Traject Vrij and international travel
Up to and over the border
- Via our website: select the option '40% discount in the Netherlands'
- Via an NS ticket machine: select the option 'NS route with discount'
*Discount does not apply on Eurostar trains.
Then you will receive an international ticket which includes the 40% or 100% discount. Can you not travel there and back with the same discount? You can also book 2 one-tickets. Do not forget to bring your Traject Vrij subscription as well as your ticket on your trip. You should be able to show both. You do not check in or out with your Traject Vrij subscription, but open the gates with the square barcode on your international ticket.
Do you often travel to Belgium or Germany?
With NS Flex Traject Vrij in combination with a foreign subscription, you can purchase the Dutch part of your route. With this subscription, you can travel unlimited on a fixed route in the Netherlands up to the border with Belgium or Germany.
NS Flex Traject Vrij is available to or from the following border points:
- Hazeldonk (not valid on Eurocity Direct between Rotterdam Central and Hazeldonk)
- Roosendaal
- Emmerich
- Bad Bentheim
NS Flex Traject Vrij (to a number of stations across the border):
Via Weener border (for travelling with Arriva)
- Weener
- Leer
Via Gronau border (for travelling with DB Regio)
- Gronau
Via Emmerich border (for travelling with VIAS)
- Emmerich-Elten
- Emmerich Hbf
- Emmerich Praest
Via Herzogenrath border (for travelling with Arriva)
- Herzogenrath
- Aachen West
- Aachen Hbf
Travel across borders with any carrier
You may travel with any carrier on the chosen route. Make sure you check out with any other carrier before checking in with NS. This is because the moment you take the train in the Netherlands, with which you then cross the border, you must be checked in with NS. Once back in the Netherlands, you must check out with NS before continuing your journey with any other carrier.
Make sure you have a valid ticket for the Belgian/German part of your journey. During ticket control, you must be able to show the Dutch and foreign ticket. This ticket allows you to check in and out with the carrier in question. There are also OV-chip poles at stations across the border for this purpose. You do not have to check in or out at the border point.
Connected subscription foreign part of the trip
For the foreign part of your journey there are several subscriptions available that can combined with NS Flex Traject Vrij.
- For more information about Belgium subscription, go to www.nmbs.be
- For more information about German subscription, go to www.bahn.de
- For more information for connections via Venlo border, go to Tickets und Fahrkarten kaufen
- For more information on connections via Bad Bentheim border, go to Eurobahn: Tickets & fares
Subscription Roosendaal/Maastricht
Do you frequently travel from Roosendaal or Maastricht? You also have the possibility to purchase a subscription from NMBS. For the first purchase, you must go to a counter of the NMBS. After that, the renewals can be retrieved via internet or the NMBS ticket vending machines which can also be found at Roosendaal and Maastricht station. It is possible to pay with Dutch debit cards at these ticket vending machines.
NS subscription - for occasional travel
Do you only travel to Belgium occasionally and have an NS subscription? Then we recommend buying an international ticket online for your entire train journey. That is: from your boarding station in the Netherlands to your final destination in Belgium. When doing so, please indicate which discount (40% or 100% discount) you are entitled to during your journey. Find out more about discounts and times of your NS subscription when travelling internationally
International travel with an OV-chipkaart
Find out more about discounts on international train journeys