Public Transport
Public transport in the Netherlands is a good way of travelling longer distances. Buses in Eindhoven run fairly frequently, and will take you to most areas of the city. NS (Nederlands Spoorwegen, Dutch Railways) is the agency in charge of the trains, and thus is your main way of getting from city to city in the Netherlands.
Tickets
Tickets can be bought in the station or in the bus with a Dutch debit card (see Bank), but you will have to pay for the full trip fare and not the distance to your destination. It is highly recommended to buy an #OV-chipkaart if you want to travel around the Netherlands because it is cheaper in the end.
The Dutch public transport works on a check-in-check-out system, which requires you to scan your OV-chipkaart/ticket when getting on and off of the bus, or when entering and exiting the train station.
OV-chipkaart
All forms of public transport in the Netherlands (Train, Bus, Tram) can be paid for using an OV-chipkaart.
Tickets can be bought in the station or in the bus with a Dutch debit card, but you will have to pay for the whole train/bus line and not the distance to your destination.
There are two types of OV-chipkaarts, anonymous and personal. Anonymous OV-chipkaarts can be bought in the station and can be useful for people who are staying in the Netherlands for a couple weeks. For longer stays, it is recommended to get a Personal OV-chipkaarts.
By making your own personal OV-chipkaart, you will be able to buy discounts, such as:
- 40% train discount for €50 per year (Highly recommended even if you do not travel much}
- Subscriptions for unlimited travel if you need to take the train frequently
- More deals can be found in the NS website.
If you are not using a direct debit service, OV-Chipkaarts need to be refilled to a minimum amount of euro before travelling. The 20 EUR is required as a minimum before you can check in to ride on a train. You can supply your card with money by ordering credit at machines, which are found at train stations, or you can order credit online and “pick up” the credit by checking in at a station. Additionally, there is a small OV-chipkaart station in Metaforum next to the reception desk where you can tap your card and pick up credit. Further frequently asked questions can be seen here on their website.
Group and Day Tickets
If you want to travel as a group it is cheaper to buy a Group ticket from the NS website, and if you want to travel alot in one day you can buy a Day ticket. Day tickets give you unlimited train for one day, this can be bought in the NS website or in supermarkets like Albert Hejin or HEMA.
Travel Planning
You can go to 9292.nl or NS (they also have a phone app) to find the schedule of all public transport in the Netherlands. This website/app will show you all you need for your travel such as number of stops or where the closes bus stop is. We highly recommend getting the app from NS, as it will make navigating the train system easier.
Occasionally, there may be maintenance or strikes that occur which disrupt travel to your destination. Whenever possible, keep an alternate route in mind and be aware of upcoming events that may delay your plans. Often, if your train line is blocked for an extended period of time, there will be buses to assist in getting you to your destination. However, buses are slower than trains, so plan ahead of scheduled maintenance! To be aware of what’s going on with trains, check the “situation on the tracks” from NS.
