NS

NS’s route map features the following stations:

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

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

• Amsterdam - Eindhoven
• Amsterdam - Roermond
• Zwolle - Amsterdam
• Amsterdam - Rotterdam
• Rotterdam - Amsterdam
• Amsterdam - Zaandam
• Roermond - Amsterdam
• Amsterdam - Zandvoort
• Amsterdam - Maastricht
• Amsterdam - The Hague
• Amsterdam - Dordrecht
• Rotterdam - The Hague
• Dordrecht - Amsterdam
• Zandvoort - Amsterdam
• Koog aan de Zaan - Zaandam
• The Hague - Amsterdam
• The Hague - Ede
• Maastricht - Sittard
• The Hague - Rotterdam
• Zaandam - Uitgeest
• Arnhem - Zwolle
• Amsterdam - Voorschoten
• The Hague - Voorburg
• Amsterdam - Apeldoorn
• Abcoude - Amsterdam
• Zaandam - Rotterdam
• Almere - Zwolle
• Zwolle - Steenwijk
• Dordrecht - Rotterdam
• The Hague - Utrecht
• Alkmaar - Hoorn
• Utrecht - Apeldoorn
• Voorburg - The Hague
• Velp - Rotterdam
• Bloemendaal - Utrecht
• Dordrecht - Wijchen
• Arnhem - Wormerveer
• Deventer - Amsterdam
• Rotterdam - Heemstede
• Hoofddorp - Ede
• Dordrecht - Duivendrecht
• Amsterdam - Oss
• The Hague - s Hertogenbosch
• Haarlem - s Hertogenbosch
• Heeze - Zaltbommel
• Baarn - Castricum
• Helmond - Amsterdam
• Eindhoven - Weesp
• Venlo - Breda
• Leiden - Nijmegen
• Rijswijk - The Hague
• Arnhem - Tilburg
• Maastricht - Roermond
• Bergen op Zoom - Nieuw Vennep
• Koog aan de Zaan - Eindhoven
• Zandvoort - Eindhoven
• Woerden - Alphen aan den Rijn
• Haren - Hoofddorp
• Halfweg - Hoorn
• Krabbendijke - Maastricht
• Groningen - Wormerveer
• Voorschoten - Amersfoort
• Hoorn - Boxtel
• Hoogkarspel - Driehuis
• Geldrop - Nieuw Vennep
• Eindhoven - Zevenbergschen Hoek
• Duivendrecht - Delft
• Purmerend - Schiedam
• Obdam - Rotterdam
• Kapelle - Weesp
• Voorschoten - Voorhout
• Nieuw Vennep - Tilburg
• Rijswijk - Voorschoten
• Amsterdam - Heerhugowaard
• Schiedam - Rijswijk
• Bunnik - Nieuw Vennep
• Vught - Rijen
• Ede - Amsterdam
• Vught - Bodegraven
• Oss - Zwolle
• Zaandam - Groningen
• Rotterdam - Alphen aan den Rijn
• Hoogkarspel - Santpoort Noord
• Barendrecht - Bussum
• Schiphol - Bunnik
• Halfweg - Eindhoven
• Obdam - Oss
• 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
• Arnhem - Rheden
• Diemen - Halfweg

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.