City Trip aims to significantly expand its railway services in Europe. Their plan is to launch new routes between cities in the Netherlands and international destinations such as Florence, Copenhagen, and many more. In the past year, connectivity between the Netherlands and Europe has improved significantly: in 2021 alone, direct routes were created between Amsterdam and London (in October), Amsterdam-Vienna (in May), Breda-Prague (in October).

This summer will see the inauguration of new routes connecting Amsterdam to European cities. The first event of this kind will take place on the night of May 25. Citizens will board a train that will take them from Amsterdam or Utrecht to Florence, Bologna, Como, or Bolzano, and later these trains will also run to Copenhagen, Malmö, Gothenburg, Linz, or Salzburg.

Of course, these journeys will not all take place on the same day, at the same time; their frequency depends on the destination and the time of year. Trains to Gothenburg will run in July and November, and to Bolzano in June.

About Tickets for Train Travel in the Netherlands

Purchasing a ticket for a train journey from the Netherlands to other European cities is a simple and quick process. You don't need to reserve your ticket in advance because most of the time, it has a fixed price. Instead, you'll need to purchase it before boarding; otherwise, you risk receiving a fine of around €50 as train conductors don't sell tickets on board.

Types of tickets available for train travel in the Netherlands:

• Day Return Ticket (Dagretour) - valid for 28 hours and can be used for a single round trip on the same route. Children aged 4 to 11 can travel with you for €2.50 using a Railrunner ticket.
• One-way Ticket (Enkele reis) - also valid for 28 hours, starting from 00:00 to 04:00. Can be used for a single one-way trip to a specific destination. Children aged 4 to 11 can travel with you for €2.50 using a Railrunner ticket.
• Rail Runner Ticket (Railrunner) - allows 24-hour travel with your child. This type of ticket is free for children under 3 years old, and for those aged over 3, a fee of €2.50 is required.
• Day Ticket (NS Dagkaart) - allows unlimited travel in both first and second class on the entire Dutch railway network.

 

How Can I Purchase a Ticket for Train Travel in the Netherlands?

If it's your first train journey in the Netherlands, note that tickets can be purchased at the station, from ticket vending machines, or at the ticket counter. If you choose to purchase a ticket in advance, you can do so online.

Ticket Vending Machines

In the Netherlands, all train stations are equipped with ticket vending machines, available in English, German, French, and Dutch, from which you can buy single tickets. One great advantage of these machines is that tickets can be returned at any station. Note that banknotes cannot be used; you can only pay with coins and debit or credit cards (with an additional fee of €0.50).

Ticket Counter

In every train station, there is a ticket counter that offers personalized tickets. Compared to vending machines, the ticket counter accepts all forms of payment: banknotes, coins, and cards.

Online

You can choose to purchase your ticket online on the NS International website. After completing the purchase process, you will receive your ticket in PDF format at your email address, and later you will need to print it or input it into the NS app because ticket inspectors in the Netherlands don't allow displaying tickets on mobile devices.

Available Train Stations for Travel in the Netherlands

Train travel from the Netherlands to other cities is a pleasant experience that you shouldn't miss if you live in a Dutch city! And surely, now that you've learned all about ticket information, you're wondering "In which cities are train stations located?"

 

The major train stations in the Netherlands are as follows:

• Amsterdam Central Station - ideal for international travel. Here you'll find a wide variety of restaurants, cafes, and shops where you can spend your free time, as well as a special area for luggage storage.
• Utrecht Central Station - located in the city center, it has quickly become one of the most popular train stations in the Netherlands. It has a bicycle parking area, so you won't need to worry about your vehicle.
• Rotterdam Central Station - used for both international and local transportation, located in the center of Rotterdam.
• Maastricht Central Station - located in the southwestern Netherlands, it offers railway services on the Liege (Belgium)-Maastricht (Netherlands) route.

 

Available Routes for Train Travel in the Netherlands

Trains in the Netherlands operate on local, national, and international routes. These include:

Amsterdam-Paris

Operated by Thalys, this route runs between Amsterdam Central and the northern part of Paris, with stops at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport, Rotterdam, Antwerp, and Brussels, and the journey takes about 3 hours and 18 minutes.

Amsterdam-Brussels

This journey is provided by several railway service providers:

Thalys, on the Amsterdam/Schiphol/Rotterdam - Antwerp and Brussels route.

Eurostar, operates on the Amsterdam-Brussels-London route.

Brussels Intercity, between Amsterdam and Brussels, with stops at Schiphol, Rotterdam, Breda, Noorderkempen, Antwerp, Mechelen, and Brussels Airport. The journey time is approximately 2 hours and 48 minutes.

Amsterdam-London

Eurostar offers a direct route between Amsterdam and London, which takes about 4 hours, with stops only in Brussels and Rotterdam.

Amsterdam-Marseille, Amsterdam-Bourg St Maurice

Sun Thalys is a service for Dutch tourists that operates in July and August, only on Saturdays, from Amsterdam to Brussels to Valence, Avignon, Aix-en-Provence, and Marseille St Charles, taking about 7 hours.

Amsterdam-Frankfurt via Düsseldorf, Cologne

ICE International trains run from Amsterdam to Frankfurt, with stops in Utrecht, Arnhem, Oberhausen, Duisburg, Düsseldorf, Cologne Airport, and Frankfurt, taking about 4 hours.

 

If you want to organize a train journey from the Netherlands on the Amsterdam-Luxembourg, Amsterdam-Vienna/Munich, or Amsterdam-Zurich routes, note that there isn't a direct train running on these routes from the Netherlands. You'll need to use the NightJet service offered by Austria or change trains multiple times.

And if you've carefully gone through the Netherlands train travel guide, we wish you a pleasant vacation! And don't forget, if you're looking for a safe and stable job in the Netherlands, enter here, or you can contact us at the phone number 0372.032.475.



 

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