Pat_in_Mich

We are planning a day trip from Amsterdam to The Hague. We plan to leave Amsterdam around 8 am so that we have a full day in The Hague. I see on www.ns.nl that direct trains go quite often but I'm confused about buying the tickets.

While in Amsterdam we expect to use trams only when we arrive and depart with luggage to deal with, other than that we plan to walk everywhere because we enjoy walking. Given that, we were just going to use a one hour pass each time and not get the OV-chipkaart for 7.50 euros. However, I now see that the OV-chipkaart is used for train travel also.

How does this work? Do I need to buy the OV-chipkaart to put the train tickets on it?

ribeirasacra

What is the return fare for this trip?
If is is less then the chippkaart then use the yellow machines which are cheaper than the ticket offices.
It is all explained here in English on how to use the machines.
http://www.ns.nl/cs/Satellite/travel...=language%3Den

NinaSearching

No, you do not need to use an OV-chipkaart.

When you get to Amsterdam Centraal train station, you will see a lot of yellow and blue ticketing machines. In the lower left corner press the British flag to turn the screen to English. In the first column, select whether you want Single Trip (one way) or Return Trip (roundtrip). Then select the train station you want to go to (it could be listed as Den Haag, which is the Dutch way to say The Hague). If Den Haag is not listed as an option already, there's a space to start typing in your desired destination, and it will pop up. Then, select whether you want first or second class seats. The next column will ask Discounted or Regular -- you want regular fare (you need a discount card to get the lower fare). The next column will ask if you want the ticket to be valid today or anytime. Assuming you are buying the day of travel, select valid today. If you are buying in advance, you will need to punch the ticket with the current date whenever you want to travel (there are machines to do this in the train station). The final column says Pay Now and asks you how. You'll need a debit card that has a chip in it or a debit or credit card with PIN. (Most US cards do not.) After all that, your paper tickets will pop out on the lower left side.

If you aren't able to use your debit/credit card in the machine, then go to the ticket counter and purchase your tickets. Again, these will be paper tickets, not OV-chipkaarts.

Pat_in_Mich

Thanks Nina that's very helpful! Sadly with my US credit card, I'll just have to go to the ticket counter.

hetismij

You will pay 50 €cents extra for buying at the ticket counter, and I don't think they accept credit cards anyway.

Some machines accept credit cards with a chip now, but they charge you €1 extra for using a CC. Generally it is easier just to pay cash.
Sadly the machines don't accept notes but in theory the machine will accept a debit/ATM card with the Maestro sign on them and a PIN. No idea if they really do though.

If you bought the €7.50 OV chipkaart you would need activate it at the station, load it up with at least €20, and remember to check in an out. They take a deposit of €20 off the card when you check in, and return the extra to the card when you check out. So you would need to keep it topped up to €20 before every train journey. Buses and trams take a smaller deposit. I have no idea how you get the rest of the money back off an anonymous card.

In a couple of years there will be no more paper tickets, but for now they are the easiest to use. The machines speak English btw .

Pat_in_Mich

So with my US no PIN credit card, my only option is to go to the window and purchase a paper ticket with cash if I don't want to use an OV-chipkaart?

Is there some way to find out in advance how much the ticket will cost? We're considering stopping in Delft on the way back to Amsterdam. How does that complicate matters?

I'm beginning to think I should just turn up at the ticket window with a large amount of cash and hope for the best!

NinaSearching

Delft is slightly further from Amsterdam than Den Haag, so your trip would look like:

Amsterdam Centraal --> Den Haag Centraal --> Delft --> Amsterdam

Prices for single (one way), 2nd class ticket (in euros)

Amsterdam to Den Haag - 10.20
Den Haag to Delft - 2.20
Delft to Amsterdam - 11.50

You can look up train times and prices here on ns.nl. On the upper right, click the word English. On the upper left, under the navigation heading "About Your Trip" select Journey Planner.

Pat_in_Mich

Okay, that makes sense. Now at least I have some idea of how much cash I need to have. Thanks!

ribeirasacra

To understand how to use the machine please read the link i gave.. they are very very easy to use.

greg

For AMS to Delft, 9:10 departure requires change of train at Rotterdam while the 9:13 departure requires change at Den Haag, and the 9:28 departure requires change in Leiden. Are these tickets interchangeable? If not, what options are there to increase the routing flexibility?

Pat_in_Mich

Thanks ribeirasacra but I can't use the machines since I have only a US credit card without chip and PIN.

ribeirasacra

Use cash then...coins not all machines but most.

ribeirasacra

Secondary comment if you do not have a card with a chip and a PIN then how are you going to get cash out of the bank or pay for goods then?

NinaSearching

@ ribeirasacra - You do not need a chip to withdraw funds from an ATM machine. You just need an ATM card from a bank that is on the Cirrus or Maestro network.

@ greg - When you buy your train ticket, all that's printed is your departure and arrival stations. It is not for a specific train, so you can use any train going to/from that destination on the day that's printed on the ticket. (I am not sure, however, why you're changing trains in Rotterdam -- you pass Delft on the way to R'dam from Amsterdam -- but I guess that's a route I just haven't heard of. When you are looking on www.ns.nl, when it lists the train options, select one that has 0 transfers. At least 2 and as many as 4 per hour going Amsterdam to Delft.)

jimberetta

You can practice using the yellow ticket machines online although there is an English option on the units. Remember to have a pocket full of Euro coins because when I tried to use notes or a credit card it wouldn't accept them.Korting means discount otherwise all is self expanatory. Enjoy the Hague - the beach area is lovely - otherwise its a mix of high tec and South Kensington!

TommieG

If travelling from Amsterdam to The Hague, Delft and back, you can also buy a 'via' ticket. In essence this is a ticket from Amsterdam, to Amsterdam, via Delft. Since The Hague is on the same line, you can get off there also. Usually this type of ticket is a little cheaper (don't ask me why though!).

It will all work out fine. The machines are rather easy to work with. And if you can't figure them out, there is always a ticket counter on the large railway stations.

menachem

From Amsterdam, the stops are: Schiphol, Leiden, The Hague, Delft, Rotterdam. or: Haarlem, Leiden, The Hague, Delft, Rotterdam. A train that stops at Delft travels via Haarlem, trains that travel via Schiphol don't stop in Delft, so you'll have to change in Leiden, NOT IN THE HAGUE, which has two stations: The Hague Central and The Hague HS, which is on the Amsterdam to Delft and Rotterdam line. Through trains to The Hague end at The Hague Central.

ns.nl has a journey planner, and you'll have no option but to buy a paper ticket at the ticket window. credit cards don't really work in ticketing machines, I've tried.