Travelling by Train

I love Dutch trains but you'll struggle to buy a ticket if you do not have a Maestro card. Amex and Visa are not accepted, hard when you live in the UK as there are no Maestro cards! The ticket machines only take cards, no cash. If there is a ticket office, and if it is open, then you can pay cash but there will be a surcharge. To keep the right side of the law you may have to seek out the train conductor/ guard and explain.

The only exceptions are the ticket machines at Schipol Airport and Amsterdam Centraal stations.

On the otherhand the staff at the ticket offices are very helpful and will make sure you buy the right ticket for your needs - and they all speak excellent English. We wanted two day returns from Maastricht to Liege. We were sold a single Euregio ticket which cover the local region, including parts of Belgium and Germany, trains and buses, and at weekends covered 2 people. A brilliant deal.