Dutch travel and transport vocabulary
To travel in Dutch is reizen, a trip is de reis, and the words you'll use most are de trein (train), de fiets (bike), het kaartje (ticket) and het spoor (track, i.e. platform number). The Netherlands runs on public transport and bicycles, so this is daily vocabulary rather than phrasebook filler. Below are the words for trains, buses, bikes, airports and hotels with articles and plurals, the key travel verbs, ready-made phrases, and the station announcements you'll actually hear.
Modes of transport
| Dutch | Article | Plural | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| trein | de | treinen | train |
| bus | de | bussen | bus |
| tram | de | trams | tram |
| metro | de | metro's | metro / underground |
| auto | de | auto's | car |
| fiets | de | fietsen | bicycle |
| brommer | de | brommers | moped |
| taxi | de | taxi's | taxi |
| vliegtuig | het | vliegtuigen | aeroplane |
| boot | de | boten | boat |
| veerboot | de | veerboten | ferry |
| schip | het | schepen | ship |
| vrachtwagen | de | vrachtwagens | lorry / truck |
At the station
Het station, het perron and het spoor are all het-words — and het spoor (track) is what you listen for, since Dutch announcements give the platform by track number. To travel you buy een enkele reis (one way) or een retour (return), and you change trains with the verb overstappen.
| Dutch | Article | Plural | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| station | het | stations | station |
| perron | het | perrons | platform |
| spoor | het | sporen | track / platform no. |
| kaartje | het | kaartjes | ticket |
| kaartautomaat | de | kaartautomaten | ticket machine |
| reiziger | de | reizigers | traveller / passenger |
| conducteur | de | conducteurs | conductor |
| dienstregeling | de | dienstregelingen | timetable |
| vertraging | de | vertragingen | delay |
| aansluiting | de | aansluitingen | connection |
| bestemming | de | bestemmingen | destination |
| halte | de | haltes | stop (bus / tram) |
| spits | de | — | rush hour |
Paying for public transport in the Netherlands runs on the OV-chipkaart and, increasingly, contactless bank cards (branded OVpay). The system is check-in, check-out: you tap in when you board and tap out when you leave, or you're charged the full fare. The verbs are inchecken and uitchecken.
Travel verbs
Many travel verbs are separable, so the prefix jumps to the end of a main clause: Ik stap in Utrecht over (I change trains in Utrecht). See separable verbs. Note also that rijden covers driving and riding, while lopen means to walk (not to run, which is rennen).
| Dutch | English |
|---|---|
| reizen | to travel |
| vertrekken — De trein vertrekt om 8.15 uur. | to depart — The train leaves at 8:15. |
| aankomen — We komen om tien uur aan. | to arrive — We arrive at ten. |
| overstappen | to change (trains, buses) |
| instappen / uitstappen | to get on / to get off |
| inchecken / uitchecken | to check in / to check out (card, hotel, flight) |
| rijden | to drive / to ride |
| fietsen | to cycle |
| vliegen | to fly |
| lopen | to walk |
| de trein missen | to miss the train |
| boeken / reserveren | to book / to reserve |
| ophalen — Ik haal je op van het station. | to pick up — I'll pick you up from the station. |
Everything on a bike
You cannot function in the Netherlands without bike vocabulary. De fiets is a whole ecosystem: dedicated paths (het fietspad), guarded parking (de fietsenstalling) and the rental bikes at every station (de OV-fiets).
| Dutch | Article | Plural | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| fietspad | het | fietspaden | bike path |
| fietsenstalling | de | fietsenstallingen | bike parking |
| slot | het | sloten | lock |
| band | de | banden | tyre |
| stuur | het | sturen | handlebar |
| zadel | het | zadels | saddle |
| bel | de | bellen | bell |
| rem | de | remmen | brake |
| ketting | de | kettingen | chain |
| bakfiets | de | bakfietsen | cargo bike |
A flat tyre is een lekke band — a phrase you will need sooner or later.
Airport and hotel
| Dutch | Article | Plural | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| luchthaven | de | luchthavens | airport |
| vlucht | de | vluchten | flight |
| bagage | de | — (uncount.) | luggage |
| koffer | de | koffers | suitcase |
| paspoort | het | paspoorten | passport |
| instapkaart | de | instapkaarten | boarding pass |
| hotel | het | hotels | hotel |
| receptie | de | recepties | reception |
| reservering | de | reserveringen | reservation |
| overnachting | de | overnachtingen | overnight stay |
Decoding a Dutch station announcement. A typical NS announcement runs: “De intercity naar Utrecht Centraal vertrekt over enkele ogenblikken van spoor 5.” — “The intercity to Utrecht Centraal departs in a few moments from track 5.” When something's wrong you'll hear “heeft een vertraging van tien minuten” (is running ten minutes late) and the stock apology “onze excuses voor het ongemak” (our apologies for the inconvenience). Wegens werkzaamheden means “due to engineering works”.
More station announcements
Beyond the departure call above, a handful of phrases cover most disruptions on Dutch trains and platforms.
| Dutch | English |
|---|---|
| Er is een spoorwijziging. | There is a platform change. |
| De trein naar Zwolle vertrekt van spoor 7b. | The train to Zwolle departs from platform 7b. |
| Deze trein rijdt niet. | This train is not running. |
| De trein is vervallen. | The train has been cancelled. |
| Het voorste treindeel gaat naar Enschede. | The front part of the train goes to Enschede. |
| Het achterste treindeel gaat naar Groningen. | The rear part of the train goes to Groningen. |
| Er rijden bussen in plaats van treinen. | Buses replace trains. |
| Volgende halte: Centraal Station. | Next stop: Central Station. |
Useful travel phrases
These are polite enough for any situation. Staff will often switch to English; replying in Dutch usually keeps the conversation in Dutch.
| Dutch | English |
|---|---|
| Een enkele reis naar Amsterdam, alstublieft. | A single to Amsterdam, please. |
| Een retourtje Den Haag, graag. | A return to The Hague, please. |
| Van welk spoor vertrekt de trein naar Rotterdam? | Which platform does the train to Rotterdam leave from? |
| Moet ik overstappen? | Do I have to change? |
| Is deze plaats vrij? | Is this seat free? |
| Hoe laat gaat de laatste trein? | What time is the last train? |
| Waar is de bushalte? | Where is the bus stop? |
| Stopt deze bus bij het station? | Does this bus stop at the station? |
| Ik heb een lekke band. | I have a flat tyre. |
| Ik heb een kamer gereserveerd op naam van Smith. | I've booked a room in the name of Smith. |
| Is het ontbijt inbegrepen? | Is breakfast included? |
| Hoe laat moet ik uitchecken? | What time do I have to check out? |
| Goede reis! | Have a good trip! |
Belgium: the rail operator is the NMBS (SNCB in French), not the NS, and the travel smartcard is the MOBIB rather than the OV-chipkaart. In everyday Flemish a bike is often de velo (from French) alongside de fiets, and a lorry is de camion.
Frequently asked questions
How do you say travel in Dutch?
The verb is reizen and a trip or journey is de reis (plural reizen). A traveller is de reiziger, and “Have a good trip!” is Goede reis!
What is the Dutch word for ticket?
For trains, buses and events the everyday word is het kaartje; het ticket is also common, especially for flights and concerts. Official texts say het vervoersbewijs.
What is the difference between spoor and perron?
Het perron is the physical platform; het spoor is the track, and Dutch stations number their departures by track: spoor 5. Listen for spoor in announcements.
How do you pay for public transport in the Netherlands?
You check in when you board and check out when you leave (inchecken and uitchecken), using the OV-chipkaart or a contactless bank card. If you forget to check out you are charged a higher fare.
How do you say bike in Dutch?
A bike is de fiets, plural fietsen, and to cycle is fietsen. In Flanders you will also hear de velo.
To ask the way and understand the answer — linksaf, rechtdoor, bij het stoplicht — go to asking for directions. For packing, see clothing; for booking a room and ordering on the way, food vocabulary pairs well.