Other public transportation

 

Bus

For relatively short distances, and if you travel to areas without railway lines, the bus is an excellent means of transportation. Most bus services run from 6 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. Holland has four types of services:

City bus, regional bus and Express service
The city buses run within the boundaries of larger towns. The regional buses travel in and around main cities and the smaller towns nearby. The timetable is mainly geared to traveling during peak hours. The express services have fewer stops than the regional buses, run very frequently during peak hours to destinations in and around the main cities.

Interliner
In addition to the above three types of services, Holland also has the Interliner. This bus service is used for longer distances and links various towns. It is an ideal means of transportation for commuters. The Interliner has very few stops.

Tramway and metro

The cities of Utrecht, The Hague, Amsterdam and Rotterdam offer transportation by tram. Amsterdam and Rotterdam also have a subway system. Most tram and subway services start at 6 a.m. and run until approximately 12 midnight. The subway trains and trams are usually faster than the city buses.
The local The Hague tram company is HTM, in Amsterdam the GVB company offers tram and subway services, while the Rotterdam equivalent is RET.

Tickets

If you want to travel by bus, tramway or metro, you're advised to buy your ticket in advance. The ticket is called 'strippenkaart'. This ticket is valid throughout the entire country for travel on all buses, trams and subways. It is also valid on trains which travel within the city boundaries of Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Utrecht and The Hague/Zoetermeer.

Holland has been divided into transportation zones with set tariffs. To travel one zone you have to pay two 'strips'. You pay an extra 'strip' for each subsequent zone. Within the same zone you may change within a time limit mentioned on the back of the card. 

If you're between the ages of 12 and 65, buy a blue 'strippenkaart' with 15 strips or with 45 strips.  Children aged 4 to 11 and persons over 65 can use a cheaper red 'strippenkaart'. Strippencards can be bought at railway stations, in post offices, department stores and tobacconists. You can also buy tickets on the tram or bus, but the price is quite a bit higher.

Day tickets
In some cities your best bet is a one-day travel card. This is valid on all public transportation. A special 'Strippen Card' with eight strips entitles you to tour these cities by tram, bus or subway for a whole day and night. For two of these 8-strippen cards you can tour the whole country by bus for a day. Check our 'cities' section for discount tickets.