Getting Around Den Haag: Everything I Wish Someone Had Told Me
I arrived from London with experience of the Tube, the Overground, and four years of navigating the Brussels Metro. I thought I knew how public transport worked. Den Haag taught me I did not.
The OV-chipkaart: get one before you need it
The OV-chipkaart is a rechargeable travel card that works on all Dutch public transport: trams, buses, metro, trains. You can get a personal card (linked to your name and bank account, required for subscriptions) or an anonymous card (from machines in any station or large supermarket, works immediately).
For a visitor: get the anonymous card from a machine at Den Haag Centraal. Costs €7.50 for the card itself, then load credit. You need at least €4 credit to start a journey.
The critical thing: you must check in AND check out. Hold your card to the reader at the start of your journey and at the end. If you forget to check out, the system charges the maximum fare for that line. This happens to everyone once. After that you remember.
HTM trams: the lines that matter
The HTM (Haagse Tram Maatschappij) runs Den Haag’s tram network. The city is compact enough that trams cover almost everything worth going to.
The lines you will use most: Tram 1 and 9 run east-west through the centre. Tram 11 goes to Scheveningen. Tram 17 connects Statenkwartier to the centre. The 16 connects Leyenburg to the centre via the Zuiderpark.
Trams run frequently during the day — every 7–10 minutes on main lines. After midnight the frequency drops significantly. If you are out late in Den Haag, budget for a taxi or rideshare home or know where the night bus stops.
The two stations
Den Haag has two main stations and this confuses people unnecessarily. Den Haag Centraal (CS) is the main hub — intercity trains to Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Utrecht, international connections. Den Haag Holland Spoor (HS) is ten minutes’ walk away and serves different train lines — including the direct train to Rotterdam which is sometimes faster from HS than CS.
Most of the time you want CS. But if you are going to Rotterdam, check which station your specific train departs from.
Randstadrail
The Randstadrail is a light rail system connecting Den Haag to Zoetermeer (line E), Delft and Rotterdam (line 3/4). It uses the same OV-chipkaart as the trams. Line 3 and 4 from CS to Rotterdam via Delft takes about 35 minutes and is a pleasant alternative to the intercity train.
Cycling
Den Haag is a cycling city. If you are staying more than a few days, rent a bike. The cycle infrastructure is excellent and most of the city is flat. The Haagse Hogeschool runs an OV-fiets scheme (shared bikes at train stations) if you have a Dutch bank account. Otherwise, several rental shops in the centre offer day rates from around €10–12.
Day trips by public transport
Amsterdam from Den Haag CS: about 50 minutes, intercity, runs every 15 minutes. Single ticket around €14–17 depending on time. Rotterdam from Den Haag CS: 25 minutes, runs constantly. Delft: 10 minutes from CS, or take the Randstadrail for a more scenic route. The beach (Scheveningen): tram 11, about 25 minutes from the centre, included in your OV-chipkaart fare.
