Train and bus tickets can be a little bit expensive in the Netherlands, but luckily there are a few discounts and deals you can use!
Student Mobility Card (Limburg-Arriva)
Do you live outside the city of Maastricht? Or do you travel often by bus in Limburg? The Student Mobility Card (Limburg – Arriva) gives you a 20-40% discount on Arriva bus and train rides outside of peak-hours. It is an OV-Chipcard and can be customised with additional discounts from local transport companies and has a custom application process and app for international students. Read more here: https://studentmobility.nl/product/student-mobility-card-limburg/
If you want to connect your Student Mobility card to an international payment method and use the 15% discount on NS trains during off-peak hours, there is a monthly subscription fee of €4.50. (Off-peak hours are before 6:30, between 9:00 – 16:00 and after 18:30 on week days. On the weekend and holidays the entire day.)
NS trains season tickets
Nederlandse Spoorwegen (Dutch Railways) is the principal passenger railway operator in the Netherlands. NS offers several different types of season tickets to subscribe to for discounts on your travels.
The NS Flex Dal Voordeel allows you to travel with a 40% discount during off-peak hours, weekends and public holidays. In addition, you can get a 40% discount on joint journeys with up to 3 extra passengers during off-peak hours. Off-peak hours are weekdays from 9 am to 4 pm and from 6.30 pm to 6.30 am.
The NS Flex Altijd Voordeel is best for those who travel by NS train on a daily basis. With this subscription you can get a 20% discount during peak hours in addition to the benefits that you get with the Dal subscription.
The NS Flex Weekend Voordeel allows you to travel with a 40% discount during weekends and public holidays. In addition, if you travel with other people, up to 3 people can get a joint journey discount during off-peak hours.
To purchase these subscriptions, you will need a personal OV chip card. Click on the links above for accurate pricing information.
Group Tickets
An NS group ticket is a cheaper way of travelling by train. This ticket allows a group of between two to seven people to travel to or from any destination in the Netherlands. Passengers who want to use a group ticket will have to travel together on the train. The main rule is that a fellow passenger must always travel together with the main ticket holder, however, the fellow passengers can get on at a later station on the same route. The group ticket is for a single journey, but the group can buy a ticket for the return journey as well. The return can also be at a later date. The group ticket is not valid in the morning or afternoon peak hours!
Where can I buy an NS Group ticket?
You must buy the ticket online. The price should be split evenly between everyone but consider that the tickets must be pre-assigned to one specific person when purchasing the ticket.
When can I travel with a group ticket?
The group ticket only allows you to travel during off-peak hours. This means that on weekdays, travelling with the group ticket is possible before 6.30 am, between 9 am and 4 pm and after 6.30 pm. On weekends, the group ticket is valid from 6.30 pm on Friday until 6.30 am on Monday.
Don’t have anyone to travel with?
Sometimes it happens that you would like to travel somewhere on a group ticket to save money but don’t know anyone else who also needs to take the exact same trip. In these situations, you can click on Group Ticket Finder. Here you can input the details of your trip and find others who are also looking for someone to travel with.
