Domestic ferries
Netherlands has the densest inland waterway network in Europe. Water transport is very important to the Netherlands. There are many more ferry services than I can list here. The following are some of the more notable ones. You can see a list of all public foot passenger/bicycle/motor-vehicle ferries in the Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg at Vrienden van de Voetveren.
The following are the ferries that operate in 'open waters' (here it means outside all the sluice-gates, locks, and flood-barriers). Some are very frequent, while others are seasonal and do not operate every single day. All of these take at least passengers and bicycles. Check with the individual service providers. OV-chipkaart is not valid on these services unless otherwise indicated. (See also the international ferries page; the ferry journeys to Germany and Belgium are similar in length to these domestic journeys.)
Ferries in the northern waters, to the Wadden/Frisian Islands, from east to west (see also the bus page for the buses on the islands):
- Schiermonnikoog (Skiermûntseach) – Lauwersoog: Wagenborg. Foot passengers and bicycles. Mopeds/motorcycles/cars/trucks only with permit in Schiermonnikoog. Timetables.
- Ameland – Holwerd (Holwert): Wagenborg. Foot passengers, bicycles, cars, and trucks. Timetables.
- Terschelling (Schylge) – Harlingen: Rederij Doeksen. Foot passengers, bicycles, cars, and trucks. Information brochure can be found here.
- Vlieland – Harlingen: Rederij Doeksen. Foot passengers and bicycles. Mopeds/motorcycles/cars/trucks only with permit in Vlieland. Information brochure can be found here.
- Terschelling – Vlieland: Rederij Doeksen. Foot passengers and bicycles. Mopeds/motorcycles/cars/trucks only with permit in Vlieland. Information brochure can be found here. Operates in summer, and special services on certain other days.
- Vlieland – Texel: De Vriendschap. Foot passengers and bicycles. Operates in summer.
- Texel – Den Helder: TESO. Foot passengers, bicycles, cars, and trucks. Timetable: Den Helder to Texel, Texel to Den Helder.
Ferries in the eastern waters, from north to south:
- IJmuiden – Velsen Noord [mouth of Amsterdam]: Watertaxi IJmuiden. Foot passengers and bicycles. Timetable. Operates in summer.
- Hoek van Holland > Maasvlakte > Pistoolhaven (> Landtong) > Hoek van Holland [mouth of Rotterdam]: RET fast ferry. Foot passengers and bicycles. Printed timetables. OV-chipkaart is not valid on RET fast ferries.
- Vlissingen – Breskens [mouth of Antwerp]: Westerschelde Ferry. Foot passengers, bicycles, and mopeds. Timetable. OV-chipkaart is no longer valid on this service.
- Perkpolder – Hansweert [upriver/west towards Antwerp]: de-ATOL. Foot passengers and bicycles. Timetable. Operates in summer.
There are numerous ferries plying the inland waterways all over the country. The following are three larger operators which run year-round services.
- GVB (English) operates ferries crossing the IJ in Amsterdam; these IJ ferries are for foot passengers, bicycles, and mopeds, and they are free/gratis. The three ferries crossing the North Sea Canal downriver from/ west of Amsterdam are also free/gratis for foot passengers, bicycles, and mopeds, but larger motor-vehicles have to pay. OV-chipkaart is apparently not valid on these ferries. Timetables, maps, printed map (everything, ferries), and digital map. GVB also runs buses/trams/metros in Amsterdam. The operation area of the GVB ferries corresponds to concessions 11 Haarlem-IJmond and 17 Amsterdam on land.
- Waterbus runs waterbuses in Rotterdam and upriver/ to the southeast, past Dordrecht. Easy access to the World-Heritage-listed Route map. The OV-chipkaart is valid with Waterbus. The operation area of Waterbus corresponds to concessions 25 Rotterdam and 26 Drechtsteden, Molenlanden en Gorinchem on land.
- Riveer runs ferries from Gorinchem (further upriver from/east of Dordrecht). Printed timetable. The year-round network of Riveer corresponds to the concessions 26 Drechtsteden, Molenlanden en Gorinchem and 32 West Brabant on land.
There are many other services elsewhere. Please see the lists at Vrienden van de Voetveren.
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