Buses in the Netherlands
Details and contact information on the national bus transport system...
Holland has four types of bus service for travel throughout the country.
- City bus: serves large towns
- Regional bus: covers main cities and their nearby towns
- Express Service: runs in and around the main cities with fewer stops than a regional bus
- Interliner: long distance connection between selected towns (makes very few stops)
Buses and trams run generally from 06:00-00:00 although on Sundays and public holidays, transport services may start a little later.
Tickets and the OV-chipkaart
The OV-chipkaart or "public transport chip card" is used on public transport across the Netherlands. It is a personal, rechargeable smartcard which can be used to pay for multiple trips on various types of transport. A disposable OV-chipkaart is available for occasional travel. This can either be loaded with a set amount or a travel product, or a card can be bought for a single trip, short-term use or use on specific transport. To use the card, hold it up to the card reader at the entry and exit barriers of transport: the price of a trip is automatically deducted.
The OV-chipkaart website is comprehensive and explains how to use it - whether for regular or occasional travel.
- For details on where to buy an OV-chipkaart: Click here
Other tickets
Tickets are available from the drivers or can be bought in advance (this is usually cheaper). Ticket strips (strippenkaarten) can be bought at post offices, railway stations, and local shops displaying the strippenkaarten sign in the window and are valid on buses, trams, metros and some rail routes. The Netherlands is divided into zones for bus and tram travel, and crossing one zone will cost one strippen.
- Public transport travel information
Tel: 0900 9292
Interliner information
Tel: 0900 899 8998