KLflyerRalph

I just went to the station and checked. English is the only foreign language offered on the machine. You can select it in the lower left corner of the starting screen. Then, select 'buy separate ticket'.
You can buy a ticket for a date in the future. Simply select day return or single on the left, enter your destination and travel class. Then you get the choice between 'valid today' and 'other travel dates', up to a week in advance.
And yes, unless you have one of the home printed tickets like described above, you are required to tap in and out with a disposable ticket from the machine or counter. Otherwise your ticket is not valid even though it is dated, routing specific and prepaid. Weird but that's how it is.
Tapping in and out can be at a yellow NS pole (hold it against and wait for the beep). Do not tap a red pole, that is for another service.
These poles are located on the platform or entrance at smaller stations. At Schiphol they are everywhere in the central hall and before you enter the escalators down to the platform.

At larger stations, you may need to tap in and out at the gates.
Use the scanner on the right of each gate. At some stations, like Amsterdam Central, the gates are always open. At Leiden they are always shut. This is why it is important to also tap in, otherwise the gate will not open.

MSPeconomist

At the AMS ticket windows, I've purchased RTs to/from the airport, with the return on a later date (specified).

:D!

Not necessarily weird. Tapping in and out at gated stations ensures that a ticket can only be used once. At ungated stations, I suppose it depends if you have a good story to tell any ticket inspectors about why you tapped in 5 hours ago...

By the way, the machines accept a maximum of 36 coins per purchase. Once you have inserted that many, the machine hangs for about 10 seconds and then spits all your coins back out at a rate of 1 coin every 1.5 seconds.

10c is the smallest coin accepted.

DaydreamingDays

You can check out the Dutch Railways website
http://www.ns.nl/en

You might be able to print out tickets - I did look and you can't buy tickets for May yet. The site will also tell you about possible delays

http://www.amsterdamtips.com/tips/ov-chipkaart.php
This site explains everything quite clearly about how to go about public transport here.

Also about creditcards maybe not working. In the Netherlands we use the chip on debit and credit cards to pay so you do need your pincode.
Banks debit card are actually the most used in the Netherlands, but credit cards are being used more and more so it'll be accepted in more and more places. I haven't been to Amsterdam in a while, but I'm guessing that they are used more there than in the tiny town I come from.

KLflyerRalph

You can buy tickets online from the NS, but only if you have iDeal, which defeats the point for most visitors. The Belgian Railways take creditcards and can issue the same tickets for the same prices, if not cheaper due to the absence of surcharges.

Stewie Mac

Thank you. In >10 years on FT, that ranks up there along with rinsing your razor in cold water and leaving your remote controls face down so you don't get dust between the buttons as the most helpful comments that I have ever seen.

:-:

Analise

Is this from personal experience?

Good to know, thanks.

Maybe I've misunderstood, but I was under the impression that only Dutch pin/chip credit and debit cards were accepted.

stut

Same here! I also note that the SNCB/NMBS Europe app allows m-ticketing for domestic Dutch journeys - didn't book one to completion to test it, mind.

JBord

A little confusing. I assume the poster meant you needed chip & pin (not just Dutch cards) for the ticket machines, but that credit cards will be accepted in most other places. I can confirm that I've used a US magnetic stripe card at the AMS train station at the ticket window, as well as to get cash to pay for smaller items like train tickets.

Concerto

And just remember - I hate to bring all this up again - that Amsterdam Airport to Amsterdam Centraal is a pickpockets paradise and you need to keep your eyes open, especially when getting on or off a train. Amsterdam Centraal station is not a great place to linger either.

dutchgirlDH

Important to keep repeating this. Also - there are no porters at Dutch train stations. Be suspicious of anyone offering to help carry your stuff.

Re cards: as long as your (US) card has a chip, and you have the pin code for that chip, you should be able to pay at the ticket machines and get money from ATM's. I previously used my US debit card (chip plus pin) with no problems all over Europe, incl payment in some (not all, but that might have changed) shops.

JBord

Yes, true. Most of us Americans still have the useless chip & signature cards, at least for credit cards. Some day we'll catch up...

GUWonder

I use lots of ATMs in Europe to get money. And even without a chip on the used US-issued ATM banking/debit card, I've been able to get cash at just about every euro-dispensing ATM which I've attempted to use. It's the non-ATM use in Europe where I've had issues from time to time, but at AMS my chip-less cards worked fine with the vendors and machines at the airport. Just not all of them landside.

JBord

This is exactly my experience as well. And it's really just the non-ATM machines. I've never run into a situation where a person couldn't run the card, although at some smaller places it's often just easier to pay in cash if you can.

Analise

My AMEX and Visa chip/signature cards have pins. Does that make a difference at the NL ticket machines?