Why always display bookings from Amsterdam?
Not all of us live in the Randstad
For example: "I live in Groningen and cannot travel directly to Belgium."
Another common complaint is: "NS International mainly focuses on Amsterdam residents. People who live elsewhere often have to make a detour first."
Why select 'Amsterdam' as departure station?
When we mention prices and journey times on our website, we select one departure station, namely Amsterdam. There are two reasons for this:
- Many international trains depart from our capital city.
- We always select the same station to make it easier for you to compare prices and journey times.
Some pages do list multiple journey times; see our page on Paris. If you are travelling from a different city, you can find the exact journey time in our itinerary planner.
Low prices from Groningen, Den Helder or Goes
If you want to travel to Brussels, Paris or London with Eurostar, it is best to book from your nearest station. The prices will then be at most € 9 more than if you depart from Amsterdam, Schiphol or Rotterdam. You can check in with your international ticket on the outward journey and check out again on the return journey. This is cheaper than travelling with your OV-chipkaart.
However, this is different when travelling via or through Germany. There, the price difference is not fixed, but it is not significant either. For example, if you are travelling to Frankfurt, the difference will be a maximum of €5, so it is also best to book from the station where you board when travelling to Germany.
Changing trains: take your time
If you are travelling by bus or train to the station from which your international train departs, we recommend giving yourself plenty of time to catch your connecting train. Although the itineraryplanner may show a transfer time of 10 minutes or less, it is wise to plan for a longer wait. You can also consider taking an earlier train to ensure you have ample time to change with your luggage.
Living near the border
A customer gave us this tip: "If you live elsewhere, you often have to make a detour first. That's why we sometimes drive to an HSL hub abroad, such as Liège or Düsseldorf. We allow plenty of extra time and grab something to eat if we arrive early. Every connection feels like a risk, so we allow extra time."
Of course, this is also an option. You can drive to a station across the border, park there and continue your journey by train. You can easily book tickets to Liège, Noorderkempen or Düsseldorf with us, too.
Why can't I book earlier?
If I book my holiday accommodation a year in advance, I can't buy the train tickets yet. Why is that?