This summer, the Netherlands is making it easier and cheaper to explore its compact but diverse landscape by train. The Dutch national railway company, Nederlandse Spoorwegen (NS), has launched a subscription called NS Flex Dal Vrij that gives unlimited travel across the country during off-peak hours, weekends, and public holidays for €49 a month. The offer is available for up to two months, with subscriptions purchasable until 30 June.
Ordinarily, a monthly pass for unlimited travel costs €127.95, so the discount is substantial. The scheme is part of a broader push by the Dutch government and NS to encourage slow travel and reduce car usage. As the operator put it, from Groningen in the north to Middelburg in the southwest, and from Maastricht in the south to Den Helder on the coast, the entire country is within reach.
How the subscription works
The NS Flex Dal Vrij pass is valid Monday to Friday from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm and from 6:30 pm to 6:30 am. On weekends, it covers travel from 6:30 pm on Friday until 4:00 am on Monday. This means you can spend a weekend in Amsterdam, Utrecht, or The Hague without worrying about ticket costs. The pass works on all NS-operated trains, except those that are part of Eurostar services. From Amsterdam Centraal, you can reach Utrecht in about 30 minutes, The Hague in 50 minutes, and Rotterdam in roughly 40 minutes.
Once you arrive at your destination, you can continue your journey by bus, tram, or metro at standard fares, or rent a bike to explore further. The Netherlands has around 400 train stations, many of which are architectural landmarks. Haarlem Centraal and Leiden Centraal, for instance, boast historic buildings, while newer stations in Amsterdam and Utrecht offer USB chargers, digital displays, and free Wi-Fi.
Stations worth visiting
The Netherlands is home to roughly 600 castles and country estates, and several train stations provide direct access to these historic sites. Soestdijk station, near Baarn, is a small but grand stop that once served the Dutch royal family. It is a ten-minute bike ride from Soestdijk Palace, a former royal residence. Groningen Centraal was voted the "Most Beautiful Station in the Netherlands" in an NS poll, thanks to its stunning tile panels by artist F.H. Bach. In Rotterdam, Blaak station is a modernist marvel with a 35-metre-wide transparent dome that resembles a flying saucer, designed by LI Vákár. The station connects train, metro, tram, and bus services, with a railway tunnel below for national and international routes.
For those looking to combine train travel with other summer activities, the Netherlands offers plenty of options. The country's clean lakes and coastal areas are ideal for swimming, and the cleanest lakes in Europe include several in the Dutch region. Alternatively, you could plan a trip around the designer beach club pop-ups that appear along the Dutch coast each summer.
Other European rail deals
The Netherlands is not the only European country offering affordable rail travel this summer. In Germany, Deutsche Bahn's Super Sparpreis Last Minute initiative offers fares as low as €6.99 for second-class intercity trains on Saturdays and Sundays, for trips booked the following week. The offer runs until September. In Spain, Renfe's Spain Rail Pass allows non-residents to choose a set number of journeys on AVE high-speed trains or regional routes, with access to World Heritage cities like Toledo, Cuenca, Segovia, and Ávila, as well as destinations like Granada and Córdoba. In the United Kingdom, the BritRail Great Britain Pass offers flexible or consecutive travel on National Rail services across England, Scotland, and Wales, with prices starting at €141.
For those who prefer group travel, companies like WeRoad are tapping into the trend of group travel as a cure for loneliness, offering curated trips across Europe. Meanwhile, the rise of "coolcations"—holidays in cooler destinations—is reshaping summer travel patterns, as highlighted in European Summer Travel in 2026.
The NS Flex Dal Vrij subscription is a practical way to experience the Netherlands' dense network of cities, countryside, and coastline without breaking the bank. With the country's efficient rail system and the pass's generous off-peak hours, it is an ideal tool for slow travel enthusiasts.
