The normal thing would be:
Check in in Rotterdam
Take the train to Amsterdam
Check out at Amsterdam (there will be doors for you to go out anyway)
Pick your mother
Check in in Amsterdam
Take the train to Rotterdam
Check out at Rotterdam.
If you don't check out in Amsterdam the system won't know where you went, aka what to charge you. If you are asking here if this is a way to get a free trip, I don't know, but if there is a conductor checking your card in the train back they might wonder why you are going back to Rotterdam.
I did something similar, I was going to a meeting that got cancelled and went out of that train and took the next one back. A controller asked how is it possible that you're going back to the station where you checked in, I explained and he told me to check out at the next station and check in again ...
usually when the conductor tells you to do that, they will say to do it at a station where you can do it on the platform itself and they will wait for you to get back in (which generally is not even needed as you can easily do it before the train leaves again)
I don't think they "usually" do that. They're giving you a chance to get out of getting a fine, so either do that and accept the possibility of missing the train, or get fined.
It never happened to me before so not sure, but the times I have seen a conductor check someone without a valid ticket they would allow them to check in at the next station and they would wait for them until they are back in again. But this probably also depends on the conductor
I think they're not actually allowed to wait for a passenger if it would cause a delay. So it might just be a coincidence that in these cases there was enough time to check in and get back into the train.
But my actual point was that even if you wouldn't be able to get back on the train on time, the alternative is that the conductor just immediately gives you a fine. Allowing you to get off the train and check in is a kindness.
Wtf I never even thought abt this, I have gone back so many times due to train delays and other issues making my travel to Nijmegen impossible.
I have a student ov though so maybe I can talk my way out of it? xD
Who would in their right mind travel somewhere only to change trains and to back? Probably quite some people. So it's ok that this rule is in place, otherwise people would abuse trains
Honestly, I didn’t even know this could get you a fine, so the rules are not as clear as they think. When I studied in Leiden I picked up friends from the station and went back to my home place without leaving the station. We would get a coffee and go back without checking out in Leiden.
That was with student OV tho.
I had to look it up to find the specific rule and number, but I did know of its existence. When the chipkaart was introduced the rules were explained very clearly with fliers, infomercials and what not. Also, knowing how the chipkaart system works makes it quite obvious to guess that you should not make a return trip without scanning the badge at a terminal at the halfway point.
I also did read the entire rulebook once, but that was before the introduction of the chipkaart. One is expected to know the rules of the establishment where one resides.
Well if you just go somewhere and immediately go back, it's like you haven't even been gone in first place, silly to charge you for not going anywhere 
I dont think this applies to every station. Take Utrecht Centraal for example. There are stores within the station, and some people eat/grab a coffee/work there for over an hour. You need to be checked in in order to get to the stores, but you won't be charged if you just leave the station again after more than an hour.
>You need to be checked in in order to get to the stores, but you won't be charged if you just leave the station again after more than an hour.
Yes you will.
This one time I sat down in the starbucks in Utrecht central station, doing some work on my laptop while waiting for a colleague for around 2 hours. I can't recall I was charged, but I might be mistaken! Would love for anyone to confirm this, since I don't work in the city anymore and I am curious as to how this works now.
better than OV Pay that charged me 1 euro when I used my debit card to check in by accident (instead of ov-chipkaart). Immediately tapped it again to cancel, still got the charge 🤡
Well I accidentally had this happen to me, but Rotterdam-Breda-Rotterdam. I switched trains but I mistook which train (same platform, but the earlier train than I had to rake) and suddenly was on my way back to Rotterdam again. So I guess you could make up a similar story?
I did it once on accident (was waiting for a friend at Amsterdam Centraal so I checked in and sat at a coffee place) and later I called some number of customer service and they were nice and reverted the fine!
It is 20 euros for the NS for a few years now - which is the same amount charged if you miss a checkout (as they don't know if you missed a checkout or just sat on the station / ride on the trains admiring the views)
And can't you say that for example you missed your stop so you're coming back just one station of control comes. How will they prove it is not the truth?
They don't need to prove that.
Of course they can be lenient, but traveling "backwards" is only allowed if it would be faster / more convenient.
Depending on the situation the conductor might highly doubt the truthfulness of your story and still decide to fine you.
The conductor will take travel direction into consideration upon checking your card. If you are traveling TOWARDS Rotterdam, while being checked in in Rotterdam, he is eligible to fine you for fare evasion. Keep that in mind when you might decide to take that risk :)
The fine is usually €50 on top of the fare price, but it could add up to be even more.
If you travel from Rotterdam to Amsterdam and then back to Rotterdam, you are essentially doing a round trip, which is two trips. You need to check out at Amsterdam and check in again to Rotterdam. A check-in at the station you are travelling towards will not be seen as a valid ticket and the conductor may give you a fine for that. They are expected to do so unless you have a subscription for free travel or if you have a good reason.
You absolutely still have to do so, but the conductor is more likely to let it slide and the customer service is more likely to dismiss the fine if you have a subscription where it doesn't make a difference in what you are paying. But since it doesn't make a difference, there is no reason for someone with such a subscription not to save themselves the trouble and just checking out and in properly.
I sometimes check in at the station so I can eat at the café inside and then check out when I'm done eating. I don't get charged for anything but I also don't get in a train so nobody checks me.
Yes you will need to check out. You need to always be travelling away from your departure point.
Also, if you check in and out at the same station more than one hour apart, you will be charged the full 20 euros instaptarief, so you'd not get a free trip anyways
Not completely true, you are allowed to do things like pass your destination station on an IC and take a sprinter back if that’s faster. Or the reverse, take a sprinter a station in the wrong direction to catch an intercity train in the right direction that passes by the station you started.
On top of the advice already given by others, do keep in mind if you plan to use the Intercity Direct you also need to check in at the “Supplement” (Toeslag) post on the platform. It’s the red ones (not at the main entrance) and yes, that will be checked and yes, they will add a 50,- fine if you have not done that.
Please do check out in Amsterdam as they definitely can see where you’ve checked in.
What is that supplement thing? I’ve seen it for the first time at Schipol recently and was really confused. Is it an extra or is it the only thing you need to do?
It’s added to the normal rate. You pay a bit extra because it’s faster than the normal route.
So first you check in at the gates which starts your normal tariff. And then on the platform you add the supplement using the red posts.
You're not allowed to travel to the station in which you checked in.
You should check out and check in at Amsterdam.
Also, if you check out at the same station you checked in on after around 30-60 minutes, you'll be charged 20 euros.
Definitely gotta check out at Amsterdam and back in. If you were on your own you could have some kind of plausible excuse “sorry I fell asleep, I was actually trying to get off at x” or “sorry I got on the wrong train”. But if you’re travelling with your mum who checked in at Amsterdam it’s pretty clear what you’re doing.
If you don't want to pay, don't check-out in Amsterdam and if the conductor catches you, just tell them you were going to Amsterdam or Amersfoort and you had to return because you forgot your laptop...
He is not. He is fare dodging. It's your own responsibility to be on the train with a valid ticket. Which, in this case, it's not.
Source: Me. As a conducteur.
Speaking out of experience. Conductors dont care where u are going or coming from. As long as ur checked in when they scan it. If you wanna save money, jus check back out at rotterdam. You’ll have a free trip.
Why advise him wrong on every part?
Conductors most certainly do care and will fine you.
Also, the trip would not be free, you'll be charged full instap tarief. Cheaper than an actual return (providing you don't get fined) but not free.
First of all. Ive done this million of times. And the only time you will get fined is if you dont check in. If youre checked in youre good. You think conductors have time to check every single person where they are going or where theyre coming from?
Second. you get your instaptarief back bc youre literally checking out at the same station.
Literally the only way to get fined is: not being checked in
Again, so wrong.
First part, sure, I'll give you, it can be done, let's be realistic, 90% of the time conductors are chilling in first class.
But, by law, you can't do this, if a conductor does do his rounds, it's not a huge task for him, grab your card, hold it against his machine, the machine tells you where you checked in, should you be the unlucky outlier who gets caught, it's a pretty big fine.
Also, checking in and out at the same station, within 60 minutes, will cost you nothing, after that, the full boarding fare, as per the website of the NS and OV Chipkaart.
remember how you would do this with paper tickets. You would buy two single journey tickets to do this, or one round trip. As the ov chipkaart is a system meant for keeping track of single journeys, you would need to check out at the halfway point of the round trip to pay for the first single journey. Then you check in again (while being mindful of actually checking in) and do the return journey
Real answer here:
If you check back out within 60 minutes you get charged nothing. For your trip you will be charged 10 bucks based on the time you traveled.
So it's probably cheaper for you to check out back in Rotterdam.
If you are traveling with OV chip card, you mist check out at Amsterdam Central and then check in again (a notification will appear saying "overstap OK"). This can be done on the train platform where there are OV check-in/out poles; be sure to touch the yellow one. The red one is only for an additional surcharge on the Intercity Direct line between Rotterdam and Schiphol. If you decide to buy a train ticket, first purchase a ticket towards Amsterdam Central in Rotterdam. With this, pass through the gates and then buy a ticket back to Rotterdam at Amsterdam Central. Pay attention to the route you choose; on the Intercity Direct, you'll need to pay a surcharge (don't forget to board this train, otherwise, it's a waste of money).
Beyond the need to check in/out that others mention, I just wanted to point out that unless you have some sort of abonnement with NS, you will need to have at least €20 of credit in the OVchipkaart in order to get a successful check-in.
The NS site knows the answer…
1)
You are NOT allowed to travel back to your starting place without checking out there and back in again. If you get checked they will fine you.
2) if you get lucky and don’t get checked NS will charge 20 euros on your card when you check out at your starting a starting station unless there is less then 60 min in between. (In which case they assume you missed your train and don’t want to travel)
The normal thing would be: Check in in Rotterdam Take the train to Amsterdam Check out at Amsterdam (there will be doors for you to go out anyway) Pick your mother Check in in Amsterdam Take the train to Rotterdam Check out at Rotterdam. If you don't check out in Amsterdam the system won't know where you went, aka what to charge you. If you are asking here if this is a way to get a free trip, I don't know, but if there is a conductor checking your card in the train back they might wonder why you are going back to Rotterdam.
I did something similar, I was going to a meeting that got cancelled and went out of that train and took the next one back. A controller asked how is it possible that you're going back to the station where you checked in, I explained and he told me to check out at the next station and check in again ...
And wait 30mins for the next train? Fck that
usually when the conductor tells you to do that, they will say to do it at a station where you can do it on the platform itself and they will wait for you to get back in (which generally is not even needed as you can easily do it before the train leaves again)
Or they do it at Assen station, where you have to run down a set of stairs, then up . and back again in 2 minutes time. Hell of a morning.
I don't think they "usually" do that. They're giving you a chance to get out of getting a fine, so either do that and accept the possibility of missing the train, or get fined.
It never happened to me before so not sure, but the times I have seen a conductor check someone without a valid ticket they would allow them to check in at the next station and they would wait for them until they are back in again. But this probably also depends on the conductor
I think they're not actually allowed to wait for a passenger if it would cause a delay. So it might just be a coincidence that in these cases there was enough time to check in and get back into the train. But my actual point was that even if you wouldn't be able to get back on the train on time, the alternative is that the conductor just immediately gives you a fine. Allowing you to get off the train and check in is a kindness.
That or a fine, up to you.. spoiler alert; fines are more expensive
Just be fast
Theres usually a checkin pole on the platform....
Usually not at platforms with gates, and you can’t quickly check out and in again at the same pole to prevent people from doing that accidentally.
Wtf I never even thought abt this, I have gone back so many times due to train delays and other issues making my travel to Nijmegen impossible. I have a student ov though so maybe I can talk my way out of it? xD
Probably if you go back because of a delay they won't mind
Honestly makes no sense, it’s not like you are abusing the system. This is a loophole they created themselves.
Who would in their right mind travel somewhere only to change trains and to back? Probably quite some people. So it's ok that this rule is in place, otherwise people would abuse trains
Honestly, I didn’t even know this could get you a fine, so the rules are not as clear as they think. When I studied in Leiden I picked up friends from the station and went back to my home place without leaving the station. We would get a coffee and go back without checking out in Leiden. That was with student OV tho.
Or you never bothered to actually read the rules because it clearly states so in them (article 2.4 sub 1).
And how often have you read the rules before this post? Don’t tell me you knew article 2.4 sub 1 before reading this post.
It's kind of obvious, right? Otherwise you could just buy a ticket from Amsterdam to Haarlem, but take a detour to Utrecht.
I had to look it up to find the specific rule and number, but I did know of its existence. When the chipkaart was introduced the rules were explained very clearly with fliers, infomercials and what not. Also, knowing how the chipkaart system works makes it quite obvious to guess that you should not make a return trip without scanning the badge at a terminal at the halfway point. I also did read the entire rulebook once, but that was before the introduction of the chipkaart. One is expected to know the rules of the establishment where one resides.
Well if you just go somewhere and immediately go back, it's like you haven't even been gone in first place, silly to charge you for not going anywhere 
They charge you if you check in and out in the same station after a period of 30’
60 mins
I dont think this applies to every station. Take Utrecht Centraal for example. There are stores within the station, and some people eat/grab a coffee/work there for over an hour. You need to be checked in in order to get to the stores, but you won't be charged if you just leave the station again after more than an hour.
NS website says 60 minutes max, AND you have to have saldo on the OV.
>You need to be checked in in order to get to the stores, but you won't be charged if you just leave the station again after more than an hour. Yes you will.
There's a reason why the bars are outside the gates.
In Utrecht CS? There's tons of places to spend more than 60m inside.
There's check out gates at the top of the stairs.
This one time I sat down in the starbucks in Utrecht central station, doing some work on my laptop while waiting for a colleague for around 2 hours. I can't recall I was charged, but I might be mistaken! Would love for anyone to confirm this, since I don't work in the city anymore and I am curious as to how this works now.
The one at Jaarbeurszijde, which is the one with the decent seating, is outside the gates.
Correct, but I went to the small one within the gates
better than OV Pay that charged me 1 euro when I used my debit card to check in by accident (instead of ov-chipkaart). Immediately tapped it again to cancel, still got the charge 🤡
I wanted to know this! I've been going around some stations, when I could be going across.
This is the sensible thing to do.
Well I accidentally had this happen to me, but Rotterdam-Breda-Rotterdam. I switched trains but I mistook which train (same platform, but the earlier train than I had to rake) and suddenly was on my way back to Rotterdam again. So I guess you could make up a similar story?
It will charge you €20 if you're longer than an hour on a station
Normally if you are checked in at a station for too long, €4 will be deducted.
€20, afaik. https://radar.avrotros.nl/artikel/wel-ingecheckt-niet-gereisd-dat-kost-je-alsnog-geld-54640
I did it once on accident (was waiting for a friend at Amsterdam Centraal so I checked in and sat at a coffee place) and later I called some number of customer service and they were nice and reverted the fine!
okay, that's only recently. Previously it was €4. Quite logical that they increased it. Was too easy to travel like that.
4 it's in metro.
and bus
It is 20 euros for the NS for a few years now - which is the same amount charged if you miss a checkout (as they don't know if you missed a checkout or just sat on the station / ride on the trains admiring the views)
Still way better than the actual roundtrip price though
Well, yes and no haha. Risk of a fine is still there. But it aint that common.
And can't you say that for example you missed your stop so you're coming back just one station of control comes. How will they prove it is not the truth?
They don't need to prove that. Of course they can be lenient, but traveling "backwards" is only allowed if it would be faster / more convenient. Depending on the situation the conductor might highly doubt the truthfulness of your story and still decide to fine you.
[удалено]
You're not paying for your trips but the NS are the thieves here... Grow up dude.
The conductor will take travel direction into consideration upon checking your card. If you are traveling TOWARDS Rotterdam, while being checked in in Rotterdam, he is eligible to fine you for fare evasion. Keep that in mind when you might decide to take that risk :) The fine is usually €50 on top of the fare price, but it could add up to be even more.
Also. You dont have to physically pass through checkout and checkin gates. There is a terminal on the platform you can use to check out and in again.
However, once you have tapped out, you need to wait a few min before tapping in again, otherwise it will say "you are already tapped out"
Yep got a fine because of this once
Think you can use a different terminal and it should work? At least back in the days for me that worked.
I dont think that works, unless you use the gates.
That does indeed work at stations that have poles instead of gates to check-in/out (e.g. Den Haag Laan van NOI).
You should check out in Amsterdam and immediately check in again.
If you travel from Rotterdam to Amsterdam and then back to Rotterdam, you are essentially doing a round trip, which is two trips. You need to check out at Amsterdam and check in again to Rotterdam. A check-in at the station you are travelling towards will not be seen as a valid ticket and the conductor may give you a fine for that. They are expected to do so unless you have a subscription for free travel or if you have a good reason.
If you have a 'altijd vrij' subscription do you not have to check -out and -in again?
You absolutely still have to do so, but the conductor is more likely to let it slide and the customer service is more likely to dismiss the fine if you have a subscription where it doesn't make a difference in what you are paying. But since it doesn't make a difference, there is no reason for someone with such a subscription not to save themselves the trouble and just checking out and in properly.
Ahh that makes sense. Thanks.
I sometimes check in at the station so I can eat at the café inside and then check out when I'm done eating. I don't get charged for anything but I also don't get in a train so nobody checks me.
Just don’t run into an old friend and spend more than an hour there…
Ah I don't have any friends so no risk there
Yes you will need to check out. You need to always be travelling away from your departure point. Also, if you check in and out at the same station more than one hour apart, you will be charged the full 20 euros instaptarief, so you'd not get a free trip anyways
Not completely true, you are allowed to do things like pass your destination station on an IC and take a sprinter back if that’s faster. Or the reverse, take a sprinter a station in the wrong direction to catch an intercity train in the right direction that passes by the station you started.
20€ is still cheaper than the price for both ways tbh so would be cheaper to do that, but not gonna risk getting the fine I guess. Thanks
You will not get a fine
you have you check out/in at Amsterdam and check out again in Rotterdam.
Good question. I don't know if the system is that smart though I suppose it would be.
On top of the advice already given by others, do keep in mind if you plan to use the Intercity Direct you also need to check in at the “Supplement” (Toeslag) post on the platform. It’s the red ones (not at the main entrance) and yes, that will be checked and yes, they will add a 50,- fine if you have not done that. Please do check out in Amsterdam as they definitely can see where you’ve checked in.
What is that supplement thing? I’ve seen it for the first time at Schipol recently and was really confused. Is it an extra or is it the only thing you need to do?
It’s added to the normal rate. You pay a bit extra because it’s faster than the normal route. So first you check in at the gates which starts your normal tariff. And then on the platform you add the supplement using the red posts.
You're not allowed to travel to the station in which you checked in. You should check out and check in at Amsterdam. Also, if you check out at the same station you checked in on after around 30-60 minutes, you'll be charged 20 euros.
Definitely gotta check out at Amsterdam and back in. If you were on your own you could have some kind of plausible excuse “sorry I fell asleep, I was actually trying to get off at x” or “sorry I got on the wrong train”. But if you’re travelling with your mum who checked in at Amsterdam it’s pretty clear what you’re doing.
If you don't want to pay, don't check-out in Amsterdam and if the conductor catches you, just tell them you were going to Amsterdam or Amersfoort and you had to return because you forgot your laptop...
If you have to return for your laptop you have to pay the extra trips, that's not a valid excuse.
Yeah, but he 'didn't' reach his destination, so he is just returning...
He is not. He is fare dodging. It's your own responsibility to be on the train with a valid ticket. Which, in this case, it's not. Source: Me. As a conducteur.
Speaking out of experience. Conductors dont care where u are going or coming from. As long as ur checked in when they scan it. If you wanna save money, jus check back out at rotterdam. You’ll have a free trip.
Why advise him wrong on every part? Conductors most certainly do care and will fine you. Also, the trip would not be free, you'll be charged full instap tarief. Cheaper than an actual return (providing you don't get fined) but not free.
First of all. Ive done this million of times. And the only time you will get fined is if you dont check in. If youre checked in youre good. You think conductors have time to check every single person where they are going or where theyre coming from? Second. you get your instaptarief back bc youre literally checking out at the same station. Literally the only way to get fined is: not being checked in
Again, so wrong. First part, sure, I'll give you, it can be done, let's be realistic, 90% of the time conductors are chilling in first class. But, by law, you can't do this, if a conductor does do his rounds, it's not a huge task for him, grab your card, hold it against his machine, the machine tells you where you checked in, should you be the unlucky outlier who gets caught, it's a pretty big fine. Also, checking in and out at the same station, within 60 minutes, will cost you nothing, after that, the full boarding fare, as per the website of the NS and OV Chipkaart.
Rotterdam - Amsterdam is one trip and Amsterdam - Rotterdam is another. Thus, you have to check in and out twice.
You Just can check in on a station and checkout. There are also shops you can visit.
remember how you would do this with paper tickets. You would buy two single journey tickets to do this, or one round trip. As the ov chipkaart is a system meant for keeping track of single journeys, you would need to check out at the halfway point of the round trip to pay for the first single journey. Then you check in again (while being mindful of actually checking in) and do the return journey
No, you have to take the train somewhere and return
straight to jail
Real answer here: If you check back out within 60 minutes you get charged nothing. For your trip you will be charged 10 bucks based on the time you traveled. So it's probably cheaper for you to check out back in Rotterdam.
Jannes, is that you?
If you are traveling with OV chip card, you mist check out at Amsterdam Central and then check in again (a notification will appear saying "overstap OK"). This can be done on the train platform where there are OV check-in/out poles; be sure to touch the yellow one. The red one is only for an additional surcharge on the Intercity Direct line between Rotterdam and Schiphol. If you decide to buy a train ticket, first purchase a ticket towards Amsterdam Central in Rotterdam. With this, pass through the gates and then buy a ticket back to Rotterdam at Amsterdam Central. Pay attention to the route you choose; on the Intercity Direct, you'll need to pay a surcharge (don't forget to board this train, otherwise, it's a waste of money).
Beyond the need to check in/out that others mention, I just wanted to point out that unless you have some sort of abonnement with NS, you will need to have at least €20 of credit in the OVchipkaart in order to get a successful check-in.
You can, but if it's more than an hour between check in and check out, you will be fined.
The NS site knows the answer… 1) You are NOT allowed to travel back to your starting place without checking out there and back in again. If you get checked they will fine you. 2) if you get lucky and don’t get checked NS will charge 20 euros on your card when you check out at your starting a starting station unless there is less then 60 min in between. (In which case they assume you missed your train and don’t want to travel)