Pat_in_Mich

We'll be in Amsterdam in October and are planning a day trip to Delft, so we need round trip train tickets. Then after several days we'll be moving on to Antwerp, so we need one way train tickets.

Are these tickets that I should buy in advance to get the best price?

PalenQ

Not really though if taking Thalys high-speed train to Antwerp book early for discounts - www.thalys.com but IC International trains do it too in about the same time and are pretty much flat fare as cheap as Thalys discounts some local experts say - www.ns.nl for those but you can it seems just buy tickets once there. Delft the same - can take IC International to Rotterdam then local train to Delft or slower regional train Amsterdam to Delft - probably changing in The Hague - so no need to really do anything in advance. For lots on European trains like first v 2nd class check also www.seat61.com (great advice booking own tickets); BETS-European Rail Experts and www.ricksteves.com.

greg

Not adding Den Haag or Haarlem to your Delft trip?

menachem

Just buy tickets at the station. No need for thalys at all.

ICD/international can be used for journeys inside NL. PalenQ's suggestion of taking ICD to Rotterdam and then the local train to Delft is an excellent suggestion. If you need Rotterdam suggestions: I live there, so can give tips on places for dinner etc.

PalenQ

And if buying tickets day of travel it is necessary to cancel your own tickets before boarding, right. Something that may not be apparent.

Pat_in_Mich

Great information, thanks to all! We've been to the Hague before, so we probably won't do that but Haarlem is a possibility. I'm still early in my planning process, so who knows

PalenQ

To go via Haarlem by train to Delft would be much longer than the IC Int'l high-speed train via Rotterdam and Rotterdam though lacking in much old-world looks makes up in some really sweet modern architecture - all around the main train station. Haarlem would make a neat day trip in itself from A'dam - enough there for full day - and last time I went to Delft I spent a full day there - interesting to trek out to the Porcelain Fles Delftware factory and museum about a mile out of town - nice walk along main canal or bus ride.

PalenQ

Haarlem just 20 mns by train from Amsterdam is again a great easy day trip and you can easily twin with it a visit to Zaanse Schans (sp?) - a neat collection of behemoth wooden windmills brought here from all over the Zuider Zee area and a Zuider Zee Museum - all easy to do by train.

PalenQ

Haarlem is a great day trip from Amsterdam- just 20 mins by train - wonderful old canal-laced regional city and can easily be twinned with a visit to Zaanse Schans - a large collection of behemoth wooden windmills brought here from all over the Zuider Zee area - there is also a nice Zuider Zee Museum (and some very schlocky tourist souvenir supermarket nearby where all the bus tours go).

https://www.google.com/search?q=zaan...w=1280&bih=631

PalenQ

Actually greg's suggestion of visiting Haarlem also on a train trip to Delft is good because I checked train times and the direct Amsterdam-Delft train via Haarlem takes about the same time as taking ICD trains via Rotterdam and they go direct. So yes do Delft and if time return via Haarlem - the huge main Grote Markt town square is a short walk from the Haarlem station, a work of art in its own right. Kind of weird that this round-about route is just as fast as the ICD high-speed route via Rotterdam and ICDs charge a supplemental fare too so take the direct train. Should have known greg as usual was spot on right.

menachem

Yes, travel times are about the same, because you have to change trains in Rotterdam. A novel concept, I know.

Also shows how short journey times by train really are in NL.

PalenQ

Funny there are not any trains Ams-Schiphol-Den Hague-Delft - via Haarlem is a longer route.

hetismij2

You can do a direct train to Delft and then go onto to Den Haag if you want, and back to Amsterdam from Den Haag. You need to decide which station in Den Haag you want though. Some trains are direct, some are not, but changing trains is easy.

PalenQ

OP has been to The Hague.

menachem

There are.

PalenQ

www.bahn.de/en doesn't seem to show any Amsterdam Centraal-Schiphol-Delft direct IC trains - seems all direct Ams-Delft trains go via Haarlem yet there are trains from Schiphol direct to Delft. Anyway I'd suggest taking the cheaper direct IC trains via Haarlem rather than more expensive via ICD and change in Rotterdam as they are about the same time.

PalenQ

I think before menachem said there are no longer Daag Retour tickets - day return tickets that could not be used until 9 am or so and were a bit cheaper than two tickets there and back? No specials available?

menachem

For Delft, it takes less time to take the Amsterdam - Schiphol - The Hague intercity and change at Leiden: opposite platform, takes 2 minutes: arrival times are coordinated to make this possible.

menachem

No, those can only be obtained by people who can buy tickets online at NS Voordeelwinkel.

A good bet is to buy discounted day tickets at Albert Heyn, HEMA or Kruidvat

NS discounted tickets where to buy:

Adding: because of the chipcard business there is no discounted return ticket anymore: you just buy two single tickets in one go.
https://www.treinreiziger.nl/category/treinkaartjes

PalenQ

Albert Heijn, HEMA or Kruidvat - Pat in Michigan - these are all over central Amsterdam so maybe buy tickets there for a slight discount and easy to buy.