Introduction to OV and the Dutch train service

General information and rules

To begin this topic, the first thing you should know is what OV is. OV is a payment method for public transport (train, bus, tram, metro, even some ferries) that can be used in the whole Netherlands.

Now, you can buy a single paper ticket at the train station, but there is a 1 euro if you buy paper tickets at the station, compared to the prices when you travel with an OV chip card or buying the ticket online and printing it out yourself. That brings us to the OV chip cards. There are two types of them:

• Anonymous OV chip card
• Personalized OV chip card

Here is how the anonymous one looks like:

They both cost 7. 5 euros and travelling with any one of them is cheaper than buying single tickets. Difference is that personalized one has your photo and personal information on it, so only you can use it. Meanwhile, everyone can use your anonymous OV card. Downside of the anonymous card is that you can’t use the special offers with it, like Dal Vrij, Dal Vordeel, etc.

There are two ways how to load money onto your chip card. You can use the machines on the train station and pay with coins or a bank card. Or if you have a Dutch bank account you can connect your bank account with your personalized OV so that it automatically transfers money on your OV card when your balance hits 0 euros.

Important is that you need to have a minimum of 20 euros on your chip card in order to check in and travel with a train. Even if you're are travelling from Rotterdam to Delft and your ticket actually costs two or three euros, 20 euros will still be deducted from your OV, and then after you check out the change of 17-18 euros will be returned. Yeah, it is probably not the best solution.

Moving on, you have to check in and check out with your ticket or chip card on the proper card reader machines. For trains and metros those machines are the station, and on most of them you won’t even be able to get pass them without checking in or out. In trams and buses the card reader is located inside the vehicle. Here are some photos of card readers downloaded from the AmsterdamTips.com and CityTransport.com websites:

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Generally, it appears that the Dutch find the OV system awful, but when I lived there I thought it was great. It is expensive, but the trains are awesome, and I had the automatic uploading option, so I didn't worry about having that minimum balance. It is only later, when I visited the Netherlands as a non-EU tourist that I was annoyed with it. That is why, I will give information and tips in 2 parts, for tourists and for those who just moved to the Netherlands.

Part 1: Travelling to the Netherlands

If you are a tourist, you will probably hate the OV system. It is relatively expensive, and there are not enough payment options.

If you are only going to make a few trains rides, without using public transport that much around the city, then buying single tickets is probably the most hassle-free option for you. And maybe even renting a bike to get the full Dutch experience. If you are from the EU buying tickets is simple, you can use your bank card on the machine in the station, or buy it online and print it out. If you are not form the EU, using your bank card probably comes with a commission, so paying with cash is better. You can do that on the machines, but only with coins! It is not possible with paper bills. The other option is to buy tickets at the NS service desk on the station, but that depends on the working hours, therefore it is not possible throughout the day.

Other option you have is the anonymous OV card. It does cost 7. 5 euros, but it will pay off if you are using it often. You can buy it and load money on it on the NS machines in train stations. Again, only possible with coins or bank cards. After your trip to the Netherlands has ended you can sell it to someone, or keep it for your next trip to the Netherlands, because they last for 5 years.

Part 2: Moving to the Netherlands

So you moved to the Netherlands, found a place to live, got your Dutch bank account open. In other words, it is time to explore this beautiful country.

You can use both the anonymous and the personalized OV chip card, but my personal recommendation is the personalized one. There are two main reasons why:

As I mentioned before, you can connect your bank account with your OV, so that it automatically loads 10, 20 or 50 euros (depending on your choice) on your OV when your balance hits 0 euros.

Because of special deals that you can only use with the personal OV card. The one I had and recommend is Dal Vordeel. For 50 euros per year (or 30 on discount), you get 40% discount on all train trips within the country during off peak hours and weekends. Also, this 40% can be used for 3 people travelling together with you (if they have personalized or the anonymous chip card).

More information

IMPORTANT: Any offer you load onto your OV card (such as the aforementioned Dal Vordeel), don’t forget to cancel it before moving away. Don’t make the mistake I did, so I had to cancel my OV card completely and send it back…

Finally, I would like to give some websites for destination planning and for special offers:

Planning all trips with public transport – there is also an OV 9292 mobile phone app that can be downloaded for free.

Planning your train trips within the country.

Special deals.

Planning your train trips to other countries (buying tickets to Germany was much cheaper on the Dutch website, than on the German DB one)

And always check this website for special offers.

Instead of paying the full price you can find offers like Dagkaart – travelling for 14 euros anywhere in the Netherlands for a full day, or Avond Vrij travelling anywhere within the country after 18. 30h for 9 euros, there is the AH ticket for unlimited train travel during the whole weekend for 15 euros. Day tickets can be bought in Dutch supermarkets, specifically Albert Heijn, Blokker, HEMA, Kruidvat and Etos. So always check for special offers!

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