The Step by Step guide: How to Use your OVChipcard You will hear a lot about ‘checking in or ‘Inchecken ’ or checking out 'uitchecken ' when travelling by bus, metro or train in the Netherlands.  But what is checking in? Here is your step by step guide:  1. Scour the station for a card reader. There are usually two types of reader a free standing reader or a card reader attached to the barrier gates at the train station.   2. Locate your chipcard. If you are like me and you have lost your OV-chipcard 6 times between entering the station and finding the card reader then please don’t stand in front of the card reader while searching your bag/wallet/pockets/socks. This is akin to standing at the top/bottom of escalator while checking your phone and almost as bad as not standing on the left side of the London Underground escalator.   3.  Hold your chipcard to the reader. You will hear two beeps.  4. Have a look at the screen it will say

Traveling with a pet When travelling with your pet you do need to purchase an extra ticket. The prices are typically €3.20 and you can purchase this ticket direct from the ticket machines at the station (as you can see from the images), online , or from a ticket office. You need one ticket per dog/pet. Small pets (that fit on your lap) can travel for free as can Guide Dogs. On this page you can read more about pets on other public transport around the Netherlands Traveling with a Bike  CORONA UPDATE-CURRENTLY THESE TICKETS NOT FOR SALE DUE TO CORONA  On some trains, there is a special compartment for bikes. So be sure to board the train on the carriage where you see the bike symbol. If you have a folding bike you do NOT need an extra ticket - however, you HAVE to fold the bike. Beware you will be fined if you do not fold your bike!  The bike ticket costs €6.00. This ticket price may seem steep but it is valid all day. You can also conside

Even with the modernisation of many train stations  and the increase in  eticket sales   over the last few years, you will be happy to hear that it is still possible to buy regular point to point tickets for your train trip at the train station service desk. Just find the OV Service and Ticket Shop  and ask the staff for help.  If you are at a small station then look for the 7/11 style store called the 'Kiosk' with Tickets & Service sign and you can get information and your ticket.       The single use tickets are printed as single use OV cards (OV- Openbaar Vervoer is the Dutch for public transport). These cards have a chip and antenna inside the card and allows you to check in and out at the barrier gates or at the free standing check in card readers when entering or leaving a station. Just tell the member of staff where you want to go and they will print the OV card. The date (as well as the route) will be printed on the card. To validate this ticket you need to ‘che

A hassle-free way to get your disposable or your anonymous OV-Chipcard is by using the yellow ticket machines at the station. These are great for avoiding the queues at the ticket desk. There are two types of NS ticket machine.                         The yellow ticket machine is for loading credit/products onto your existing OV card. So use this if you already have the OV Chipcard). The blue ticket machine can also be used with the OV chip card but can also be used for purchasing single 'point to point' cards. The best thing about these is that you can use them in English. They are touch screen so you simply begin by touching the British flag for English.   If you don’t have an OV card you simply use the blue ticket machine. Start by clicking the ‘don’t have a chip card' icon. Follow the online instructions. Choose your departure and arrival destination, class (first or second) and make your payment. You can pay with cash, debit card Visa, Masterc

As a resident of The Netherlands you can apply for a personal OV - Chipcard . This is only applicable if you are living in the Netherlands and have a Dutch bank account and address. In order to get one of these cards you need to fill out an application form . If you are not computer savvy then I guess you will not be reading this - but in any case you can go to the station desk and ask for the application form. Once you have filled it in (and you have a photograph) they can help fill in the online details for you. For this pleasure they will charge you an extra €3 as well as the cost of the personal card €7.50.   Remember that the personal OV-Chipcard these cards can ONLY be used by the person listed on the card (name and picture and DOB are on the card). If you lose your card and report it within 24 hours you can apply for a refund for the credit on your card. You can sync your personal chip card it to your back account so you never have to worry about running low on funds w

If you are not a resident of the Netherlands and you are planning on travelling a lot by train then a good option is to purchase the anonymous OV-Chipcard. This card costs €7.50 and has no personal details on it (no name or photo for example) so it can be used by anyone! This card needs to be topped up before it can be used.  Where can I buy the anonymous Ov-Chipcard? At the train station ‘Tickets & Service’ counters or other public transport ticket desks At the NS ticket machines (with the blue sign and white NS logo across the top) Supermarkets (e.g. Albert Heijn) and tobacco shops or stationery shops such as the Bruna. You can check this website to find OV-Chipcard service points throughout the Netherlands. At these points you can purchase the OV-chipcard and also load credit onto a card. How Do I Use My Anonymous card- IS IT WORTH IT? The card may look like a great option but remember that this card costs €7.50 so it is only good value if you plan to trav

The Dutch National Railways (NS) website sell etickets.  1 - Click on the ‘Menu’ tab for a drop-down menu 2 - Click on ‘Tickets and Supplements'. 3 - Choose single ticket or other options for example day return) enter your details and purchase your ticket. Rules to Remember Before Buying Your eTicket 1. Remember when entering your details that they must be the same as the ID you will travel with. (as an aside - by law everyone in the Netherlands is obliged to have ID when asked by officials such as police). The eticket is sold under the condition that you can show your ID to prove your identity. The name and date of birth on the eticket and ID must match (I must say however mine has never actually been checked). 2. You must download (or print) your etickets.  3. You do not need to check in like with a OV-card however you may need to use the barcode on the eticket to get through the barrier Using your eTicket You can use these etickets