Welcome to The Netherlands. You’ve arrived in the country, by plane, train, or boat (for the purposes of this I am assuming you have not driven over from a neighbouring country). But how do you get to your final destination? Here we will discuss how to take public transport in The Netherlands from the moment you land.
The OV Chipkaart
The Dutch for public transport is openbaarvervoer (openbaar – public; vervoer – transport) and is shortened to OV. The chipkaart is your key to travelling around The Netherlands. It is like an Oyster card, if you are familiar with London. You top it up with money and then you can check in and out of any form of public transport in the whole country. There are two types of chipkaart: personalised and anonymous.
Anonymous OV Chipkaart
The anonymous card can be purchased in many different locations including: sales machines at stations, various newsagents, public transport ticket counter. At Schiphol Airport you can buy one at the station from the NS (Dutch Railways) ticket desk. At Eindhoven airport you can buy one from the AKO newsagents but only when it is open. You could also buy one in advance from this site but it is in Dutch.
The benefit of the anonymous card is that anyone can use it. I keep one at home for guests to use. However, the drawback is that you cannot load any products onto the card, such as discounts. The card itself costs €7.50. If you think that is expensive, you are not alone. Dutch customer groups complain a lot about the cost.
Money left on the card cannot be recredited.
Personalised OV Chipkaart
The personalised card can only be bought online for those living in The Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg or Germany, so this is a bit more “advanced”. The personal card stores your information (date of birth, name, address) and is unique to you (it even has your face on it). With it you can then purchase products such as discount cards that are uploaded onto the card, or hire a bicycle from the station. This can be done from this website. This card also costs €7.50. If you lose it you can block the card and get money back.
That’s it? Just those two options?
There is a third way! The Disposable OV chipkaart! This is just a paper ticket that still requires you to check in and out. You can buy it from a ticket machine at a station and is good for a single journey or a short period. It is a good option for a 24 hour Amsterdam ticket, for example.
Check-in and Check-out (In- en uitchecken)
Check in and out is crucial in The Netherlands, even with a disposable card. It tells the ticket inspector or the driver where you boarded the transport so they know your ticket is valid (and they do check). At some train stations there are gates that can only be opened by checking in or out. At others there are poles. When you change carrier you also have to check in and out.
E.g. You travel from Schiphol Amsterdam Airport to the centre of Amsterdam. You would check in at a pole at the airport to board a train. At Amsterdam Centraal station you would tap your card against the gate exit the station. When boarding a tram you would check in again, and check out when leaving the tram. So easy! Just don’t forget to check out! If you are using an anonymous or personalised chipkaart, it can be costly!
Arriving by international train
If you arrive into The Netherlands by international train such as the Thalys, Eurostar, or ICE, your ticket QR code should be readable by the ticket gate so you can exit the station. Often, the train conductor will give you a QR code before reaching the station just in case. If this doesn’t happen and the gate will not open, a station guard will let you out. Just keep hold of you ticket to show them.
Buses
Buses are run more locally so it can vary across the country. The OV Chipkaart can be used in all of them. If you do not yet have a ticket then you may need to buy one from a machine, in the case of Amsterdam transport company (GVB). These are not valid on the R-NET buses, however. You can buy those from the driver.
So there you have it. How to get started on the public transport in the Netherlands.
Bonus fact: the ferries across the IJ river in Amsterdam with GVB on them are free.
Being Dutched 