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How to Buy and Use your eTicket for Dutch Trains

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The Dutch National Railways (NS) website sell etickets.  1 - Click on the ‘Menu’ tab for a drop-down menu 2 - Click on ‘Tickets and Supplements'. 3 - Choose single ticket or other options for example day return) enter your details and purchase your ticket. Rules to Remember Before Buying Your eTicket 1. Remember when entering your details that they must be the same as the ID you will travel with. (as an aside - by law everyone in the Netherlands is obliged to have ID when asked by officials such as police). The eticket is sold under the condition that you can show your ID to prove your identity. The name and date of birth on the eticket and ID must match (I must say however mine has never actually been checked). 2. You must download (or print) your etickets.  3. You do not need to check in like with a OV-card however you may need to use the barcode on the eticket to get through the barrier Using your eTicket You can use these etickets

Discounted Train Tickets

Many people rely on the train station for buying train tickets but with a little advance planning you can get excellent deals on train travel in Holland. You can avail of these deals online or at certain shops in Holland. Some shops sell 'day cards' and some sell special train tickets or ‘day out’ offers that are a huge saving on the full price tickets at the station. These tickets often include an activity (such as museum or restaurant voucher). Stores like the major supermarket chain Albert Heijn (similar to Tesco or Safeway in the US) as well as Blokker (a homeware store) and Kruidvatt (a low cost pharmacy) sell these from time to time. They have a limited amount of these and they are very popular so they do tend to sell out. Don’t be put off if these pages are in Dutch use Google translate or Google chrome and be sure to get these offers- they are great value. 1. The Spoordeelwinkel An excellent page to check out if you are planning a mini adventure. They

Rail Passes for travel in the Netherlands

In previous posts I have listed all ways to buy tickets when traveling by train in the Netherlands but rail passes remain a popular choice for International travelers. Where can you buy these and who offers the best deal? The company that manages the Eurail ‘Product’ is called Eurail GIE . They have a network of sales agents who sell their passes. Be sure to purchase a pass only from these sources as these are the ‘authorized sales agents’. The unusual thing is that although each of these companies all sells the same product for the European railways they are still in competition with each other. So each company will have different offers from time to time. They have their own promotions and their prices can vary so it is good to shop around.   Traveling with a rail pass requires some planning so it is best to purchase from a company that has a good customer service and can help you plan your trip or explain the purchase process/coverage.    When looking for a rail Pass in

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I Train Europe Badge: Buy it here