jueves, 6 de abril de 2017

The Netherlands by train

Spanish version of the post

As we mentioned in previous posts, The Netherlands counts with an important transport network. The train (NS Netherlands) is generally the main transport mean the Erasmus students travel by. There are different ways of getting train tickets, although we show the most common ways for either students or tourists here:


Resultado de imagen de ns netherlands train

  1. Individual ticket: if you are visiting The Netherlands for a few days, this is the simplest option. Individual tickets can be purchased at train stations. A single individual ticket usually costs a bit more (about one more euro per ticket) than one bougth with the OV-Chipkaart.
  2. Group tickets: there is also the possibility to buy tickets even among 10 people. These tickets are way cheaper than the others and also the most economic and recommendable for Erasmus students (Dutch students usually have a special student card). In order to create 10 people groups there are Facebook groups where someone with a DUTCH BANK ACCOUNT purchases all the tickets once the rest of participants has sent him/her a screenshot which confirms the transference is made. These tickets are for a round trip and you MUST print them, if you do not the fine is of 50€.
  3. OV-Chipkaart: you can purchase this card at NS at train stations, as well as at other places as Albert Heijn (supermarket) etc. and its cost is about 16€. You can charge the card at the machines located at train stations and the minimum balance you need for the train is of 20€. Besides, you can use this card for the bus too and in this case, the minimum balance available has to be of 5€.

So as you can see the difference among tickets price, here we show the prices of a round trip ticket Nijmegen-Amsterdam (march 2017):
  1. Individual ticket: 19´90€ to go + 19´90€ return = 39´80€
  2. Group ticket (being 10 people): 7€ round trip
  3. OV-Chipkaart: 18´90€ to go + 18´90€ return = 37´80€
Don't worry about the time your tickets are available, you can use them at any time of the day. However, do bear in mind that at rush hours (6 or 7 in the evening) the wagons are usually full and you might have to make your way either stand up or sit down in the stairs. Anyway, no supervisor will tell you to leave the train. 

As a couriosity we would add that the organization NS Netherlands is the first railway company that has accomplished the goal of making its trains work a 100% with the wind power. This is a fact Dutch people can be proud of, because this is a measurement that reinforces the country's responsibility with the environment.

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