Public Transport in the Netherlands

Public transport is very different in every country. I lived in the Netherlands already for quite a long time to know how to use it. In general public transport in the Netherlands is not complicated and is actually pretty easy to use.

Bicycles

The nation of bikes. This saying is true. In the Netherlands everybody is riding a bike. In any weather, rain, wind or sun, a bicycle is the most common way of traveling. There are nice paths for bikes everywhere in the country, they are often painted red. It is very easy to get somewhere by bike, either in the city or from city to city. There are a lot of rental places in the cities. Renting a bike in the Netherlands is in average 10€ per day. There are also a lot of parking lots for bikes in front of shops, stations or in the city centers.

Trains and buses

Trains are very nice in the Netherlands and easy to use. They are modern and comfortable. On the other hand they are also expensive. As well as the buses. If you don’t have a card, you can pay a lot of money. You pay with your bank card on the bus. The ticket costs around 5€. Tickets for trains can be bought online or in an automat. You need your ticket to check in and check out in most of the train stations. In those 3 months I only had control once. The trains mostly come on time but it also happened that because of some problems, all the trains were canceled and I had no way back. Trains are driving often, but it is a rushed country and when you have to change the line a few times, you find yourself running to the train.

The new system allows you to use your bank card as a regular bus chipcard in the buses. You can also just download an app and have your chipcard there. The Netherlands is a country that is growing and innovating. 

OV cards

It is a transport chipcard. It works for each way of public transport. With this card you just have to check in and out. There has to be a minimum 4€ for buses, trams and metro on the card. For the trains you need at least 20€. To put money on the card you have to go to the same automat as for the tickets, from this automat you can also buy this card. You buy an anonymous card for 7,50€ and then you put money on it. There’s also an option to get a personal card, where you can choose what subscription you would like. You can check it out here. Personal cards are good if you are living in the Netherlands for a longer time. You need to connect it to your bank account. In this case you can travel anytime anywhere and the amount is automatically taken from your bank account, you don’t have to worry about charging your card all the time.

Tips and advices for traveling in the Netherlands:

• Never step in the way of a biker! I once did it and I almost died.
• Be aware of the scooters. They are also on the cyclepaths.
• In some cases you have to walk on a cyclepath, walk on the left side.
• On the bike, wear some warmer clothes. Careful with skirts!
• Be careful crossing the road. Even when there’s a zebra, drivers often don’t stop to let you pass the road.
• Traveling somewhere you can use the NS website or the NS app to check your options.