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Strippenkaart: A Phantom?
Posted: 2014-10-06, 1:10 pm

lab
Posts: 46
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Hi there!
I was a frequent visitor before 2010. So I know what a "Strippenkaart" is. But when I went back to this lovely city. the world had definately changed totally: There was no Strippenkaart anymore, as the guys at the tourist office told me. However, the info about "public transport" on this site still informs visitors they'd better buy a strippenkaart. Is this an outdated message or the "kaart" has come back?
Re: Strippenkaart: A Phantom?
Posted: 2014-10-06, 5:47 pm

TurricaN
Posts: 129
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The strippenkaart has been gone for a while and it's very unlikely to come back.

The best way to use public transport today is to get an OV-chipkaart. You can load money onto the card, then you simply swipe the card when you enter and exit trams and buses, which subtracts the appropriate fare. For the trains, you swipe the card at the swipe points at the departure station and again at your destination station.

I think for you can get an Anonymous OV-chipkaart. If you spend a lot of time in the Netherlands, you can get a personalised OV-chipkaart it and pay an annual fee of around €60 to get 40% discount on all train journeys, which you can use with three other people travelling with you for quite the saving.
Re: Strippenkaart: A Phantom?
Posted: 2014-10-08, 1:33 am

TrickyKid
Posts: 114
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I haven't been to Amsterdam since the OV-chipkaart was introduced. I'm going again soon, but as I only plan on using the train to and from the airport, I'll stick with single tickets, if the anonymous OV-chipkaart is €7.50, and pay the "€1 supplement" each way.

http://www.ns.nl/en/travellers/ov-chipk ... -chipkaart

I'm guessing I cannot jump on a tram without a pre-paid OV-chipkaart?
Re: Strippenkaart: A Phantom?
Posted: 2014-10-08, 4:48 am

lab
Posts: 46
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Many thanks for the kind replies. Now I'm really curious about the anonymous OV-chipkaart. As said, it costs 7,50 Euro. Would I get a 40% discount for each trip? If so, why should I pay the annual fee 60 Euro? And how long can I use it?
I went to Ams from Schiphol last September by getting a ticket from the machine. It costs 9 Euro (plus the supplement fee 1 Euro). It's expensive im comparison with the price I paid several years ago. How much would it cost if I have the OV-chipkaart?
Re: Strippenkaart: A Phantom?
Posted: 2014-10-08, 6:20 pm

TurricaN
Posts: 129
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You don't get 40% discount with the Anonymous OV-chipkaart unless you're travelling with someone who has a Personalised OV-chipkaart who is entitled to the 40% discount. Under the "Joint Journey Discount" rule, a person who has paid the annual €60 fee for 40% discount can share the 40% discount with up to three other travellers, but those travellers must have an OV-chipkaart to get the discount, since it's no longer possible to purchase 40% discount tickets from the ticket machines.

Other useful features of the Anonymous OV-chipkaart is that it's much more convenient than purchasing tickets and you avoid the €1 supplement. One disadvantage is that you can only load the card with multiples of €10 and there's no way to recover any remaining credit from the card as far as I can tell when you leave the Netherlands. This isn't a problem if you live here or visit regularly, but for one-off visitors, it's pretty scummy of NS in my opinion.

Prior to the recent changes, there was no €1 supplement and 40% discount tickets could be bought from the machines (you still had to be travelling with someone entitled to it to be valid though, of course).
Re: Strippenkaart: A Phantom?
Posted: 2014-10-09, 5:26 am

DogsAfirePower Kat XXX
Power Kat XXX
Posts: 1337
Location: Michigan, USA
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Two other important notes about the OV chipkaart
1) To board a train, as opposed to a tram, you need a minimum balance of 20 euros on the card
2) When you board a train, 20 euros is deducted from your card. When you check out, the proper fare is calculated and the remainder is returned to your card. But if you fail to check out the entire 20 euros is lost. With an anonymous card it would be very difficult to get a refund (though it is possible). A named account can get a refund on request, but you need a bank account for a named account. Guess how I know all this

Personally, I like the chipkaart, primarily for the trams. The fare is much lower with the chipkaart. It takes only a few tram rides to pay for the price of the card. And I never was comfortable with the strippenkaart. Oddly, I have never explored the Metro (whereas I immediately become a Metro user in most large cities). The chipkaart works there too, so I should make that a goal the next visit.

iI just looked at the NS site and there are some rules about checking in and out when switching train to train, Metro to Metro, etc, and from one mode of transport to another. Trains and buses always check in and check out. Train to train, max 35 minute connection, otherwise in/out. Metro and NS train to Metro, check in at beginning, check out at end of trip. Otherwise always in/out. It may sound complicated, but remember the 35 minute rule and the rest is pretty much common sense. They have a table of the various combinations on their site.

the dogs
What about Dagkaart?
Posted: 2014-10-09, 11:36 pm

brunno69Supporting Member
Supporting Member
Posts: 186
Location: Essex, UK
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When on the ferry I usually buy my train ticket, used to be able to get a return Hoek-Centraal €36, then they changed it so I could only get single €18 and had to remember to get another one on the way back (more troublesome than it sounds). It hasn't gone up in ages.
However last time I went, on the ferry they sold me a "Dagkaart" for €16. I enquired and it is exactly what it says on the tin, travel anywhere on NS for that whole day! Awesome value! (needless to say I wasted it, never got further than Centraal.)
On the way back I tried to get another one, but it turns out costs about €60 from Centraal (they could still sell me the same old €18 single).
I figured that this cheap ticket on the ferry was something to do with the old Rail/Sail London/Amsterdam, especially now my UK trains have been taken over by NS! (I never bother with Rail/Sail because I live so close to Harwich it’s no cheaper). But I did some internet searches "Dagkaart €16" and it turns out quite a few outlets in Netherlands do sell these reduced tickets, including Albert Heijn!? Any ideas about this?
(next time I’m over, if anybody wants my Dagkaart they can have it for a gram of Lemon Haze.)

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