The Netherlands has an excellent, reliable and affordable domestic rail network. This in turn connects with both high speed and regular trains serving neighboring countries. It forms an integral part of the European rail network.
Domestic Trains
The domestic network is run, with a very few regional exceptions, by the national rail company Nederlandse Spoorwegen, better known by all simply as NS. Unlike many other European countries there are no long distance domestic bus services. Long distance public transport within the country is based around the train stations with busses proving local services to and from those. There is an extensive network covering pretty well the entire country, a map of which can be found here:
There are basically two kinds of trains, Intercity (IC) and Sprinter. The latter were formerly, more accurately, known as stop trains and, as that name implies stop at each station on the line. The IC trains only stop at a smaller number of larger stations. All of the IC trains and the vast majority of Sprinters are divided into first and second class compartments. A high speed service called Fyra, runs between Amsterdam and Breda via Den Haag and Rotterdam Thalys. A supplement is required for this service.
Fares are based on the distance travelled with first class travel commanding a premium of around a third over second class. Both classes are comfortable. First offers more space and is generally less crowded, particularly at peak times. There are no specific discounts for seniors or children however upon purchase of a kortingskaart (off-peak discount card) any traveler, plus up to three traveling with that person, can get a 40% discount for all off-peak journeys (06.30-09.00 and 16.00-18.30 Mon to Fri are peak times) all days in July-August and weekends/public holidays). The cards cost €50 per year and can be obtained after filling out a form online and providing a passport photo at any NS ticket office. However, there is a BIG catch: one needs to fill in a Dutch address and Dutch bank account number, for renewing the contract automatically. For most tourists this is out of reach, but technically possible - your Dutch friend whose data you 'borrow' can simply cancel the renewal, the contract with NS you make by buying the card is really for one year only.
There are no seat reservations on Dutch domestic trains and whilst you can buy your tickets in advance of travel there is no cost saving through doing this. The Dutch system is thus very much geared towards travelers who wish to turn up and go on the day. Most locals will buy their tickets from machines which generally require a Dutch domestic bank pass or, in some cases, Euro coins. Also Maestro-logo debit cards, from European banks, generally work on the machines and do have a surcharge. Machines at Schiphol airport and a few in Amsterdam Central station also accept credit card payment, at a surcharge of 1 euro per transaction. If you use the ticket office (which accepts banknotes, coins, and at larger stations even often credit cards) there is a surcharge of €0.50 per ticket. If you wish to practice the use of the machines online before getting to the station you can do so here: You can now also the OV Chipkaart on the NS network, combined with any discount agreements.
Reliability is a hallmark of the network. Whilst problems do sometimes occur, NS generally record on time (within two minutes of schedule) performance levels of around 97%. The network is generally very well integrated. Those who do need to change trains generally find they only need to change to the other side of a platform where another onward train is waiting.
On any platform there are bright yellow boards displaying train times, departure platforms and the stations along the various routes. Full details of timetables and fares can also be found on the NS website.
International Trains
There are several local international routes from NL to adjacent countries such as that from Maastricht to Liege continuing onwards to Brussels, and Heerlen-Aachen. Here we shall concentrate on the main IC routes.
Amsterdam – Brussels – Paris
This route is by some way the busiest to and from the Netherlands. It is covered by a high speed train called the Thalys. In addition on the section between Amsterdam and Brussels a regular IC train runs an hourly service. The IC train to Brussels is very similar to domestic IC services. No reservations are required, or indeed available. Simply turn up at the station, buy your ticket (from vending machine or domestic counter) and jump on the train. Whilst you can in theory buy tickets, without seat reservation, in advance from the NS International site NS Hispeed. The national company’s failure to accept overseas credit cards makes this difficult. Journey time Amsterdam to Brussels is 2 hours 48 minutes. Single fare is €37.80.
For the Thalys, on the other hand, reservations are essential. These can be made at the NS Hispeed site listed above or at the Thalys site. For those not based in NL this site has a few advantages over the NS one. If you chose your home country as France you will not be hit with a credit card surcharge. It is also much more accommodating towards non-Dutch credit cards. You can also, having first taken the French option, select your preferred seat type. In Brussels-South, a quick transfer is possible to the Eurostar to London and to the TGV train to Paris CDG airport.
Tickets for the Thalys go on sale three months before you can travel. The best fares, which can be as low as €25 to Brussels and €35 to Paris, tend to sell out fairly shortly after that. Closer to the time second class single fares can be as high as €64 to Brussels and €128 to Paris. Journey time Amsterdam to Brussels is 1 hour 54 minutes and Amsterdam to Paris 3 hours 18 minutes.
Amsterdam – Avignon - Aix-en-Provence
This is the other Thalys route from NL although there are very few direct trains in the summer months. For those who are into winter sports a few months from late December to March there is a once a week direct service to theFrench Alps. All other services to South East France require a change at Brussels.
Amsterdam – Cologne (Koln) - Frankfurt
This service is operated by the German railway company D-Bahn and NS Hispeed. It is served by high speed ICE trains. Journey time is two hours 38 minutes to Cologne, fares range from €19 to €61. It also connects to the Frankfurt Airport station.
Amsterdam (Schiphol) – Hanover – Berlin
This service is run by D-Bahn on a regular IC train. Journey time is six and a half hours. Fares vary from €49 to €115. An alternative option for those travelling to Berlin is to take the ICE train via Duisburg. Journey times on both routes are similar.