Travelling with OV-Chipkaart
Public transport smart card
- International travel with the OV-chipkaart
- OV-chipkaart for tourists
- Cross-border travel
OV-chipkaart and NS Hispeed
The OV-chipkaart is a public transport smart card. It is possible to use an anonymous OV-chipkaart to travel domestic routes with NS Hispeed trains. Below you can read on which international trains you can travel using this OV-chipkaart:
- InterCity Brussels: travel on credit between Amsterdam Central and Roosendaal
- InterCity Berlin: travel on credit between Schiphol airport and Hengelo
- ICE International: travel on credit between Amsterdam and Arnhem. An ICE ticket supplement is needed. You can purchase this ticket supplement with the yellow self-service ticket machines. Passengers with a subscription that is valid for NS services, can travel with ICE International within the Netherlands without paying a supplement.
- Fyra: travel on credit PLUS a separate Fyra ticket supplement between Amsterdam Central and Rotterdam Central
- Thalys: it is not possible to travel on credit due to manditory seat reservations
- International travel: it is not possible to travel beyond the Dutch border using an OV-chipkaart as the OV-chipkaart systeem is only used in the Netherlands.
For more information about travelling with the OV-chipkaart please visit the OV-chipkaart information website.
International travellers and gates
Are you making an international journey on our trains? Then in the coming years probably nothing will change in the way you travel. NS Hispeed will continue to use the same paper tickets they use at present. This includes the Eurail pass and InterRail pass. At present the NS gates leading to the platforms will simply be left open. When the time comes that the gates can only be opened using an OV-chipkaart a solution will have been found to help international passengers to get through the gates.
OV-chipkaart and tourists
Tourists who want to travel with NS trains using the OV-chipkaart are advised to purchase an anonymous OV-chipcard, as there is no special tourist OV-chipkaart available. For the time being, at least, it will be possible for tourists to travel with a paper ticket or with an Eurail pass or InterRail pass.
Crossing the border?
The OV-chipkaart can only be used domestically, which means you will not be able to travel, for example, from Amsterdam to Brussels on credit. To make cross-border journies you will need to purchase a paper ticket. It is rather impractical to use your OV-chipkaart at all when planning to make a cross-border journey, as this would mean you would have to get out of the train at the last train station before the border to touch out your card and then continue travelling from there with a paper ticket.
Please note
When making a cross-border journey, we strongly advise you to purchase an international (paper) ticket which will take you from your starting point to your final destination.
For more information about travelling with the OV-chipkaart please visit the OV-chipkaart information website.
Making reservations online
No reservation fees and making reservations at any time that suits you… booking online offers many benefits. Payment also takes place safely and quickly by using iDEAL or by credit card (Eurocard/MasterCard or Visa).
