FlyerTalk Forums - View Single Post - Take the train from AMS to the Central Station?
Old Mar 21, 2016, 8:19 am
  #26  
KLflyerRalph
 
Join Date: May 2010
Programs: Delta Silver, HH Gold, Accor Gold, IHG Platinum
Posts: 5,342
Great tip: if you have access to a printer, you can buy a home-print ticket from the Belgian Railways via their site. Here you can choose your specific date and route in advance, even if it's only between two Dutch stations. You also circumvent the surcharge for the disposable chipcard. You can pay with VISA or Mastercard for free, AMEX has a €2 surcharge (per order). Unless you are on the Thalys, the ticket is valid for any train on your selected day so there is no need to select a specific timing.
The tickets are personal so you'll have to provide your full names. They will then be send to your email address and you will have to print them. You have to be able to show your ID if asked, to match the ticket.
You do not have to tap in or out with this card. If you travel to a station where the gates are closed, there are special lanes where you can scan the QR code on the ticket to enter/exit.
Why the Dutch Railways can't offer this service (i.e. payment with creditcard) to visitors is beyond me. Then again, customer focus is not really their strength.
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