Should I get an OV card in Amsterdam?
The cost of the empty card (€7,50) doesn't make sense for visitors since you may not use it enough to recoup the upfront cost. But once you have an OV card, you generally pay half for an Amsterdam tram trip. For regional bus journeys the advantage is considerable, half or greater discount.
OV-chipkaart
A single, disposable paper ticket is probably the best option if you only plan to use the train, bus, tram or metro once. However, the OV-chipkaart can save you money if you plan to use the train, bus, tram or metro more frequently and over a longer period of time.
Travel using the e-purse on metro/trams/buses is generally cheaper than buying single 1 hour tickets, especially for shorter trips. Travel on trains with the anonymous card saves paying the €1 disposable ticket surcharge.
A personal OV-chipkaart costs € 7,50 and is valid for five years. You will receive your new card within six working days. Please note: there is no mail delivery on Mondays.
It's easy to buy an OV-chipkaart at a station. Just follow the on-screen prompts at the yellow ticket machines, or ask for one at a service desk. At Schiphol, the ticket machines are located right next to the escalators that descend to the train platforms.
OV- chipcard cardholders can also use the ticket machines with the yellow overhead sign. There is no separate OV-chipcard for tourists or visitors to the Netherlands. Tourists and visitors can use an anonymous card or a disposable chipcard.
The OV-chipkaart
The card can be fully personalized, but it's not a requirement. Since there is no separate OV-chipkaart for tourists, a visitor to our country may use a disposable chip card or an 'anonymous OV-chipkaart'.
You can now check in and out on the train, bus, tram and metro throughout the Netherlands with your debit card, credit card or mobile phone. Pay for your trip just as easily as your groceries in the store. Handy, because: you no longer need a separate OV-chipkaart.
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Save money on travel with the I amsterdam City Card, which offers unlimited use of the GVB public transport system for 24, 48 or 72 hours. And before you see the sights, you can plan your journey with the excellent apps designed to help you find your way around the city and the Amsterdam Area.
How to buy an OV card Amsterdam?
The anonymous OV-chipkaart and single-use chipkaart can be bought at the NS-ticket machine. The personal OV-chipkaart can only be purchased online via www.ov-chipkaart.nl; they cannot be bought from NS directly. This website also provides information about the status of your order.
You can apply for the personal OV-chipkaart online and you can buy the anonymous card at the station's ticket machines, the public transport companies' service desk, or Albert Heijn, Primera, AKO, Readshop or Bruna.
- Non-personalised cards: Available at GVB ticket machines, GVB Tickets & Info offices, and select newsstands and supermarkets.
- Personalised cards: Available online.
Although a public transport pass is included, the connection between Schiphol Airport and Amsterdam Station is not included. To cover this journey you will have to buy a separate ticket for the NS train or the Airport Express bus.
A national 'OV-chipcard' (smartcard) for public transport was introduced in 2012. Since then, we use this OV-chipcard for public transport everywhere in the Netherlands. Regardless of whether you take the bus, tram, metro or train, you can use this card to pay for any trip you make.
There are two main ways to pay while traveling by train in the Netherlands. You can either buy tickets online or from a ticket machine, or you can use your OV-chipkaart, or smartphone using OVPay.
It is easy to travel throughout the Netherlands by train, bus, metro or ferry. What's more, it is incredibly sustainable. The rail network in the Netherlands is quite extensive and the trains are modern and comfortable.
You should recharge your OV chip card yourself at a charging point. They are located at train stations and in shops such as Primera, Albert Heijn. You can recharge it with your Moneycard or your bank card. You can also recharge your OV chip card with cash at a NS ticket office at a train station.
➢ You can pay using cash (coins) and debit cards (Dutch PIN/Maestro/V-Pay) and credit cards (MasterCard/Visa). Topping up the debit on the “OV-Chipkaart” outside train stations. You can also top up the debit on the “OV-Chipkaart” in busses and in multiple stores (for example supermarkets).
If you are going to spend several days in the capital city and plan visiting other towns in the country, purchasing an OV-chipkaart is the best idea. You will be charged according to the distance of each journey. The smart card costs 7.50€ and it is rechargeable.
What happens if I forgot to check out my Netherlands OV-chipkaart?
Forgotten to check out
Forgot to check out? You have 6 hours to check out at an NS pole or gate after checking in. Make sure to scan your OV-chipkaart oon the checkout side. If you cannot check out on time, we will charge you a correction fee or the boarding fee.
The OV-chipkaart is the ticket for public transport in the Netherlands. With an OV-chipkaart in your pocket you don't have to think about strip tickets, metro or train tickets anymore. There's just one ticket for the train, tram, bus and metro. There are foreigners who come to the Netherlands who love it.
Mastercard and Visa are the most widely accepted credit cards in the Dutch retail space; American Express tends to be accepted only by major retailers in the Netherlands who have an international client base – although Amex acceptance is growing.
You can use the anonymous card with more people, but not at the same time. If you occasionally travel by public transport or if you do not want to disclose your personal details, the anonymous OV-chipkaart is probably suitable for you.
There are two main ways to pay while travelling by train in the Netherlands. You can either buy tickets online or from a ticket machine, or you can use your OV-chipkaart, or smartphone using OVPay. You can look up the NS Journey Planner to check timetables and plan your route.
