Day return

Also

• If you are travelling out and back on the same route the same day, buy a Day return
• If you are travelling back another day, you will need 2 Single tickets

All products are subject to general terms and conditions.
General terms and conditions for the carriage of Passengers and hand luggage of Nederlandse Spoorwegen (PDF, 231 kB in Dutch)

Travelling with a prepaid OV-chipkaart

You can top up your OV-chipkaart easily and pay for your train travel by checking in and out. You need at least € 20 as a starting fare before you can travel.

Single-use smart card

For a single-use smart card you pay € 1 more than when you use a prepaid OV-chipkaart. Single-use smart cards are available from:

• NS ticket machines;
• NS service counters;
• Kiosks with NS Tickets & service;
• all other NS outlets.

E-ticket

You can also buy a Single ticket as an e-ticket, which you buy online. Enter the details of the journey you want to make and the passenger's name, then pay for your order with iDEAL. Download and print the e-ticket yourself. Use this printout to board the train.

Read more about the e-ticket

NS tickets for groups

Do you need to order large numbers of NS tickets, for visitors to a conference at your hotel, for example? Or are you travelling with a large group? That's easy, just order NS tickets for groups.

Printing or downloading as a mobile ticket

The e-ticket is available as a mobile ticket. When your order is complete, you can choose to either download and print your e-ticket or to load it in the Reisplanner Xtra app, which is available for smartphones using Android 4.0, Apple iOS 8 or later. 

> Everything about travelling with mobile tickets 

The rules in brief

• A mobile ticket is valid only when it is loaded in the NS Reisplanner Xtra app.
• You are responsible for showing a valid ticket, so you should therefore ensure that you have a sufficiently-charged and properly-functioning smartphone.
• A mobile ticket is for use by one specific person. Just like a printed e-ticket, a mobile ticket is therefore only valid in combination with a valid identity document.
• The Conditions for travelling with an e-ticket (in dutch) apply to travelling with an e-ticket. 

Identity document

An NS e-ticket is for use by one specific person. It is therefore only valid in combination with a valid identity document, so don’t forget to take your passport or ID card with you when you travel.

Travelling with an e-ticket

The gates at more and more NS stations are closed. If you are travelling with an e-ticket, you open the gate with the square barcode on the e-ticket.

How can you recognise a gate with a barcode reader?

Not all gates can be opened with an e-ticket, only those with a barcode reader. These have a pictogram with ‘scan ticket’ on the right-hand door of the gate and a lit-up panel on the right-hand side of the gate.

Step-by-step: how to open a gate using your e-ticket

Step 1: Go to a gate with the 'scan ticket' pictogram.
Step 2: Hold the barcode against the lit-up panel on the right.
Step 3: The gate opens and you can now enter or leave the station.

Do I still need to check in and out with a Day return on my OV-chipkaart?

Yes, you must always check in and out with a Day return on a single-use smart card.

You need to do this to be eligible for a refund if you are delayed. Unless you check in and out as you should, you will not be eligible for a refund if you are delayed.

Is a Day return cheaper than buying 2 singles?

A return costs the same as 2 single journeys, but you pay a € 1 surcharge twice if you buy 2 single journeys on a single-use smart card, but only once if you buy a return.

Can I travel more than once on the same day with a Day return?

No, that is not allowed.

What domestic tickets are valid with/available from NS?

The table below shows all the tickets NS sells and/or are valid on NS trains (NS Passengers), and also what other operators accept them on their trains.
Available tickets with NS (PDF, 32,8 kB)

What international tickets are valid with/available from NS to travel on the Dutch section?

The table below shows all domestic tickets which NS sells and/or are valid on NS trains, plus on what other trains and by what foreign operators they are accepted.

Table of domestic tickets available with NS (PDF, 48 kB)