A rail pass is a special ticket which allows unlimited train travel for a certain period in a specific region. There are a number of different rail passes available which cover travel to/from Amsterdam and around the Netherlands.
This article highlights the use of InterRail and Eurail passes in the Netherlands as well as some tips for other Holland rail passes. Obviously, rail travel has been impacted by the ongoing ‘coronavirus’ measures.
InterRail Pass
This pass is only available for European citizens and residents including Turkey. You can purchase an InterRail Pass here
The InterRail Global Pass is a rail pass valid for travel in 33 countries around Europe:
Austria, Belgium, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Montenegro, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and Turkey.
You have the choice of buying continuous passes of either 15 days, 22 days, 1 month, 2 months or 3 months giving unlimited travel during the duration of the pass; or flexi-passes which offers 4, 5, 7 travel days during a 1 month period or 10 or 15 days within a 2 month period.
Current adult prices (2024) for a 1 month Global Pass are €696 (2nd class) and €884 (1st class).
Youths aged 12-27 pay €522 (2nd class) and €663 (1st class) whilst seniors over 60 pay €626 (2nd class) or €796 (1st class).
A child pass is available for children 4-11 – up to 2 child passes are allowed for free per accompanying adult pass holder. Children 0-3 travel free without a ticket.
The InterRail pass allows free travel on most regional and local trains that do not require reservations.
Note, in the pass holder’s country of residence it is only valid for travel on the first day (outbound journey) and last day (inbound journey).
An InterRail ticket comes in one of 2 formats – a standard paper ticket where you fill out each journey by hand; or a digital Mobile Pass on a smartphone via the Rail Planner app – this requires an internet connection at least once every 3 days for verification.
InterRail Pass use in the Netherlands
The InterRail pass is valid for all standard NS train services in the Netherlands including Intercity and sprinter trains – see Dutch Train Types for more info. It is also valid for travel on other Dutch train providers including Arriva, Blauwnet, Breng, Connexxion (Valleilijn), Keolis and R-net.
InterRail first class pass holders get access to the NS International lounges at Amsterdam Central, Rotterdam and Schiphol Airport.
Interrail ticket holders need to pay a €2.90 supplement for travel on the the domestic Intercity Direct trains running between Schiphol Airport and Rotterdam. no supplement is required between Amsterdam-Schiphol Airport and Rotterdam-Breda.
It is also possible to travel freely on the Amsterdam-Berlin Intercity and ICE international trains (Amsterdam-Dusseldorf-Cologne-Frankfurt). You can pay an optional €4.50 (2nd class) or €5.90 (1st class) to reserve a seat on the ICE International – note, reservations are compulsory in the summer months.
Note that there are compulsory reservation fees for the high-speed Eurostar (formerly Thalys) train (Amsterdam-Brussels-Paris). Amsterdam-Brussels costs €22 (standard) and €27 (comfort), Amsterdam-Paris costs €32 (standard) and €37 (comfort).
To travel Amsterdam-Paris without the Eurostar take a standard Intercity train from Amsterdam to Antwerp, then take a Belgian Intercity to Lille Flandres – there can be a change of train required in Kortrijk.
From Lille Flandres take a Regional TER to Amiens and then finally take an InterCités (reservation from €10) to Paris Nord. This trip takes around 7 hours 40 minutes compared to the 3 hour 20 minute Eurostar.
If you want to cross the Dutch border to Belgium or Germany by standard regional trains then see our article International rail borders in the Netherlands
Travel on the Eurostar (London-Amsterdam) is now included with an InterRail pass. There is a compulsory reservation fee of €35 (Standard) or €43 (Standard Premier).
Interrail and Eurail passholders get 30% off the Stena Line ferry between Harwich and Hoek van Holland – both ports are accessible by rail/metro.
There are also reservation fees for NightJet trains from Amsterdam to Basel, Zurich and Vienna. These prices are dynamic and depend on demand – it starts from €5 for a seat up to €470 for a deluxe single sleeper.
InterRail Benelux Pass
Another option is the Benelux Pass for unlimited travel on NMBS/SNCB in Belgium, NS and other Dutch domestic trains plus trains in Luxembourg. The passes are valid 1 month and allow travel for 3, 4, 5, 6 or 8 days.
Prices for adults (aged 28-59) range from €119 (2nd class) or €139 (1st class) for a 3 day pass up to €224 (2nd class) or €263 (1st class) for an 8 day pass.
Obviously you should work out beforehand exactly where you plan to travel and whether normal point-to-point tickets would work out cheaper. Also note, 2nd class rail travel in Luxembourg is free.
You can purchase an InterRail Pass here
Eurail Pass
This European rail pass is available for non-European residents and popular with North Americans, Australians etc.
Like the Interrail pass, the Eurail Global Pass is valid in the following 33 countries:
Austria, Belgium, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Montenegro, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and Turkey.
Eurail Global passes come as flexi passes: 4, 5 or 7 travel days within 1 month; 10 or 15 travel days in a 2 month period; or continuous passes of 15 days, 22 days, 1,2 or 3 months.
Current adult prices (2024) for a 1 month Global Pass are USD $766 (2nd class) and USD $972 (1st class).
Youths aged 12-27 pay $574 (2nd class) and $729 (1st class) whilst seniors over 60 pay $689 (2nd class) or $876 (1st class).
Eurail also has One Country Passes – the Netherlands comes under “Benelux” which includes Belgium and Luxembourg. These come as 3, 4, 5, 6 or 8 day passes within 1 month and prices range from $151 to $285 for adults.
Similar to the InterRail ticket, supplements are required on premium rail services such as the Eurostar and night-time trains.
Continuous InterRail and Eurail passes are a great way to get a flavour of many European cities. The trick is to compromise between travel and stopping over. Travel during night-time can save on accommodation costs but can be tiring and you won’t see much scenery at night.
Remember that southern countries have relatively cheap rail tickets so to get better value from the pass you should also tackle some of the more expensive rail nations in the north of Europe.
Domestic Rail Passes in the Netherlands
NS Day Travel Card (NS Dagkaart) – This allows 1 day’s unlimited travel on any NS train in the Netherlands. It costs €58.80 (2nd class) or €99.96 (1st class) in 2024. It can be purchased online in advance or added to an OV-chip card.
This ticket is only good value if you really have to do a significant amount of rail travel requiring multiple stops in a single day.
Holland Travel Ticket – This is a 1 day ticket (disposable OV-chip card) which gives unlimited public transport in the Netherlands. It costs €70 for the standard ticket or €48 for the off-peak version (peak hours are 0630-0900, Mon-Fri).
Rail Runner – Children 4-11 accompanied by an adult with any NS ticket pay €2.50 for a “Rail Runner” ticket which is valid all day. Children under 4 travel free.
How To Book International Tickets
You can check timetables, prices and make bookings for all international train services including Eurostar, TGV, ICE, NightJet at the NS International site or at the Trainline site.
For more info see International Train Services to/from Amsterdam
This article was originally published in 2011 and has continuously been updated. Last update 19 March 2024.
Links on AmsterdamTips.com may pay us an affiliate commission.
