Ticket Validity
Check which transport companies accept your ticket. Validity may vary between domestic and international routes and depends on the operator you are travelling with.
Arriva, Breng, Keolis, Connexxion, Qbuzz and DB Regionalbahn Westfalen
The regional transport companies Arriva, Breng, Keolis, Connexxion, Qbuzz and DB Regionalbahn Westfalen operate part of the train services in the Netherlands. The following principles apply:
- NS season tickets are valid on these routes. This means you can use your NS season ticket on your OV-chipkaart to travel with a discount on these regional train operators.
Please note: If you check in with your NS season ticket during off-peak hours on NS and then change to a Qbuzz train during peak times, you will not receive the discount on your NS season ticket when travelling with Qbuzz due to a technical issue on their side. Contact NS Customer Service to claim a refund for any overpayment. - The Off-peak Bicycle Ticket, Dog Day Ticket and Railrunner are also valid on these operators.
- You can buy single-use chip cards for all stations in the Netherlands at the NS Ticket Machine. A single ticket or day return may offer several possible routes, with varying fares depending on the route. If you select a specific route when purchasing, your ticket will indicate which (regional) operators it is valid with. Choosing free route option means your ticket is valid with all (regional) operators.
- The NS General Conditions (AVR-NS) do not apply on routes operated by regional transport companies. Instead, the Urban and Regional Transport General Conditions apply here.
- The Journey Planner shows which train operator runs on each route.
- You need a separate ticket for the Arriva night train. It is not possible to check in with your OV-chipkaart or payment card on this service.
Domestic trains
This overview shows which operators and routes accept your NS ticket.