Getting Around Den Haag: Everything I Wish Someone Had Told Me
I arrived in Den Haag from London. In London the transport system is incomprehensible in a way you eventually learn to navigate by instinct. In Den Haag, it is actually logical, but nobody explains it to you and there are a few things that will cost you money and dignity if you don’t know them in advance.
The OV-Chipkaart: Start Here
The OV-chipkaart is the card you need for all public transport in the Netherlands. Not just Den Haag — all of it. There are two versions: anonymous (buy at any station or supermarket for about €7.50, top up with cash or card) and personal (registered to you, can be recovered if lost). For a short visit, anonymous is fine. For living here, get the personal version.
The critical thing — and this is what catches everyone: you must check in AND check out on every journey. Tap the card reader when you board the tram. Tap it again when you leave. If you forget to check out, you get charged the maximum fare for that line. Do this twice and you’ve paid for a journey to Rotterdam.
Top up at the yellow NS machines at stations, at Albert Heijn, or via the OV-chipkaart app. Minimum balance to travel: €4. Keep it above that.
The HTM Tram Network
Den Haag’s trams are run by HTM and they are, once you understand them, excellent. The lines you’ll use most:
Line 1: runs from Delft through the city centre out to Scheveningen. The most useful single line in the city. It goes past Centraal, through the centre, past the Binnenhof area, and ends at the beach. Memorise this one.
Line 9: connects the Laakhaven/Wijnhaven area to the city centre. Useful if you’re visiting the creative quarter or coming from that direction.
Line 17: runs through the residential west side and connects to Centrum. Less tourist-relevant but useful if you’re staying in that area.
The trams run frequently — every 8-12 minutes on main lines during the day. After midnight, they stop. Night buses exist but are infrequent. If you’re out late, check the last tram time or plan for a taxi.
The Two Stations: Don’t Get This Wrong
Den Haag has two main train stations. This confused me for the first six months.
Den Haag Centraal: the main station. Most intercity trains to Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Utrecht leave from here. Also the main HTM tram hub. This is your default.
Den Haag HS (Hollands Spoor): a bit south of the centre, on a different rail line. Some trains to Rotterdam and Belgium leave from here rather than Centraal. Also has the Randstadrail connection. Check your ticket — it will specify which station.
Randstadrail: The Regional Connector
Randstadrail is the metro/light rail system that connects Den Haag to Zoetermeer (east) and Rotterdam (south). For visitors, the Rotterdam connection is the relevant one. It’s faster than the train for getting to Rotterdam Centraal and costs the same as an HTM tram journey rather than a separate intercity ticket. Takes about 35 minutes. Departs from HS, not Centraal.
Day Trips: What Everything Costs
From Den Haag Centraal by train: Amsterdam (50 min, €16-18 single), Rotterdam (25 min, €6-8 single), Delft (12 min, €3-4 single — or cycle, it’s 12km). Leiden (15 min, €5). These prices are off-peak. Peak hour adds €2-3.
Delft is the day trip most people miss. It’s genuinely beautiful and almost no international visitors realise how close it is. Twelve minutes by train. More atmospheric than central Den Haag, cheaper coffee.
The Thing Everyone Gets Wrong
Checking out of the tram. I have seen people who have lived here for years still occasionally forget. The card readers are at the doors. The beep when you check out is different from the beep when you check in. When in doubt, tap anyway. The penalty for forgetting is not enormous but it’s annoying and avoidable.
