Ticket Information Public transport and Train The OV-Chipkaart (OV-chip card) is the national public transport ticket system in The Netherlands and has replaced old paper tickets such as the strippenkaart. The OV-Chipkaart is in use on all forms of public transport including trains, trams, buses, RandstadRail and metros. OV stands for Openbaar Vervoer, which means public transport in Dutch In this document you will find the following information : 1. Types of Tickets - Single tickets (one-time use tickets, dispolsable) - Anonymous OV-Chipkaart (best for visitors who will travel a lot) - Personal OV-Chipkaart (residents only) 2. Using the OV Chipkaart - Using the train (NS Dutch Railway) - Using Public Transport 3. E-tickets for using the train (NS-Dutch Railway)
1. Types of Tickets * Single Tickets Single-use Chipkaart for the train (NS-Dutch Railway) What is a Single-use Chipkaart for the train? With a Single-use Chipkaart you can only check-in and check-out with the product previously added to the chipcard by the ticket machine or by the Tickets & Service desks at major stations. For example : if you buy a Single-use Chipkaart for travelling from Schiphol to Den Haag, this chipcard will only be valid for this particular journey. Where can I buy a Single-use Chipkaart for the train? The Single-use Chipkaart for the train can be bought from a NS ticket machine (with the blue sign and white NS logo across the top). Tickets can also be purchased from the Tickets & Service desks at major stations. If you buy your ticket at a ticket machine it is sometimes possible to pay with cash (coins), but most ticket machines don t accept cash. In order to pay you can use the following cards : Maestro, V-Card, Mastercard or VISAcard. For payments with VISA or Mastercard you pay a supplement of 0,50. At the stations, 90% of the ticket machines is ready for credit cards. When is my Single-use Chipkaart for the train valid? The Single-use Chipkaart is only valid on the date mentioned on your ticket. Do I have to check-in and check-out with a Single-use Chipkaart for the train? Yes. You need to check-in and check-out respectively at the start and end of your journey. This must be done by placing the Single-use Chipkaart onto the special freestanding NS card-readers at station platforms and halls before entering the train. If your Single-use Chipkaart is not checked-in, your chipcard is not valid for travelling and you risk a fine. Note : Inside the trains card-readers are not available, so don t forget to check-in before entering the train. What is the price of a Single-use Chipkaart for the train? The price of your journey plus a supplement of 1,-. This means that travelling with a Single-use Chipkaart for the train is always more expensive than travelling with a Personal OV-Chipkaart or an Anonymous OV-Chipkaart. Reimbursement travel expenses In case it is agreed that you get your travel expenses reimbursed, please don t forget to save your ticket. Without the original tickets your expenses will not be reimbursed.
HTM-Uurnetkaart : single ticket for HTM and RandstadRail (for bus, tram and RandstadRail - cannot be used for the train) What is a HTM-Uurnetkaart? The HTM-Uurnetkaart allows you to travel with HTM (bus, tram and RandstadRail) for 60 minutes. This ticket allows you to hop-on and hop-off on all HTM-lines. Where can I buy a HTM-Uurnetkaart? You can buy a HTM-Uurnetkaart from the bus- and tramdriver and at the vending machine inside the RandstadRail carriages. Payment is only possible in cash. When is my HTM-Uurnetkaart valid? Your HTM-Uurnetkaart is valid for 60 minutes from the moment you buy the ticket. Do I have to check-in and check-out with a HTM-Uurnetkaart? No. What is the price of a HTM-Uurnetkaart? 3,- per person Reimbursement travel expenses In case it is agreed that you get your travel expenses reimbursed, please don t forget to save your ticket. Without the original tickets your expenses will not be reimbursed.
HTM-Dagkaart : Individual Day Pass (for bus, tram and RandstadRail - cannot be used for the train) What is a HTM-Dagkaart? The HTM-Dagkaart is a chipcard which allows you to travel with HTM (bus, tram and RandstadRail) for one day. This ticket allows you to hop-on and hop-off on all HTM-lines. Where can I buy a HTM-Dagkaart? You can buy the HTM-Dagkaart at - a HTM Service point at Den Haag Central Station, station Den Haag Hollands Spoor and station Zoetermeer Centrum-West. - VVV Den Haag (Tourist Information Office) - the tram-driver at lines 1, 9 and 11 (only on these lines!) If you buy your ticket at the tramdriver you can only pay in cash. When is my HTM-Dagkaart valid? The HTM-Dagkaart is valid on the day of your first check-in, untill the end of the bus-, tram- and RandstadRail schedule that day. Do I have to check-in and check-out with a HTM-Dagkaart? Yes. The card-readers are located in various parts of the buses and trams near the doors. Always check-in when you enter and check-out when you leave the vehicle. When you transfer from one vehicle to another you need to check-out. You will again check-in when you enter the next bus or tram. What is the price of a HTM-Uurnetkaart? 6,50 per person Reimbursement travel expenses In case it is agreed that you get your travel expenses reimbursed, please don t forget to save your ticket. Without the original tickets your expenses will not be reimbursed.
* Anonymous OV-Chipkaart (for all public transport: train, bus, tram, metro and RandstadRail) What is an Anonymous OV-Chipkaart? This is a plastic card which has a printed expiry date valid for 4-5 years. To this card you can load travel credit onto the e-purse up to a maximum of 150,-. The card can be used on any public transport in the country as long as you have sufficient e-purse credit. An Anonymous OV-Chipkaart can be shared between different people but not at the same time. Everyone travelling together must have their own card. An Anonymous OV-Chipkaart can be purchased by anyone, with no registration required. The card is useful for frequent visitors to The Netherlands and anyone planning to travel a lot on Dutch public transport. One advantage is that you don't have to worry about buying a new ticket every time you travel as long as you have sufficient credit. Where can I buy an Anonymous OV-Chipkaart? You can buy the Anonymous OV-Chipkaart at: - NS (Dutch Railways) stations - service desks or OV-chip marked ticket machines - Transport providers - such as HTM (Den Haag), RET (Rotterdam), U-OV (Utrecht) and GVB (Amsterdam) - Newsagents - such as AKO, Bruna, Primera - Supermarket service desks - such as Albert Heijn, Dirk, Jumbo The Anonymous OV-Chipkaart may be branded with the travel provider you purchased it from, however the card is valid on all public transport companies. If you buy your card at one of the NS stations the card is automatically activated for all public transport, including rail travel. If you buy the card at one of the other mentioned addresses you may need to preactivate your card for rail travel at one of the ticket-machines at an NS station. If you buy your ticket at a ticket machine it is sometimes possible to pay with cash (coins), but most ticket machines don t accept cash. In order to pay you can use the following cards : Maestro, V-Card, Mastercard or VISAcard. For payments with VISA or Mastercard you pay a supplement of 0,50. At the stations, 90% of the ticket machines is ready for credit cards. When is my Anonymous OV-Chipkaart valid? The Anonymous OV-Chipkaart is valid until the expiry date mentioned on the card. Most cards can be used for 4-5 years. Do I have to check-in and check-out with an Anonymous OV-Chipkaart? Yes. For Train and Metro : Use the special free-standing NS card-readers at station platforms and halls before entering the train. Inside the trains and metro carriages card-readers are not available, so don t forget to check-in before entering the train or metro. When you transfer from one carriage to another you do not need to check-out and checkin again. You only check-in at the station where your journey starts, and check-out at the station where your journey ends. For Bus, Tram and RandstadRail : The card-readers are located in various parts of the buses and trams near the doors. Always check-in when you enter and check-out when you leave the vehicle. When you transfer from one vehicle to another you need to check-out. You will again check-in when you enter the next bus or tram.
What is the price of an Anonymous OV-Chipkaart? 7,50 to purchase an 'empty' Anonymous OV-Chipkaart with no credit. To this you can load travel credit onto the e-purse up to a maximum of 150,-. In order to use the Anonymous OV-Chipkaart, a minimum credit is needed of 4,- for public transport and 20,- for train trips. After buying your Anonymous OV-Chipkaart immediately load some credit. This can be done at the NS or HTM service desks, or at a NS ticket machine. Some stores have small yellow machines (see below) which can be used to load credit, however these machines only accept Dutch debit cards. Once purchased and loaded with credit the Anonymous OV-Chipkaart can immediately be used. Reimbursement travel expenses In case it is agreed that you get your travel fares reimbursed, you must print a transactie-overzicht at one of the ticket-machines at the railway stations. This transaction overview only shows your last 10 travels, so do it regularly. Another option is to go to the OV-Chipkaart website : https://www.ov-chipkaart.nl and use the My OV- Chipkaart option. This portal shows all card use. Without the original tickets or transaction overviews your travel expenses will not be reimbursed.
* Personal OV-Chipkaart (for all public transport: train, bus, tram, metro and RandstadRail) What is a Personal OV-Chipkaart? The Personal OV-Chipkaart is available to anyone resident in The Netherlands who registers their details with the OV-Chipkaart operating company (Trans Link Systems bv). Each personal card contains the holder's name, date of birth and a digital photograph. Similarly to the Anonymous OV-Chipkaart, the e-purse of a Personal OV-Chipkaart can be loaded with a maximum of 150,- travel credit. The benefit of the Personal OV Chipkaart is that it can be linked to a Dutch bank account for automatic loading when the e-purse balance falls below a certain level, say 25,-. Personal OV-Chipkaart holders can register for the online My OV-chipkaart portal which shows all card use, which is very useful if you get your travel expenses reimbursed. Can a non-resident purchase a Personal OV-Chipkaart? Yes, but only those who live or have an address in Belgium, Germany or Luxembourg. Initial payment for the card can be made by credit card or Paypal - however, automatic top-up is only possible via a Dutch bank account. Where can I buy a Personal OV-Chipkaart? The Personal OV-Chipkaart can only be ordered at the following website: https://www.ov-chipkaart.nl/aanvragen When is my Personal OV-Chipkaart valid? The Personal OV-Chipkaart is valid for 5 years, until the expiry date mentioned on the card. Do I have to check-in and check-out with a Personal OV-Chipkaart? Yes. For Train and Metro : Use the special free-standing NS card-readers at station platforms and halls before entering the train or metro. Inside the carriages card-readers are not available, so don t forget to check-in before entering the train or metro. When you transfer from one carriage to another you do not need to check-out and checkin again. You only check-in at the station where your journey starts, and check-out at the station where your journey ends. For Bus, Tram and RandstadRail : The card-readers are located in various parts of the buses and trams near the doors. Always check-in when you enter and check-out when you leave the vehicle. When you transfer from one vehicle to another you need to check-out. You will again check-in when you enter the next bus or tram. What is the price of a Personal OV-Chipkaart? 7,50 to purchase an 'empty' Personal OV-Chipkaart with no credit. The benefit of the Personal OV-Chipkaart is that it can be linked to a Dutch bank account for automatic loading when the e-purse balance falls below a certain level, say 25,-. This way you will always have sufficient credit on your card to travel.
If you do not link your Personal OV-Chipkaart to your bank account, you can always load travel credit onto the e-purse similar to the Anonymous OV-Chipkaart, up to a maximum of 150,-. This can be done at the NS or HTM service desks, or at a NS ticket machine. Some stores have small yellow machines (see below) which can be used to load credit, however these machines only accept Dutch debit cards. In order to use the Personal OV-Chipkaart, a minimum credit is needed of 4,- for public transport and 20,- for train trips. Reimbursement travel expenses Note : In case it is agreed that you get your travel fares refunded, please print a transactie-overzicht at one of the ticket-machines at the railway stations. This transaction overview only shows your last 10 travels, so do it regularly, Another option is to go to the OV-Chipkaart website : https://www.ov-chipkaart.nl and use the My OV- Chipkaart option. This portal shows all card use. Without the original tickets or transaction overviews your travel expenses will not be refunded.
2. Using the OV-Chipkaart Using the train (NS-Dutch Railway) Train travel requires a minimum check-in credit of 20,- (for the Personal and Anonymous OV-Chipkaart). Where are the NS card-readers located? Use the special free-standing NS card-readers at station platforms and halls before entering the train. Inside the trains card-readers are not available, so don t forget to check-in before entering the train. Checking-in * You can check-in up to 30 minutes before the scheduled departure of your train. * At the departure station, hold your OV-Chipkaart up against the NS card-reader in one of the gates or free-standing card-readers. * You will hear a single beep. * The screen will display 'Goede reis' ('Have a good journey') or the name of your ticket. * You have now checked-in and you can board your train. Checking-out * At the arrival station, hold your OV-Chipkaart up against the NS card-reader in one of the gates or free-standing posts. * You will now hear two beeps. * The journey fare, remaining credit, name of your product or ticket and class will appear on the screen. * You are now checked-out and the standard single train fare for your trip is charged and the deposit is returned. * You must complete check-out on the rail network within a maximum of 6 hours after check-in. * If you fail to check-out within 6 hours after checking-in, you will lose your 20,- deposit. Note: When you transfer from one train to another you do not need to check-out and check-in again. You only check-in at the railway station where your journey starts, and check-out at the railway station where your journey ends. Note: If there is an error on check-in or check-out the card-reader will beep 3 times.
Using Public Transport : Bus, Tram, RandstadRail and Metro Travelling with Public Transport requires a minimum check-in credit of 4,- (for the Personal and Anonymous OV-Chipkaart). Where are the card-readers located? Bus, tram and RandstadRail: Use the card-readers located near the doors in various parts of the bus, tram and RandstadRail. Always check-in when you enter and check-out when you leave the vehicle. Metro: Use the special free-standing card-readers at station platforms and halls before entering the Metro. Inside the Metro-carriages card-readers are not available, so don t forget to check-in before entering the Metro. Checking-in * When you enter the vehicle hold your OV-Chipkaart up against the card-reader located near the door. * You will hear a single beep. * If you travel with a Personal or Anonymous OV Chipkaart the screen will display 'Goede reis' ('Have a good journey'). If you travel with a travel product (for example the HTM- Dagklaart) the screen will display IN OK. * You have now checked-in. Checking-out * When you leave the vehicle hold your OV-Chipkaart up against the card-reader located near the door. * You will now hear two beeps. * If you travel with a Personal or Anonymous OV-Chipkaart the screen will display the costs of your journey and the remaining credit on you e-purse. If you travel with a travel product (for example the HTM-Dagklaart) the screen will display UIT OK. * You are now checked-out and the costs for your trip is charged and the deposit is returned. * If you fail to check-out you will lose your 4,- deposit. Note: When you transfer from one vehicle to another you must always check-out before leaving the vehicle. You will again check-in when you enter the next bus, tram or RandstadRail. When you transfer from one Metro to another, you must only check-in at the station where your journey starts and check-out at the station where your journey ends. Note: If there is an error on check-in or check-out the card-reader will beep 3 times.
3. E-tickets for using the train (NS, Dutch Railway) E-tickets can only be payed for by using ideal. This means that you must own a bank account with one of the following banks : ABN Amro, ING, Rabobank, SNS Bank, ASN Bank, Knab, RegioBank, Triodos Bank and Van Lanschot. Payment by creditcard is not possible. You buy your e-ticket at the following website : https://www.ns.nl/eticket There are four simple steps to follow. Step 1: Journey details You select the type of ticket, your route and the class you wish to travel in. You also enter the date of travel: this is the day on which the e-ticket will be valid. Step 2: Personal details When ordering the e-ticket, you enter the full name and date of birth of the person who will be travelling with it. The e-ticket is personal. It is therefore necessary for you to copy the details from the valid ID (passport, ID card or driving licence) of the person who will be travelling with the e-ticket. The person's initials, surname and date of birth will be printed on the e-ticket exactly as you provide them. Would you like to buy multiple tickets? You can. For example for a travelling companion or for a different day of travel. You can add, delete or change an e-ticket in an order. Check your details a second time if necessary; there is no refund for an e-ticket that has been ordered and paid for. Step 3: Paying for the order You pay using ideal, secure online banking with your own bank. The participating banks are ABN Amro, ING, Rabobank, SNS Bank, ASN Bank, Knab, RegioBank, Triodos Bank and Van Lanschot. You will receive confirmation of your payment. Step 4: Printing your e-ticket The e-ticket is created immediately in the confirmation screen, and you can download and print it. You will then be sent an e-mail for your records, containing a link to the e-ticket. You can either print the ticket right away or later when you receive the e-mail with the e-ticket as an attachment. The confirmation screen and the e-mail message themselves are not valid tickets. Only the file you reach with the link is a valid ticket. You download this file and print it yourself in A4 size, in colour or black and white. This printout is your e-ticket, with which you can travel on the day you have chosen and with your valid ID. The e-mail will be sent to the address you supply. E-mail addresses with a firewall, such as are often used by businesses, are accessible with difficulty or not at all, so always use an e-mail address without one.