Getting Around Netherlands: Transportation Tips - Rough Guides

By bus and tram

Supplementing the train network are buses – run by a patchwork of local companies but again amazingly efficient and reaching into every rural nook and cranny. Ticketing is straightforward as the whole country is divided into public transport zones and you can either use your OV-chipkaart or pay the driver instead. Bear in mind also that in more remote rural areas some bus services only operate when passengers have made advance bookings: local timetables indicate where this applies. Regional bus timetable books, costing around €3, are sold at some train station bookshops and most VVVs, or you can plan your journey online at w 9292.nl.

Within major towns, urban public transport systems are extensive, inexpensive and frequent, which makes getting around straightforward and hassle-free; most bus and tram services run from 6am until about midnight and your OV-Chipkaart is valid on all services. Urban “Park and Ride” (or Transferium) schemes are commonplace.

Cycling

One great way to see the Netherlands, whether you’re a keen cyclist or an idle pedaller, is to travel by bike (fiets). Cycle-touring can be a short cut into Dutch culture and you can reach parts of the country – its beaches, forests and moorland – that might otherwise be (relatively) inaccessible. The mostly flat landscape makes travelling by bike an almost effortless pursuit, although you can find yourself battling against a headwind or swallowed up in a shoal of cyclists commuting to work.

The short distances involved make it possible to see most of the country with relative ease, using the nationwide system of well-marked cycle paths: a circular blue sign with a white bicycle on it indicates an obligatory cycle lane, separate from car traffic. Red lettering on signposts gives distances for fairly direct routes; lettering in green denotes a more scenic (and lengthy) mosey. Long-distance (LF) routes weave through the cities and countryside, often linking up to local historic loops and scenic trails.

The Dutch as a nation are celebrated touring cyclists, and bookshops are packed with cycling books and maps; however, for all but the longest trips the maps and route advice provided by most tourist offices are fine. If you’re looking for a place to stay after a day in the saddle, the best advice is to visit a member of the Vrienden op de Fiets.

Bike rental

You can rent a bike from most NS train stations for €7.50 a day, plus a deposit of anywhere between €50 and €150 depending on the model. Most bikes are single-speed, though there are some 3-speeds to be had, and even mountain bikes in the hillier south. You’ll also need some form of ID. The snag is that cycles must be returned to the station from which they were rented, making onward hops by rented bike impossible. Most bike shops – of which there are many – rent bicycles out for around the same amount, and they may be more flexible on deposits: some may accept a passport in lieu of cash. In all cases, advance reservations are advised.

Taking your bike on an NS train is allowed – and the bike carriages have a clear cycle symbol on the outside. You’ll need to buy a flat-rate ticket (dagkaart fiets; €6) for your bike, which is valid for the whole day. Space can be limited, despite the variety of ingeniously folding bikes favoured by locals, and because of this you won’t be allowed on with your bike during the morning and evening rush hours (6.30–9am & 5.30–6pm), except in July and August.

Note that in the larger cities in particular, but really anywhere, you should never, ever, leave your bike unlocked, even for a few minutes – bike stealing is a big deal in the Netherlands. Almost all train stations have somewhere you can store your bike safely for less than a euro.