The Hague Public Transport Guide 2026: Trams, Buses, and OV-Chipkaart Explained

Last verified: 30 September 2026. Every fare, card price and check-in rule below was checked against htm.nl and ov-chipkaart.nl on that date. Fares change each January, so treat the operator’s own page, linked in the sources at the bottom, as the final word.

The Hague is easy to cross by tram and bus, but the way you pay changed in 2026 and a lot of older advice is now wrong. This guide covers the HTM trams and buses, the trains, what a ride costs, and what is left of the OV-chipkaart.

How to Pay: OVpay First, the OV-Chipkaart Is Being Phased Out

You no longer need a travel card to ride in The Hague. There are three ways to pay, and the first one needs no preparation at all.

OVpay with your own bank card (easiest). Hold your contactless debit card, credit card or phone against the card reader when you board and again when you get off. You do not have to sign up first. HTM states that you pay the same fare as with an OV-chipkaart and that there are no extra costs. Always check in and out with the same card or the same device, and note that one card is the ticket for one person only.

The OV-pas. This is the successor to the OV-chipkaart, a card you load with credit yourself. It costs €6, is valid for up to five years, and is sold on ovpay.nl, in the OVpay app, at HTM service shops and at Primera shops. It is the option for people who do not want to travel on a bank card.

The OV-chipkaart. Since 1 July 2026 you can no longer buy an anonymous OV-chipkaart. If you already have one, you can keep using it for now. A personal OV-chipkaart costs €7.50 and is ordered on ov-chipkaart.nl; some subscriptions still need it. If you are arriving now, there is no reason to go looking for the old card.

Checking In and Out

The rules are the same for a bank card, an OV-pas and an OV-chipkaart:

• Check in when you board and check out when you leave, every time, on every tram and bus.
• When you change vehicles, check out and check in again. If less than 35 minutes pass between checking out of one HTM tram or bus and checking in on the next, you pay the base fare only once.
• If you forget to check out, you pay the full boarding fare of €4.00 instead of the price of your ride. With OVpay you can correct a missed check-out on ovpay.nl or in the OVpay app and get the difference back. With an OV-chipkaart you do this on uitcheckgemist.nl.
• An OV-chipkaart needs a balance of at least €0 to check in on HTM, so it must not be in the negative.

What a Ride Costs in 2026

With OVpay, an OV-pas or an OV-chipkaart you pay for the distance you travel: a base fare of €1.16 per journey plus €0.201 per kilometre. Children aged 4 to 11 and passengers aged 65 and over travel at a reduced rate of €0.77 plus €0.133 per kilometre, after registering for the discount. HTM has announced that the discount for passengers aged 65 and over ends on 1 January 2027.

If you prefer a fixed price, HTM sells these tickets:

• HTM 2-hour ticket: €4.85
• HTM day ticket: €8.60
• HTM 3-day ticket: €22.00
• Kids day ticket: €1.50
• Night bus ticket: €6.50

HTM Trams: The Backbone of The Hague

HTM runs 13 tram lines. Three of them, lines 3, 4 and 34, run to Zoetermeer as RandstadRail. The lines most newcomers use first:

• Tram 1: Scheveningen to Delft Tanthof through the city centre. The line for a beach day or a trip to Delft.
• Tram 9: Scheveningen Noord to Vrederust, through the city centre.
• Tram 11: Scheveningen Haven to Hollands Spoor station.
• Tram 15: Centraal Station to Nootdorp.
• Tram 17: Statenkwartier to Wateringen via Centraal Station.

Most lines run every 10 to 15 minutes in the daytime and less often in the evening. Timetables change during roadworks, so check the HTM app or the timetable on htm.nl for your own stop.

HTM Buses and Night Buses

Where trams do not go, HTM buses do, and you pay in the same way. On Friday and Saturday nights six night buses, N1 to N6, leave from Den Haag Centraal for Scheveningen, Wassenaar, Poeldijk, Rijswijk, Delft and Zoetermeer. According to HTM, half of the lines start at 01:00 and the other half at 02:00, and they leave every two hours through the night. A night bus ticket costs €6.50. You can buy it in the HTM app or travel with OVpay.

NS Trains: Regional Connections

The Hague has two main train stations:

Den Haag Centraal is the terminal station in the city centre, with direct trains to Amsterdam, Utrecht, Rotterdam and Schiphol Airport. Allow about 30 minutes to Schiphol and Rotterdam and about 50 minutes to Amsterdam, and check the NS planner for your train.

Den Haag Hollands Spoor (HS) is the older through-station south of the centre, on the line between Amsterdam, Leiden, Delft and Rotterdam. Tram 11 and other lines link it to the centre.

You can check in for the train at the station gates with the same bank card you use on the tram. If you take the train often, an NS Flex subscription gives you a discount; prices change, so check the current rates on the NS site before you sign up.

RandstadRail: Light Rail to Zoetermeer and Rotterdam

RandstadRail lines 3, 4 and 34 connect The Hague with Zoetermeer. Metro line E runs from Den Haag Centraal to Rotterdam. You check in and out in the same way as on a tram.

Subscriptions for Regular Travellers

HTM Maandkorting gives 20% off your HTM journeys for €5.00 a month. Regio Vrij is a monthly pass for unlimited bus, tram and metro travel inside the area you choose; in 2026 it costs between €63 and €304 a month at the full rate, depending on how large that area is.

Cycling is still the cheapest way to get around, as explained in our Dutch cycling culture guide. Many locals combine a bike with the occasional tram or train.

Accessibility

The low-floor trams on lines 2, 9, 11, 15, 16 and 17 have a level entrance with no step up. Not every tram on the other lines is step-free, so check the HTM journey planner before you travel if you need level boarding.

Final Tips for Newcomers

Never travel without checking in. Since 1 October 2025 the fine for travelling without a valid ticket is €70, and at HTM you pay €76 including the fare. Use the HTM app or 9292 for route planning and live departures.

New in the city? Our guide to registering at The Hague municipality covers the first step after you arrive.

Sources and verification

Every fare, card price and check-in rule on this page was checked against the operator’s own page on 30 September 2026. Train travel times are approximate; the NS planner has the exact times.

• OV-chipkaart.nl: travelling with the OV-chipkaart and the switch to OVpay (no anonymous OV-chipkaart for sale from 1 July 2026, existing cards still work)
• HTM: travelling with the OV-chipkaart (check-in and check-out, 35-minute transfer rule, €4 boarding fare, minimum balance, personal card €7.50, anonymous card replaced by the OV-pas)
• HTM: OVpay with your bank card (which cards work, same fare, one card per person) and missed check-out with OVpay
• HTM: the OV-pas (price €6, validity, where to buy)
• HTM: fares 2026 (base fare, fare per kilometre, reduced rate, tickets, Maandkorting, Regio Vrij)
• HTM: night bus (nights, start times, ticket price)
• HTM: timetables (tram lines and their end points) and HTM: trams (13 tram lines)
• HTM: fine increase from 1 October 2025 (€70, €76 including the fare)