TommieG

There are always a lot of questions on Fodors regarding buying train tickets in the Netherlands. Below is a link to the website of the Dutch rail service (NS), this website gives basic information in English about buying tickets:

http://www.ns.nl/en/arrange-and-buy

In general there are 3 options:
- e-ticket (see link)
- counter (most larger stations, surcharge of 0,50)
- ticket machine

The ticket machine always accept coins and (international) debit cards with the ' maestro' logo on it. This is a specific option while using the machine. The ' PIN' choice (blue logo, white letters) is for Dutch debit cards.

Because the above link also states the machines accept credit cards, but most Fodorites have another experience, I decided to ask a question at customer service.
I asked the question on Twitter: @NS_Online.

I promptly received an answer: the machines at Schiphol and Amsterdam CS do accept credit cards.

Probably only credit cards with chip/PIN. But this question can best be asked directly on Twitter. My guess is that they don't have a problem with questions in English.

Good luck!

TommieG

Small detail I overlooked; at this moment for buying e-tickets they only accept payments through Dutch banks. Sorry!

greg

I just bought train tickets at Schiphol ticket counter (that means from a person.) He looked at my swipe only U.S. card and told me to go to an ATM machine to get cash. He pointed at the place the CHIP would be and said without CHIP, I can't use a credit card at the ticket counter. I suspected that my U.S. swipe card might not be accepted, so I had cash (need more so these days with swipe only card) to pay for the tickets.

The hotel, however, still accepted my swipe only U.S. credit card.

greg

The NS ticket counter at Schiphol recommended a NS Herfsttoer (Fall Tour for 2 people on 1st class unlimited travel for one day) for 50EU total if you are travel a lot on train and if you don't want to deal with swipe only card problem or having use cash everytime you want buy NS tickets (different machines have different cash accepting capabilities.) This is good for 9/1 throu 10/31. Here is the summary. I could not find this on the www.ns.nl page:

-------------

Samen 1e klas een hele dag onbeperk reizen voor maar 50EU.

Met NS Herfsttoer ligt heel Nederland aan je voeten. Voor maar 50EU reis je met NS Herfsttoer samen lekker comfortabel in de 1e klas. Waar je ook maar heen wilt.

Ns Herfsttoer is alleen verkrijgbaar voor 2 personen.

Met NS Herfsttoer reis je samen 1 dag door de week na 900 uur, of in het weekend, onbeperkt door heel Nederland. En onderweg geniet je van het comfortable van de 1e klass, zodat je compleet ontspannen aankomt. Kinderen van 4 t/m 11 jaar reizen supervoordelig met je mee! Per volwassene kun je maximaal 3 kinderen met een Railrunnerkaartje meenemen voor maar 2.50EU per dag.

NS Herfsttoer is geldig vanaf 1 september t/m 31 oktober 2011 in alle treinen in Nederland en met toeslag in Fyra- en ICT-treinen. Door de week na 900 uur, in het weekend en op feestdagen de hele dag. Niet geldig in THalys-treinen van en naar Parijs.

The_lonely_traveler

NS Herfsttoer is nice, but please be aware there are some limitations (as mentioned in the Dutch text posted by greg):
- The NS Herfsttoer is not valid before 9AM on weekdays
- There's a surcharge when used in Fyra and ICE/ICT trains*
- You cannot use it on the Thalys (highspeed to Paris)

*: Fyra is the (partial) high-speed connection from Amsterdam via Schiphol and Rotterdam to Breda. ICE trains are the fast international trains to Germany and Switzerland which stop in Amsterdam, Utrecht and Arnhem. NS Herfsttoer can be used without surcharge if you take the normal intercity trains.

Set

this link might also help (has pictures of what the machines look like etc.)

http://amsterdamtips.com/tips/train-...etherlands.php

greg

I just used the NS Herfsttoer today, and it worked out very well. Since it was Saturday, I could start the trip before 9am using this discount pass for 2 people on 1st class for 50EU total.

The total two persons fare for the day without the pass, if the 2nd class were used, would have been 47.40EU while the 1st class was 80.60EU. Since the pass was for the 1st class, I used the 1st class on each train.

Would it have been "better" if I had bought point to point? Not the way it turned out for me. After bought the pass, I realized that rearranging the itinerary would be more efficient. Since the pass was unlimited use on any non highspeed trains, it did not matter if I changed the destinations at the last minutes. On the late afternoon Den Haag C to Amsterdam train, the 2nd class seats seemed be full, and the people were sitting on stairs. At every stop, new passengers walked though the 1st class and onto the next 2nd class car looking for seats. 1st class was less than half full all the way. Perhaps best of all, I did not have to be reminded, once I bought the pass, that I am in possession of a low-tech swipe only credit card that cannot be used on NS ticket machines or at ticket counters.

deWit

Quick update for this:

Nowadays, all ticket machines at all stations accept creditcards (VISA and MasterCard) with PIN. However, there is a €0.50 surcharge for paying by creditcard. Furthermore, there is a €1 surcharge for buying disposable (single or return) tickets.

hetismij2

deWit - do you know if the machines also take non chip credit cards, like most US citizens have?

I noticed today that there is an option to pay with a CC, but I didn't look to see if the machine would take swipe cards as well.

Do make sure when buying your ticket you go to a ticket machine with a blue top with a white NS logo in it. The other machines are for OV chipkaart holders only.

Michael

<i>The ticket machine always accept coins and (international) debit cards with the ' maestro' logo on it.</i>

My credit Union ATM/Debit card, which it calls a check card, has the VISA, PLUS, CO-OP and STAR logos. It worked in ticket machines. The ticket agents do not accept pinless credit cards although their readers are capable of doing it. Our ticket agent offered to swipe the card but we offered cash instead.

When we chose to use our credit card in shops and restaurants we had no problems with our pinless card. Some coffee shops require a card because they no longer handle cash.

hetismij2

Michael, since the paper ticket has been abandoned the NS machines have changed, and now accept credit cards at nearly all stations. I don't know though if they also accept chipless cards.

deWit

As far as I know, the american-style "swipe" cards are not supported and a creditcard with chip is really required.

The NS site just states that "For payments with credit card (VISA or MasterCard), a pincode or safety code is required."

hetismij2

Thanks deWit. If I get time I will look into to it next time I am at my local station, or maybe ask when I am in Utrecht next week.

sharona

Our US credit cards (no chip) did not work 2 years ago in the train ticket machines nor at the ticket counter at Schipol. There were signs everywhere stating that US credit cards would not be accepted. Some of those signs were hand-written so perhaps the switchover to new ticket machines had just happened. We used the ticket counter and had to pay cash.

PalenQ

I promptly received an answer: the machines at Schiphol and Amsterdam CS do accept credit cards.

Probably only credit cards with chip/PIN.>

I read in an authoritative source, forget where, that at Schiphol at least American credit cards do work at the train-station ticket machines - the only one in Dutch stations that do - maybe Amsterdam CS has it too.