This is what I love about the Dutch. So practical. One card can be used to ride trains, trams, busses, ferries all over the Netherlands. We found the simple“anonymous” OV chip card that can be topped up with credit over and over again to be invaluable. The card itself expires in 5 years.
We stopped at one of the vending kiosks in the airport train station when we flew into Amsterdam a couple days ago, purchased the card and topped it up with €20 credit. When riding any public transport, you tap a chip reader with the card just before boarding (or in the case of busses and trams, the reader is inside the tram) and again when you get off the transport. This is the “check in and check out” process. The cost of the fare is automatically deducted from however much credit you have remaining on the card.
Below you see the main Hall at Schipol (Amsterdam) airport. See the yellow stripe on the floor? That leads you to the bright yellow box where you tap your card. Then you continue on to your train. At the airport, all the train platforms are under this main Hall so down an escalator you go.
Not always, but sometimes, a conductor will come through and ask to see your ticket or card. They will read the card with a hand held device to be sure you’ve checked in. You can get fined and/or get bumped off the train/tram/bus at the next stop if you’ve not done your duty.
I enjoy your posts on how things work in the Netherlands. It seems to be a well planned society. You will be going to a few more countries known for efficient organization. I’ll be interested to hear how they differ and which ones work best for you.
I am expecting the utmost in efficiency! But so far as we’ve been able to tell, each city in Norway, Denmark and Sweden has its own transportation system. None have a one size fits all like the Netherlands.
Did you ultimately have to pay for the tram ride to Delft that was aborted?
Yes we did. I guess breakdowns aren’t plugged into the automatic system. Most Dutch have a “personalized” OV card and can manage it online. I would guess they could report it in their online account. We may have been able to report it to someone but the ride was only about €3 anyway so we didn’t take the time.