How to Find Train Times for Nederlands Spoorwegen

"Nederlandse Spoorwegen" (NS) is a Netherlands railway company that runs over 2,000 kilometers of electric trains. Each day NS transports over a million passengers between 320 stations over approximately 5,000 journeys! Trains run from the smallest stations at least once an hour in each direction. At larger stations, there are as many as 8 trains running per hour. Follow these steps to plan your trip aboard NS.

Things You'll Need

• A computer with Internet access and a printer

Instructions

Find Train Times for Nederlandse Spoorwegen

1. Visit the NS Web site (see Resources below). If you need additional information, call NS at 011 ([phone].

2. Enter the origination location in the "From" box.

3. Enter the destination location in the "To" box.

4. Select the date and time of your travel.

5. Select "Depart" or "Arrival" from the drop-down menu.

6. Click on the "Give journey advice" link.

7. Review the train times listed.

8. Print the information you need.

Learn Before Traveling

1. Enjoy the water features that dominate the Dutch landscape, including beach front property, canals and dykes.

2. Expect high population density in the Netherlands. It's one of the most densely populated countries in the world.

3. Anticipate a liberal culture where soft drugs are tolerated, prostitution and abortion are legal, and ceremonies for same-sex marriages are performed.

4. Expected to follow all traffic rules if cycling in bicycle-friendly Dutch cities and on the roads.

5. Use two locks on your bike if it's left parked on the street--a chain and a tube type lock becaue the popularity of cycling means that bicycle theft is rampant.

Tips & Warnings

• The NS time table is set up on an hourly schedule; so trains leave from the same stations in a given direction at the same number of minutes past the hour every day. This concept has been used in the Netherlands for nearly 70 years and has been copied by other systems worldwide.

• You may purchase your tickets from vending machines located in the train station using cash cards, smart cards or coins.

• Regular trains leave several times per hour. Missing a Dutch train isn't as catastrophic as missing a train in other areas of Europe. Another will probably be arriving in just a few minutes.

• The Dutch railways are one of the most crowded networks in Europe.

• It's no longer possible to buy tickets on the train in the Netherlands. You must have your ticket before you board.