Dutch Trains.

Trad · Post by **Trad** » Wed 15th Dec 2010 05:44 pm

I will be taking the train from A'Dam to Den Helder, to visit the Navel Museum (and the cs), and was thinking that I would like to stop off in Alkmaar to check out the Coffeeshops there.
My question is:- Do I have to mention the lay-over in Alkmaar, I figure it should take about 2-3 hours, when I purchase the ticket? I have to change trains in Alkmaar so, would it be against the rules to wander off for a couple of hours?

archambaut · Post by **archambaut** » Wed 15th Dec 2010 06:03 pm

Not sure for tickets, but for a OV-chipkaart, you are allowed to step
out of a station for up to 35 mins without needing to check out/in.
I don't think it costs any more to do that and split the journey in two.

Alkmaar is a cool little place, but a bit of a hike to town from the
station. Stepping Out had some nice Nepalese,and Anytime sold
some OK superpolm, both had good prices.

Arch

Boner · Post by **Boner** » Wed 15th Dec 2010 06:47 pm

I'm pretty sure you can jump on & off the trains at any stations between your destinations for however long you want, I dont have any evidence or a source of this info it's just something I'm sure I've read somewhere.

Yossarian22 · Post by **Yossarian22** » Wed 15th Dec 2010 07:00 pm

Yeah, that's what the guy at the ticket counter told me. We were at Amsterdam and wanted tickets to Utrecht and then from Utrecht to Rotterdam. He just gave us tickets to Rotterdam and told us we could make a lay-over as long as it was the same day. Couldn't hurt to ask at the info station though since it was a while ago and I was, of course, pretty baked(ie, spotty memory)

Marco · Post by **Marco** » Thu 16th Dec 2010 10:55 am

Boner wrote:I'm pretty sure you can jump on & off the trains at any stations between your destinations for however long you want, I dont have any evidence or a source of this info it's just something I'm sure I've read somewhere.

I think you are connect, but I also don't have a link.

Its important to be careful when getting a return ticket, that you specify whether you want to return the same day or later. Made that mistake once and had to pay a small fine.

Trad · Post by **Trad** » Thu 16th Dec 2010 05:16 pm

That's what I figured was the case.

As I mentioned, I have to change trains in Alkmaar and was looking at the schedule to see if I had enough time to nip out for a puff. Then I remembered that on my last visit I had changed trains in Amersfoort and missed my connection (outside for a puff, big surprise ) and I just caught the next train. Nobody ever questioned me. Sooo, why not take a little longer and go find a couple of coffeeshops?....

I will do the same thing when I go to Holten next April for an event at the Canadian War Cemetery, I'll check the coffeeshops in Apeldoorn.

Thanks for the information guys and see you for 420 I hope