How to NL

This page has been superseded by Benelux by train. The information below is not up to date.

Domestic passenger rail services

There are various train services that you can use for domestic travel. Firstly, there is highspeed rail: Intercity direct, ICE, and Thalys (see below). As for non-highspeed rail, there is the Intercity, which usually only stops at the main stations, and the stoptrein, which stops at every station along the way. For Nederlands Spoorwegen (NS; 'Dutch Railways'), their all-stop service is called the Sprinter; sprinters are better than the older stoptreinen in handeling rapid acceleration and deceleration that is needed for all-stop services. (However, you might sometimes still see the older stoptreinen running NS routes.)

This unofficial 2017 passenger railway network map of the Netherlands is handy (website, map, webshop, news (e.g. cheap train tickets)). This is another version. Here is an electronic map of the whereabouts of passenger trains in the Netherlands.

See here for timetables from NS for all domestic train operators in the Netherlands. Here are printed timetables from NS, for all domestic train operators in the Netherlands, and all international trains: Trajects A–H (Intercities); Traject numbers 1–27 (domestic NS lines, including night network), 40–56 (domestic lines of other companies), 100-105 (international lines to France, further Germany, Switzerland, and Austria), 119-128 (Intercity direct, and international lines to Belgium and closer Germany). See here for printed maps of trajects A–H, and traject numbers 1–128.

OV-chipkaarts and tickets from Nederlands Spoorwegen are valid on the services of all domestic train operators in the Netherlands (unless-otherwise stated on the ticket). See also the page on Payment on domestic public transport for issues like rail-replacement buses, and payment in general.

Domestic passenger train operators in 2017

This following is a list of domestic passenger train operators in 2017. See, e.g., NS map of tariff units in the Netherlands, which shows the sectors run by the various passenger train operators in the Netherlands.

• Nederlands Spoorwegen (nationwide)
• Arriva
  • Groningen – Roodeschool
  • Groningen – Delfzijl
  • Groningen – Weener (DE) (– Leer (DE): see what happened/s)
  • Groningen – Veendam
  • Groningen – Leeuwarden
  • Leeuwarden – Harlingen Haven
  • Leeuwarden – Stavoren
  • Zwolle – Emmen
  • Almelo – Hardenberg
  • Apeldoorn – Zutphen
  • Zutphen – Winterswijk
  • Arnhem – Winterswijk
  • Arnhem – Tiel
  • Geldermalsen – Dordrecht
  • Nijmegen – Roermond
  • Roermond – Maastrich Randwyck
  • Sittard – Kerkrade Centrum
  • Maastricht Randwyck – Heerlen
• Breng (passengers check in/out with Arriva portals)
  • Arnhem – Doetinchem
• Syntus
  • Zutphen – Oldenzaal
• Connexxion (Valleilijn)
  • Amersfoort – Ede-Wageningen

Using Intercity direct and international trains domestically

Highspeed rail:

• Intercity direct (Amsterdam Centraal – Schiphol Airport ✈ – Rotterdam Centraal – Breda Centraal): Surcharge of €2.40 on top of a normal train ticket for everyone travelling between Schiphol Airport and Rotterdam Centraal. (Unless you have a non-Thalys Dutch train ticket to Belgium or beyond; check what the NS train ticket machines say.)
• ICE International: For domestic travel in the Netherlands (Amsterdam Centraal – Utrecht Centraal – Arnhem Centraal), there is a surcharge of €2.40 on top of a normal train ticket, unless you already have a subscription with NS, in which case there is no surcharge.
• Thalys: totatally different fare structure of its own. Seats with reservation only. No normal Dutch domestic tickets work with Thalys.

Non-highspeed rail:

• Intercity Berlin: Domestic travel on this train in the Netherlands (between Amsterdam Centraal and Hengelo) is just like other domestic journeys. Normal domestic ticketing applies.
• Intercity Brussels. Domestic travel on this train in the Netherlands (between Amsterdam Centraal and Roosendaal) is just like other domestic journeys. Normal domestic ticketing applies.

Domestic bicycle carriage rules

Within the Netherlands, folded-up folding bicycles are treated as normal luggage, and can be taken for free in all hours in domestic trains. For normal bicycles, all smaller operators seem to have the same rules as Nederlands Spoorwegen (including Breng), except for most lines on Arriva, which have more generous rules. NS bicycle day-tickets are valid on all domestic services listed below. ('Bicycle' below refers to normal non-folding bicycles.)

• Nederlands Spoorwegen: With a dagkaart fiets 'bicycle day-ticket', bicycles are allowed outside rush hours (06.30–09.00, 16.00–18.30), whole day during weekends and holidays, and the entirety of July and August. Bicycles are allowed on ICE travelling domestically (Amsterdam Centraal – Utrecht Centraal – Arnhem Centraal), but not allowed on Intercity direct (highspeed Amsterdam Centraal – Schiphol Airport – Rotterdam Centraal – Breda Centraal), except for folded-up folding bicycles.
• Breng: Same as NS.
• Syntus: Same as NS.
• Connexxion (Valleilijn): Seems to be the same as NS.
• Arriva:
  • Groningen and Frisia (train lines to/from Groningen or Leeuwarden): Other than the normal NS bicycle day-ticket, there is a cheaper Arriva-only bicycle day-ticket, valid only on Arriva trains in this region. The time of validity is also different: the Arriva bicycle day-ticket is valid from 09:00. The Arriva bicycle day-ticket can be purchased from the Arriva ticket machines.
  • Vechtdallijnen (Zwolle – Emmen, Almelo – Hardenberg): Same as NS.
  • Gelderland (train lines to/from Zutphen or Arnhem): Same as NS, except that bicycles can be taken for free during the weekend.
  • MerwedeLingelijn (Geldermalsen – Dordrecht): free/gratis! Trains on this line can take maximally 12 normal bicycles. Bicycles allowed outside rush hours.
  • Limburg: there is a Dagkaart Fiets Trein en Bus; this says that you can take a bicycle outside rush hours, and this says that the ticket is valid after 09:00 Monday to Friday.