Off-Peak Early Booking Day Return

Travelling during off-peak hours

An Off-Peak Early Booking Return ticket is not valid for travel during peak hours, even when the journey started before the peak period.

The rules in brief

• An e-ticket is issued personally, therefore it is only valid in combination with a valid proof of identity. So do not forget to bring a valid passport, identity card or driving licence with you.
• You can travel with an e-ticket in two ways: load the e-ticket in the NS app on a mobile phone or print it out on a computer. Please note: E-tickets are only valid if shown in the NS app or if they have been printed out. Screenshots or PDFs displayed on a phone are not valid travel documents.
• If you take your e-ticket with you on your phone or tablet, please make sure that your device works and is adequately charged. If you opt to print out your e-ticket, please use A4 format.
• The Terms and Conditions for Travelling with an E-ticket apply to journeys with a mobile ticket.

Checking in is not required

You do not need to check in with an e-ticket. If you are travelling to or from a station with closed gates, then go to a gate with a barcode reader and open it with the square code on the e-ticket. Keep your e-ticket until the exit of your destination station; it might be needed there to open the gates.

How can you recognise a gate with a barcode reader?

Not all gates can be opened with an e-ticket. This is only possible on a gate with a barcode reader. There is at least one gate with a barcode reader at every station. These gates can be recognised from the ‘scan ticket’ symbol on the right-hand door of the gate. 

How to open a gate with an e-ticket

Step 1: Go to a gate and open your e-ticket in the NS app or use a printed e-ticket.
Step 2: Hold the barcode on your e-ticket up against the illuminated panel on your right.
Step 3: The gate opens and you can now enter or leave the station.
Note: Display only your e-ticket from the NS app or a printed copy. Only then will the gates open. 

E-tickets are quick and easy to buy. Enter the journey details and the name(s) of the passenger(s) and then pay for the order by iDEAL or credit card. After that, you can use the e-ticket in two ways: printed out or loaded into the NS app. You can use this ticket to open the gate at the station and get on to the train. After clicking on ‘Add to cart’, you can enter the details of your journey. Depending on the ticket you buy, you choose the route and day of travel, and choose first or second class

Personal information

An e-ticket is issued personally, therefore it is only valid in combination with a valid proof of identity (passport, identity card or driving licence). That’s why you need to make sure that the name and date of birth on the e-ticket exactly match those on the passenger's proof of identity. Are you buying a train ticket for someone else? Then enter his or her details.

Payment

Pay safely and reliably via iDeal or a credit card. iDeal is available to customers of almost all Dutch banks.

Printing the e-ticket

Immediately after completing your order, you will receive a link that lets you download and use the e-tickets. If you want to get going right away, the quickest option is to load the tickets in the NS app.

You will also get a confirmation e-mail from us within 15 minutes. That e-mail contains a link that lets you download and print your e-tickets at any time. Printing the e-ticket is not mandatory.

Loading the ticket in the NS app

After completing your order, you will receive a link to your e-tickets. You will also get a confirmation e-mail with a link to your e-tickets. To load the e-tickets into the NS app, just open this link on your mobile phone.

You will then be taken to an overview page for your order. You will see two options there for using the e-tickets: ‘Download PDF’ or ‘Load into the NS app on your mobile’. Choose ‘Load into the NS app on your mobile’; the NS app will open automatically. The e-tickets can now be found under the heading ‘My tickets’ in the NS app.

Have a good journey!

Can I alter my e-ticket?

No, after completing your purchase it is unfortunately no longer possible to alter your e-ticket. So do be careful to enter the correct personal and journey details. E-tickets are issued personally, and only valid in combination with a valid proof of identity.

How far in advance must I buy my ticket to receive the early booking discount?

You have to buy your ticket four days before your day of travel to get the early booking discount. This means three days, plus the remainder of the day on which you buy your ticket. If you want to travel on Friday, then you must buy your Off-Peak Early Booking ticket the Monday before.

When can I travel with Off-Peak Early Booking?

Off-Peak Early Booking Return and Off-Peak Early Booking One Way are only valid during off-peak hours, i.e. weekdays before 06:30, between 09:00 and 16:00, and after 18:30. All day on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays. Off-Peak Early Booking is not valid on King’s Day (27 April). You are only allowed to be on the train during off-peak hours, so you must leave the train when the rush hour starts.

Where can I purchase an Off-Peak Early Booking ticket?

You can purchase an Off-Peak Early Booking ticket as an e-ticket from the NS website and via the Travel Planner in the NS app and on the website. Off-Peak Early Booking tickets are not available for purchase from NS ticket machines at the stations.

What products and supplements does early booking discount apply to?

With Off-Peak Early Booking, you can get an early booking discount on a Day Return or One-Way journey. The discount only applies to the part of the journey that you make by train. Off-Peak Early Booking cannot be used in combination with other discount or promotion tickets, day tickets or supplements.

On which (train) carriers is Off-Peak Early Booking valid?

Off-Peak Early Booking is valid on all national trains from NS, Arriva, Blauwnet, Breng, Connexxion, Keolis Nederland and R-net. It is also valid on QBuzz. Off-Peak Early Booking tickets are not valid on Eurostar or NightJet. For the Intercity Direct and ICE International trains, you have to pay a supplement in advance.

Is it necessary to check in with my e-ticket?

No, you do not need to check in with an e-ticket. If you are travelling to or from a station with closed gates, you open these with the square code on the e-ticket.

Do I have to print out the e-ticket?

No, this is not necessary. If you want, you can print the e-ticket, or you can load it into the NS app onto your phone or tablet. In this case, do ensure that you can display your e-ticket on a properly working and sufficiently charged device.

Can I alter my e-ticket?

No, after completing your purchase it is unfortunately no longer possible to alter your e-ticket. So do be careful to enter the correct personal and journey details. E-tickets are issued personally, and only valid in combination with a valid photo ID.

Can I alter my e-ticket?

No, after completing your purchase it is unfortunately no longer possible to alter your e-ticket. So do be careful to enter the correct personal and journey details. E-tickets are issued personally, and only valid in combination with a valid proof of identity.