NS

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Nederlandse Spoorwegen (NS) is the state railway company of the Netherlands and operates the majority of passenger traffic on the Dutch rail network.

Summary

  • NS accepts FIP Coupons and FIP 50 tickets.
  • Reservations are generally not required.
  • Supplement required for Eurocity Direct (ECD) and partly for Intercity Direct (ICD).
  • For FIP Coupons, a gate-pass coupon is required for access through station gates.

Validity of FIP Tickets

FIP Coupons: ✅
FIP Coupons for Relatives: ✅
FIP 50 Tickets: ✅

FIP Coupons and FIP 50 tickets are valid on NS services. For cross-border journeys, either a continuous FIP 50 ticket or FIP Coupons for both countries are required.

Train Categories and Reservations

Within the Netherlands, reservations are not required on NS and are often not possible. For cross-border ICE and IC trains to Germany, reservations are possible and, for example, mandatory in summer 2025 (only for cross-border journeys).

Supplements must be paid for Eurocity Direct and partly for Intercity Direct trains.

Intercity-Express (ICE) ⚠️

Description:
High-speed trains of Deutsche Bahn, operated by NS in the Netherlands. They run between Amsterdam and Germany (Cologne / Frankfurt am Main), but can also be used within the Netherlands between Amsterdam, Utrecht, and Arnhem with FIP Coupons without a supplement. However, a supplement is required with FIP 50 tickets.
Reservation possible: yes
Reservation required: ⚠️ no (cross-border during high season: yes)
Supplement: ⚠️
When using FIP 50 tickets, an ICE supplement of 3€ per journey must be paid. No supplement is required with FIP Coupons.
The supplement can be purchased online, in the NS app, or at ticket machines/counters. On site, the supplement can be loaded onto an OV-chipkaart. Without an OV-chipkaart, an additional fee of 1.50€ is charged for a single-use ticket.

Intercity-Express (ICE) ⚠️

Description:
High-speed trains of Deutsche Bahn, operated by NS in the Netherlands. They run between Amsterdam and Germany (Cologne / Frankfurt am Main), but can also be used within the Netherlands between Amsterdam, Utrecht, and Arnhem with FIP Coupons without a supplement. However, a supplement is required with FIP 50 tickets.
Reservation possible: yes
Reservation required: ⚠️ no (cross-border during high season: yes)
Supplement: ⚠️
When using FIP 50 tickets, an ICE supplement of 3€ per journey must be paid. No supplement is required with FIP Coupons.
The supplement can be purchased online, in the NS app, or at ticket machines/counters. On site, the supplement can be loaded onto an OV-chipkaart. Without an OV-chipkaart, an additional fee of 1.50€ is charged for a single-use ticket.

Eurocity Direct (ECD) ⚠️

Description:
International, supplement-required train between Lelystad, Amsterdam, and Brussels, stopping at Almere, Schiphol, Rotterdam, and Antwerp.
More information
Reservation possible: no
Reservation required: no
Supplement: ⚠️
Between Rotterdam and Schiphol, a supplement of 3€ must be paid for both FIP 50 tickets and FIP Coupons. This can be purchased online, in the NS app, or at ticket machines/counters. The supplement can be loaded onto an OV-chipkaart. Without an OV-chipkaart, an additional fee of 1.50€ is charged for a single-use ticket.
Holders of an OV-chipkaart can buy a discounted supplement for 1.80€ at the supplement counter in the station during off-peak times.
With FIP 50 tickets, prices may vary by train category.

Eurocity Direct (ECD) ⚠️

Description:
International, supplement-required train between Lelystad, Amsterdam, and Brussels, stopping at Almere, Schiphol, Rotterdam, and Antwerp.
More information
Reservation possible: no
Reservation required: no
Supplement: ⚠️
Between Rotterdam and Schiphol, a supplement of 3€ must be paid for both FIP 50 tickets and FIP Coupons. This can be purchased online, in the NS app, or at ticket machines/counters. The supplement can be loaded onto an OV-chipkaart. Without an OV-chipkaart, an additional fee of 1.50€ is charged for a single-use ticket.
Holders of an OV-chipkaart can buy a discounted supplement for 1.80€ at the supplement counter in the station during off-peak times.
With FIP 50 tickets, prices may vary by train category.

Eurocity (EC)

Description:
International train between Rotterdam and Brussels with several intermediate stops.
More information
Reservation possible: no
Reservation required: no

Eurocity (EC)

Description:
International train between Rotterdam and Brussels with several intermediate stops.
More information
Reservation possible: no
Reservation required: no

Intercity Direct (ICD) ⚠️

Description:
Partly supplement-required fast train between Lelystad or Amersfoort, Amsterdam Zuid, Schiphol Airport, Rotterdam Centraal, and Breda.
More information
Reservation possible: no
Reservation required: no
Supplement: ⚠️
When using FIP 50 tickets between Rotterdam and Schiphol, a supplement of 3€ must be paid. No supplement is required with FIP Coupons.
This can be purchased online, in the NS app, or at ticket machines/counters. The supplement can be loaded onto an OV-chipkaart. Without an OV-chipkaart, an additional fee of 1.50€ is charged for a single-use ticket.
Holders of an OV-chipkaart can buy a discounted supplement for 1.80€ at the supplement counter in the station during off-peak times.
With FIP 50 tickets, prices may vary by train category.

Intercity Direct (ICD) ⚠️

Description:
Partly supplement-required fast train between Lelystad or Amersfoort, Amsterdam Zuid, Schiphol Airport, Rotterdam Centraal, and Breda.
More information
Reservation possible: no
Reservation required: no
Supplement: ⚠️
When using FIP 50 tickets between Rotterdam and Schiphol, a supplement of 3€ must be paid. No supplement is required with FIP Coupons.
This can be purchased online, in the NS app, or at ticket machines/counters. The supplement can be loaded onto an OV-chipkaart. Without an OV-chipkaart, an additional fee of 1.50€ is charged for a single-use ticket.
Holders of an OV-chipkaart can buy a discounted supplement for 1.80€ at the supplement counter in the station during off-peak times.
With FIP 50 tickets, prices may vary by train category.

Intercity (IC)

Description:
Unlike in other countries, these are not true long-distance trains, but rather fast regional trains with few stops. An exception is the IC Amsterdam - Berlin, which is a true cross-border IC with stops only at major hubs.
Reservation possible: only on the IC Amsterdam - Berlin
Reservation required: no (cross-border during high season: yes)

Intercity (IC)

Description:
Unlike in other countries, these are not true long-distance trains, but rather fast regional trains with few stops. An exception is the IC Amsterdam - Berlin, which is a true cross-border IC with stops only at major hubs.
Reservation possible: only on the IC Amsterdam - Berlin
Reservation required: no (cross-border during high season: yes)

Sneltrein (RE)

Description:
Regional trains with more stops than Intercity, but still only at important stations.
Reservation possible: no
Reservation required: no

Sneltrein (RE)

Description:
Regional trains with more stops than Intercity, but still only at important stations.
Reservation possible: no
Reservation required: no

Sprinter

Description:
Regional trains for short connections, stopping at every station along the route.
Reservation possible: no
Reservation required: no

Sprinter

Description:
Regional trains for short connections, stopping at every station along the route.
Reservation possible: no
Reservation required: no

Important Information

Trains of the Sneltrein / Regional-Express RE category, including the connections Venlo - Hamm (Germany), Maastricht - Aachen (Germany), and Arnhem - Düsseldorf (Germany), as well as other RE connections, are not operated by NS and cannot be used with FIP.

Ticket and Reservation Purchase

Online

Deutsche Bahn Website
For national and cross-border connections
Reservation ✅
FIP 50 Tickets ⛔
Reservation Costs
1st Class: €6.90
2nd Class: €5.50

Reservations

The reservation price is calculated per journey. This means that for connections with transfers, you only need to pay once for multiple trains.

Seat reservations can be purchased via the Deutsche Bahn website. To do so, select the “Book seat only” option in the search.

To Booking WebsiteAdditional Information
Deutsche Bahn Website
For national and cross-border connections
Reservation ✅
FIP 50 Tickets ⛔
Reservation Costs
1st Class: €6.90
2nd Class: €5.50

Reservations

The reservation price is calculated per journey. This means that for connections with transfers, you only need to pay once for multiple trains.

Seat reservations can be purchased via the Deutsche Bahn website. To do so, select the “Book seat only” option in the search.

To Booking WebsiteAdditional Information
DB Website FIP (DB Employees)
For national and cross-border connections. Cross-border FIP 50 Tickets, with ticket portions only for the Dutch section, for Deutsche Bahn employees
Reservation ✅
FIP 50 Tickets ✅
Reservation Costs
1st Class: €6,90
2nd Class: €5,50

FIP 50 Tickets

Deutsche Bahn employees can purchase FIP 50 Tickets online for journeys from Germany to neighboring countries. These tickets are available in the DB Reisemarkt > Bahnangebote > Ausland > FIP-Angebot. The FIP 50 ticket is only valid for the foreign section of the route. This is especially important for DB employees, as FIP 50 Tickets are not valid in your own home country. Therefore, an additional ticket is required for the domestic section within Germany up to the border point.

Booking is only possible via the link in the DB Reisemarkt. Discounts do not need to be selected; they are applied automatically.

FIP 50 Tickets can be purchased for the following countries:

  • Poland
  • Austria
  • Italy (only Brenner route with Austria and ECE Frankfurt - Milan)
  • Czech Republic
  • Switzerland
  • Luxembourg
  • Denmark
  • Netherlands
  • Belgium
  • France

Reservations

The reservation price is calculated per journey. This means that for connections with transfers, you only need to pay once for multiple trains.

Seat reservations can be purchased via the Deutsche Bahn website. To do so, select the “Book seat only” option in the search.

Additional Information
DB Website FIP (DB Employees)
For national and cross-border connections. Cross-border FIP 50 Tickets, with ticket portions only for the Dutch section, for Deutsche Bahn employees
Reservation ✅
FIP 50 Tickets ✅
Reservation Costs
1st Class: €6,90
2nd Class: €5,50

FIP 50 Tickets

Deutsche Bahn employees can purchase FIP 50 Tickets online for journeys from Germany to neighboring countries. These tickets are available in the DB Reisemarkt > Bahnangebote > Ausland > FIP-Angebot. The FIP 50 ticket is only valid for the foreign section of the route. This is especially important for DB employees, as FIP 50 Tickets are not valid in your own home country. Therefore, an additional ticket is required for the domestic section within Germany up to the border point.

Booking is only possible via the link in the DB Reisemarkt. Discounts do not need to be selected; they are applied automatically.

FIP 50 Tickets can be purchased for the following countries:

  • Poland
  • Austria
  • Italy (only Brenner route with Austria and ECE Frankfurt - Milan)
  • Czech Republic
  • Switzerland
  • Luxembourg
  • Denmark
  • Netherlands
  • Belgium
  • France

Reservations

The reservation price is calculated per journey. This means that for connections with transfers, you only need to pay once for multiple trains.

Seat reservations can be purchased via the Deutsche Bahn website. To do so, select the “Book seat only” option in the search.

Additional Information
DB Website FIP (International)
For national and cross-border connections. Cross-border FIP 50 Tickets for the entire route (not valid in the home country)
Reservation ✅
FIP 50 Tickets ✅
Reservation Costs
1st Class: €6,90
2nd Class: €5,50

FIP 50 Tickets

Online FIP 50 Tickets for journeys within Germany and neighboring countries can be booked via Deutsche Bahn. The tickets must include at least one section within Germany. The FIP 50 ticket is issued for the entire route. The ticket is not valid in the country where the FIP Card was issued; an additional ticket is required there.

Booking is only possible via the link. Discounts do not need to be selected—they are applied automatically.

FIP 50 Tickets can be purchased for the following countries, as long as a section in Germany is included:

  • Austria
  • Belgium
  • Czech Republic
  • Denmark
  • France
  • Germany
  • Italy (only Brenner route with Austria and ECE Frankfurt - Milan)
  • Luxembourg
  • Netherlands
  • Poland
  • Switzerland

Reservations

The reservation price is charged per journey. For connections with transfers, you only pay once for multiple trains.

Seat reservations can be purchased via the Deutsche Bahn website. To do so, select the “Seat reservation only” option in the search.

To Booking WebsiteAdditional Information
DB Website FIP (International)
For national and cross-border connections. Cross-border FIP 50 Tickets for the entire route (not valid in the home country)
Reservation ✅
FIP 50 Tickets ✅
Reservation Costs
1st Class: €6,90
2nd Class: €5,50

FIP 50 Tickets

Online FIP 50 Tickets for journeys within Germany and neighboring countries can be booked via Deutsche Bahn. The tickets must include at least one section within Germany. The FIP 50 ticket is issued for the entire route. The ticket is not valid in the country where the FIP Card was issued; an additional ticket is required there.

Booking is only possible via the link. Discounts do not need to be selected—they are applied automatically.

FIP 50 Tickets can be purchased for the following countries, as long as a section in Germany is included:

  • Austria
  • Belgium
  • Czech Republic
  • Denmark
  • France
  • Germany
  • Italy (only Brenner route with Austria and ECE Frankfurt - Milan)
  • Luxembourg
  • Netherlands
  • Poland
  • Switzerland

Reservations

The reservation price is charged per journey. For connections with transfers, you only pay once for multiple trains.

Seat reservations can be purchased via the Deutsche Bahn website. To do so, select the “Seat reservation only” option in the search.

To Booking WebsiteAdditional Information

On-Site

NS Ticket Office
Reservation ✅
FIP 50 Tickets ✅

FIP 50 Tickets

FIP 50 tickets can only be purchased at full-service (light) stations with ticket counters. As of December 2023, these are:

  • Amsterdam Centraal
  • Amsterdam Sloterdijk
  • Amsterdam Zuid
  • Arnhem Centraal
  • Breda
  • Den Haag Centraal
  • Eindhoven Centraal
  • Enschede
  • Haarlem
  • Leeuwarden
  • Leiden Centraal
  • Maastricht
  • Rotterdam Centraal
  • Schiphol Airport
  • Utrecht Centraal
  • Zaandam
  • Zwolle

Reservations

Since reservations for trains cannot be purchased within the Netherlands, NS only sells international reservations at full-service (light) stations.

Additional Information
NS Ticket Office
Reservation ✅
FIP 50 Tickets ✅

FIP 50 Tickets

FIP 50 tickets can only be purchased at full-service (light) stations with ticket counters. As of December 2023, these are:

  • Amsterdam Centraal
  • Amsterdam Sloterdijk
  • Amsterdam Zuid
  • Arnhem Centraal
  • Breda
  • Den Haag Centraal
  • Eindhoven Centraal
  • Enschede
  • Haarlem
  • Leeuwarden
  • Leiden Centraal
  • Maastricht
  • Rotterdam Centraal
  • Schiphol Airport
  • Utrecht Centraal
  • Zaandam
  • Zwolle

Reservations

Since reservations for trains cannot be purchased within the Netherlands, NS only sells international reservations at full-service (light) stations.

Additional Information
DB Ticket Office
Reservation ✅
FIP 50 Tickets ✅
Reservation Costs
1st Class: €6.90
2nd Class: €5.50

FIP 50 Tickets

At DB ticket offices, FIP 50 Tickets can be purchased for journeys within Germany and to many European countries.

It is also possible to issue FIP 50 Tickets where only the section outside Germany is charged, and an additional ticket is required for the German section. This is especially important for DB employees, as FIP 50 Tickets are not valid in their home country.

Reservations

The reservation price is calculated per journey. This means that for connections with transfers, you only need to pay once for multiple trains.

Reservations can be made not only for Germany but also for a large number of trains throughout Europe.

Additional Information
DB Ticket Office
Reservation ✅
FIP 50 Tickets ✅
Reservation Costs
1st Class: €6.90
2nd Class: €5.50

FIP 50 Tickets

At DB ticket offices, FIP 50 Tickets can be purchased for journeys within Germany and to many European countries.

It is also possible to issue FIP 50 Tickets where only the section outside Germany is charged, and an additional ticket is required for the German section. This is especially important for DB employees, as FIP 50 Tickets are not valid in their home country.

Reservations

The reservation price is calculated per journey. This means that for connections with transfers, you only need to pay once for multiple trains.

Reservations can be made not only for Germany but also for a large number of trains throughout Europe.

Additional Information

On the Train

FIP 50 tickets cannot be purchased on the train. 1

Discounts

No discounts are known.

Special Tariff Conditions

Ticket Barriers at Stations

With an FIP coupon, you will receive an NS access coupon with a barcode to open the station gates.
This is not a ticket, but an access pass, valid for:

  • Up to 8 separate days within a 3-month period.
  • Each day (from 00:00 to 23:59):
    • Up to 6 entries/exits at the same station.
    • Up to 12 passages in total per day.

If needed, a new access coupon can be requested at the NS ticket office.

Recommendations

Personal Tip

NS impresses with a dense schedule and good connections. Delays and cancellations do occur, but due to the high frequency, they are often not too problematic. Nevertheless, you should not plan with tight connections, as trains rarely wait for each other. The 1st class in NS trains is often not much more comfortable than 2nd class.

Sources

  1. Rail Delivery Group ↩︎