Which train pass is right for you?

One of the first things to look out for after moving to the Netherlands is choosing a public transport pass, especially if you will be working in a city other than the one you live in. There are several rail service providers in the Netherlands, and in this article you will read about the season tickets offered by NS. As the national rail company, NS currently provides most rail services.

Types of subscriptions

A subscription can only be purchased online and will be delivered to a personal transport. In 2018 there are more than 6 types of passes, differentiated mainly according to the time of travel. Moments are classified into 2 categories:

• during peak hours: Monday to Friday, time slot: 06:30 - 9:00 and 16:00 - 18:30;
• off-peak: Monday to Sunday, any time except peak hours (weekends and public holidays are considered off-peak).

Dal Voordeel: annual pass, worth €50, includes a 40% discount on off-peak travel.

Altijd Voordeel: monthly (€27) or annual (€22/month) subscription, includes 40% off-peak discount and 20% off-peak discount.

Weekend Vrij: annual pass (33€/month), includes 40% discount off-peak Monday-Friday and free transport on public holidays or weekends.

Dal Vrij: annual pass (102€/month), includes free transport during off-peak hours.

Traject Vrij: monthly or annual pass, includes free transport at any time of the day on a pre-determined section and 40% off-peak discount for any other section. The price differs depending on the section chosen.

Altijd Vrij: monthly (€410) or annual (€333/month) season ticket, offers free transport at any time of the day for any train journey.

OVVrij: subscription offering in addition to Altijd Vrij and free transport on any means of public transport in the country, for an extra cost of €55.50.

Kids Vrij: a pass for children aged 4 to 11 years old, provides free transport at any time of the day. The pass is valid only for accompanied children. The price of a season ticket is currently €0.01.

Student: student pass, can only be ordered by proving that you are a student. More information here.

Advantages of having a subscription

In addition to the discounts included in your chosen train pass, there are several advantages to owning one:

• 40% discount for 3 other travellers: all passes include this option, which can be activated on travel partner cards. You must travel together for the discount to be valid;
• annual subscriptions have the option to purchase up to 3 free subscriptions Kids Vrij. You can travel with up to 3 children;
• annual passes have the option to purchase a discounted annual pass for another adult family member;
• annual subscriptions cannot be cancelled in the first year (except in exceptional cases). After the first year, the subscription can be cancelled or modified monthly;
• if you have a monthly membership you will receive 5 discounts per year for various activities (boat trip, an extra ticket for a partner or discounts at restaurants);
• if you have an annual pass, the minimum balance on your travel card is €10;
• when you purchase a season ticket on the NS website you can also order a travel card, sometimes included in the price of the season ticket;
• annual season tickets are also valid on other operators' trains (e.g. Avira).

Find more information on the official NS website, here. Have a nice trip!