NS

NS’s route map features the following stations:

• Koog aan de Zaan
• Amsterdam Muiderpoort
• Amsterdam Sloterdijk
• Hertogenbosch
• Amsterdam Zuid
• Utrecht Centraal
• Zandvoort aan Zee
• Best
• Amsterdam Bijlmer Arena
• The Hague HS
• Amsterdam Amstel
• Duivendrecht
• Roosendaal Central
• Maastricht
• Hoorn
• Tilburg
• Amsterdam Hoofddorp
• Breda
• Ede Wageningen
• The Hague Centraal
• Amersfoort Central
• Haarlem Central
• Groningen
• Rotterdam Centraal
• Apeldoorn
• Amsterdam Schiphol Airport
• Eindhoven Central
• The Hague Laan van NOI
• Alkmaar
• Zaandam
• Almere Muziekwijk
• Amsterdam RAI
• Amsterdam Central
• Rotterdam Lombardijen
• Rotterdam Stadion
• Rotterdam South
• Rotterdam Blaak
• Rotterdam North
• Rotterdam Alexander
• Amsterdam Holendrecht
• Amsterdam Science Park
• Amsterdam Lelylaan
• Almere Centrum
• Arnhem Centrale
• Arnhem Zuid
• Bergen op Zoom
• Breda Prinsenbeek
• Deventer
• Enschede
• Leeuwarden
• Leiden Lammenschans
• Nijmegen
• Nijmegen Lent
• Roermond
• The Hague Mariahoeve
• The Hague Moerwijk
• The Hague Ypenburg
• Venlo
• Vlissingen Souburg
• Vlissingen
• Middelburg
• Arnemuiden
• Kapelle Biezelinge
• Krabbendijke
• Rilland Bath
• Rijswijk
• Delft Central
• Voorburg
• Delft Campus
• Schiedam Central
• Leiden De Vink
• Zoetermeer
• Leiden Central
• Voorhout
• Zoetermeer East
• Zoetermeer Lansingerland
• Warmond Sassenheim
• Oudenbosch
• Barendrecht
• Hillegom
• Capelle aan den IJssel Schollevaar
• Overveen
• Heemstede
• Zevenbergen
• Nieuwerkerk aan den IJssel
• Santpoort Zuid
• Etten Leur
• Driehuis
• Zwijndrecht
• Nieuw Vennep
• Beverwijk
• Alphen aan den Rijn
• Castricum
• Zevenbergschen Hoek Lage Zwaluwe
• Dordrecht Central
• Dordrecht Zuid
• Haarlem Spaarnwoude
• Heemskerk
• Heiloo
• Uitgeest
• Gouda
• Gouda Goverwelle
• Bodegraven
• Halfweg
• Assendelft Krommenie
• Den Helder
• Den Helder Zuid
• Alkmaar Noord
• Wormerveer
• Zaandijk Zaanse Schans
• Schagen
• Anna Paulowna
• Zaandam Kogerveld
• Heerhugowaard
• Woerden
• Obdam
• Rijen
• Purmerend Weidevenne
• Purmerend
• Diemen Zuid
• Diemen
• Zuidoostbeemster Purmerend Overwhere
• Abcoude
• Tilburg Reeshof
• Vleuten
• Maarssen
• Weesp
• Utrecht Terwijde
• Tilburg Universiteit
• Utrecht Leidsche Rijn
• Hoorn Kersenboogerd
• Utrecht Vaartsche Rijn
• Utrecht Overvecht
• Utrecht Maliebaan
• Utrecht Lunetten
• Almere Gate
• Naarden Bussum
• Bussum Zuid
• Houten
• Hilversum Media Park
• Hollandsche Rading
• Houten Castellum
• Hilversum
• Hoogkarspel
• Hilversum Sportpark
• Oisterwijk
• Bunnik
• Bilthoven
• Culemborg
• Bovenkarspel Grootebroek
• Den Dolder
• Almere Parkwijk
• Bovenkarspel Flora
• Driebergen Rijsenburg Zeist
• Zaltbommel
• Geldermalsen
• Almere Buiten
• Baarn
• Enkhuizen
• Vught
• Almere Oostvaarders
• Soest South
• Hertogenbosch East
• Boxtel
• Rosmalen
• Amersfoort Schothorst
• Tiel
• Hooglanderveen Amersfoort Vathorst
• Eindhoven Strijp S
• Lelystad Central
• Oss West
• Veenendaal West
• Oss
• Veenendaal Central
• Geldrop
• Heeze
• Veenendaal De Klomp
• Rhenen
• Helmond Brandevoort
• Ermelo
• Maarheeze
• Helmond t Hout
• Ravenstein
• Helmond
• Helmond Brouwhuis
• Wijchen
• Deurne
• Wolfheze
• Nijmegen Dukenburg
• Nijmegen Goffert
• Akkrum
• Elst
• Sittard
• Heerenveen
• Arnhem Velperpoort
• Arnhem Presikhaaf
• Velp
• Wezep
• Wolvega
• Apeldoorn Osseveld
• Rheden
• Sevenum Horst
• Zwolle
• Twello
• Olst
• Steenwijk
• Brummen
• Venlo Blerick
• Zutphen
• Hoogeveen
• Beilen
• Assen
• Groningen Europapark
• Wierden
• Haren
• Almelo
• Hengelo
• Santpoort Noord
• Bloemendaal
• Breukelen
• Grou Jirnsum
• Maarn
• Meppel
• Oosterbeek
• Utrecht Zulien
• Voorschoten
• Soest
• Soest Soestdijk

Here is the list of routes covered by NS which are always in high demand with the travellers:

• Amsterdam - Rotterdam
• Amsterdam - Roermond
• Amsterdam - Zaandam
• Zwolle - Amsterdam
• Roermond - Amsterdam
• Amsterdam - Zandvoort
• Rotterdam - Amsterdam
• Amsterdam - Maastricht
• Amsterdam - The Hague
• Amsterdam - Dordrecht
• Rotterdam - The Hague
• Dordrecht - Amsterdam
• Zandvoort - Amsterdam
• Koog aan de Zaan - Zaandam
• The Hague - Ede
• Maastricht - Sittard
• The Hague - Rotterdam
• Zaandam - Uitgeest
• Arnhem - Zwolle
• Amsterdam - Voorschoten
• The Hague - Voorburg
• Amsterdam - Apeldoorn
• Abcoude - Amsterdam
• Tilburg - Breda
• Zaandam - Rotterdam
• Almere - Zwolle
• Dordrecht - Rotterdam
• The Hague - Utrecht
• Alkmaar - Hoorn
• Utrecht - Apeldoorn
• Voorburg - The Hague
• Velp - Rotterdam
• Bloemendaal - Utrecht
• Arnhem - Wormerveer
• Deventer - Amsterdam
• Bergen op Zoom - Groningen
• Rotterdam - Heemstede
• Hoofddorp - Ede
• Dordrecht - Duivendrecht
• Amsterdam - Oss
• The Hague - s Hertogenbosch
• Haarlem - s Hertogenbosch
• Baarn - Castricum
• Helmond - Amsterdam
• Eindhoven - Weesp
• Venlo - Breda
• Rijswijk - The Hague
• Arnhem - Tilburg
• Maastricht - Roermond
• Bergen op Zoom - Nieuw Vennep
• Koog aan de Zaan - Eindhoven
• Zandvoort - Eindhoven
• Halfweg - Hoorn
• Groningen - Wormerveer
• Voorschoten - Amersfoort
• Hoorn - Boxtel
• Geldrop - Nieuw Vennep
• Eindhoven - Zevenbergschen Hoek
• Duivendrecht - Delft
• Purmerend - Schiedam
• Obdam - Rotterdam
• Kapelle - Weesp
• Rijswijk - Voorschoten
• Bloemendaal - Heerenveen
• Amsterdam - Heerhugowaard
• Schiedam - Rijswijk
• Bunnik - Nieuw Vennep
• Vught - Rijen
• Ede - Amsterdam
• Vught - Bodegraven
• Zaandam - Groningen
• Rotterdam - Alphen aan den Rijn
• Wolfheze - Barendrecht
• Barendrecht - Bussum
• Schiphol - Bunnik
• Halfweg - Eindhoven
• Akkrum - Weesp
• Zaandam - Nieuw Vennep
• Utrecht - Bunnik
• Twello - Schiphol
• Rijswijk - Hillegom
• Houten - Nieuw Vennep
• Rotterdam - Brummen
• Akkrum - Schiphol
• Hillegom - The Hague
• Baarn - Rotterdam
• Rijen - Amsterdam
• Amersfoort - Meppel
• Diemen - Halfweg
• Amsterdam - Diemen
• Houten - Bilthoven
• Baarn - Heerhugowaard
• Bloemendaal - Haarlem
• Driehuis - Zandvoort
• Rijswijk - Ede
• Wierden - Houten
• Venlo - Amersfoort
• Groningen - Gouda
• Maastricht - Purmerend
• Hoofddorp - The Hague

To get most of your train ride to choose the class of your ticket wisely. Consider the length of your trip, the time of the day, and your own preferences. For longer travels by night, first or second-class tickets in a sleeper coach might be the best solution. Both options allow you to sleep your night away as comfortably as it gets on a train and save the precious daytime of your vacation. Note that sometimes first-class tickets cannot be booked for short couple-of-hours trips on a longer itinerary. They are often reserved for travellers who cover the whole route from departure to the terminal station. Yet second-class sleepers of sometimes soft seats are a decent alternative if 4-5 hours bring you to your point B. Check what is included in the price. Linen and towels may or may not be provided for overnight trips as water, snacks, or toiletries. It is always a good idea to bring some layers on board as air-conditioning or heating may fail to meet your standards.

Pros of Train Travel

• Railway travel is an ideal solution to beat traffic. While delays are sometimes possible for various reasons, in general, neither rush-hour, long weekends nor high season fever will ruin your timing with railways.
• Online booking of railway tickets saves you a lot of time. For many destinations, tickets can be booked as long as 90 days before your travel date which brings planning to a new level. Yet last-minute deals are often available, too. There is no need to go to the train station to book either – do it wherever you want.
• In many cases, train tickets are much more affordable than air tickets. On certain routes, the length of travel by high-speed trains equals or even beats air travel if you consider the time you spend in the airport for check-in and going through security and/or customs formalities.
• Very often, railway stations are located in the center of the city. It saves you a lot of time to reach your accommodation. Older railway stations often have the added bonus of being super atmospheric occupying historical buildings. Travelling to/from such stations can be considered a worthy point of your whole travel plan.
• Besides saving you daytime for other more enjoyable things, a night on a train is a good way to cut your hotel expenses. If it is a sleeper you opt for, you may expect to sleep quite well, too. Well, better than on a sleeper bus for sure!
• There are luxury trains serving some routes, and it is definitely an experience to try at least once in your life.

Cons of Train Travel

• The longer the distance – the longer the train ride, and if you have to cover a considerable mileage, it will be very time-consuming. So sometimes air travel is a better alternative even if costlier.
• Connections with your onward transport should be planned with extra care. Though the timetables are normally set, delays and cancellations are always possible due to a variety of reasons. Another thing to consider is the location of the station where your train arrives or departs from. There is more than one train station in certain cities and locations, which sometimes causes confusion.
• One of the most common complaints about trains on certain routes is cleanliness. It mostly concerns the cheapest class coaches and toilets.
• Stops are not always clearly announced or marked during some train trips. Electronic screens do solve this issue easily but are not present everywhere. So ensure you track your stop with GPS or just ask a conductor if any.