Travelling internationally with a Keuzedag on the OV-chipkaart or a single-use smart card

Keuzedagen
  • If you are aged 60 or over and have a Dal Voordeel op saldo season ticket, you can order Keuzedagen from NS.
  • With these Keuzedagen, you enjoy unrestricted travel by train within the Netherlands seven days a year, at a reduced price.
  • Keuzedagen are essentially digital: you load them onto your OV-chipkaart
 
Conditions
  • If you are travelling internationally, the Keuzedag is valid until the border. The Keuzedag is not valid on Eurostar, TGV and Nightjet.
  • In order to be able to travel with your digital Keuzedag, you need to load it onto your OV-chipkaart on the day of travel. 
  • Checking in with the Keuzedag is compulsory. After check-in, the Keuzedag is valid for one NS day, and you can travel along the entire Dutch railways network.
  • Check-in only during off-peak hours: From Mon-Fri between 9 am and 4 pm and between 6:30 pm and 6:30 am. All day during weekends and on public holidays.
  • It is allowed to check out during the peak hours.
 
What next
Travelling from the Netherlands to go abroad with a Keuzedag
  1. You purchase a ticket from your departure station to your final destination abroad.
  2. Indicate that you are using your Keuzedag. If you are booking online, you do this by selecting that you are travelling with '100% discount in the Netherlands'. If you are booking at an NS ticket machine, you select 'NS route free'.
  3. You will receive an international train ticket with the 100% discount deducted.
  4. Load your Keuzedag onto your OV-chipkaart at an NS ticket machine.
  5. On the day of travel, you check in with your OV-chipkaart to validate the Keuzedag for that day.
  6. During inspection on the train, you show your OV-chipkaart with your Keuzedag loaded onto it, together with your international train ticket.
  7. You cannot check out abroad, no money is debited.
  8. If you are returning to The Netherlands on the same day you left the country, the Keuzedag is still valid. You can not check in abroad. You check out with your OV-chipkaart at your final destination in The Netherlands. 
 
Travelling from abroad to The Netherlands with a Keuzedag 
  1. You purchase a ticket from your departing station abroad to the international train's (first) stop in the Netherlands.
  2. Get off the train at this station and load your Keuzedag onto your OV-chipkaart at a NS ticket machine.
  3. Check in with your OV-chipkaart to validate the Keuzedag for that day.
  4. You may then continue your journey.
  5. During ticket inspection on the train, you show your international train ticket until you reach the international train's (first) stop in the Netherlands. After this stop, you show your OV-chipkaart with your Keuzedag loaded onto it.
  6. You check out with your OV-chipkaart at your final destination in The Netherlands.
 
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