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The Netherlands: Railway Information

Railway Information

The Netherlands and Holland are two names for one small country in Western Europe. The Dutch rail network ranks among the densest in the world.  Train services provided by the NS (Dutch Railways) are very frequent and efficient. Distances between popular destinations are short, so you can  do some city hopping by train.

Eurail Passes for The Netherlands (Holland):

Dutch railway company

Logo Dutch Railways

The national railway company of The Netherlands is called NS (Nederlandse Spoorwegen - Dutch Railways).

Visit the website of NS: English version / Dutch. The site contains a journey planner and other info about 'Holland by train'.
For international trains: NS Hispeed.


Domestic journeys

The fast InterCity trains connect the main towns and cities, while the slower stopping trains halt at nearly every station. It is not possible to make reservations for a seat on a Dutch domestic train and there are no supplements.

Major Dutch cities are Amsterdam, Den Haag, Rotterdam and Utrecht. At least four trains an hour run between these cities, which are at less than 45 minutes rail travel from each other. Most other cities in the country are connected at least twice an hour.

From the train station at Schiphol airport you can reach Amsterdam city centre in 15-20 minutes and Utrecht (the main train hub for the Netherlands) in just over 30 minutes. In the weekend there are also hourly night trains between the major cities.

Dutch trains have mostly second class and just a few first class sections. Smoking is not allowed on the trains and in the stations (only at designated areas on the platforms).

NS train passing the city of Delft. Photo: NS Internationaal

Validity
Passes for The Netherlands are valid in all trains operated by NS and in trains operated by the following local railway companies: Veolia, Syntus, Arriva, Connexxion, Noordnet, DB Regio Westfalen and Prignitzer Eisenbahn.

NS Hispeed Lounges
Travelers with a first class Eurail Pass valid in The Netherlands, are welcome in the NS Hispeed Lounges. You can relax in these exclusive, fully equipped quiet areas while waiting for your (international) train to depart. You can find a lounge at Amsterdam Central station, Rotterdam Central station and Schiphol airport. Read more at nshispeed.nl.

International connections

There are good direct train connections from The Netherlands to Germany, Belgium and France. Here’s an overview of some of these trains.

  • To Belgium: InterCity trains run every hour between Amsterdam and Rotterdam to Antwerpen and Brussel. This train does not require reservation.
  • To Belgium and France: Thalys is a high-speed train connecting Amsterdam with Brussels and Paris. Passholders have to pay a special fare for riding this train, which is subject to availability.
  • To Germany: InterCity and InterCityExpress trains go from the Netherlands to Germany. They run from Amsterdam and Utrecht to Köln, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt and Berlin. Reserving a seat is possible (€3,50) but not compulsory.
  • To Germany and Switzerland: CityNightLine hotel trains run from Amsterdam and Utrecht to Munich  (Germany), Zurich and Basel (Switzerland). Subject to compulsory reservation plus supplement for night accommodation.

Reservations for international trains can be made at the larger train stations in The Netherlands. Please note that a fixed booking fee of 3,50 euro will be charged (regardless of the number of reservations).

Train at Amsterdam Central Station. photo: Eduard Bergman

Special trains

You can travel by train through Europe on a large variety of special trains. Examples are high-speed trains, scenic trains or night trains.

Special trains mostly require a small supplement or a reservation fee from Eurail Pass holders. See the list of supplements for international trains and the information about train reservations. You can plan your trip with the help of online timetables.

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