NS Railrunner for train trips with kids: EUR 2.50 a day for ages 4 to 11 and free under 4; travelling 3 days or more this autumn break, set up the free Kids Vrij first

Taking the children on the train in the autumn break, many international parents assume at first that kids pay half or even full fare. NS, the Dutch railway, actually has two options for young children, and the only difference is whether you set up a card first. Railrunner is an all-day ticket for children aged 4 to 11 at EUR 2.50 a day, valid from 00:00 until 04:00 the next morning, also at peak times, and on other train operators within the Netherlands and the domestic stretches of ICE and Intercity direct without any supplement; children under 4 need no ticket at all. The other is Kids Vrij: a child with their own personal OV-chipkaart adds this free product and then travels free with anyone aged 12 or over who has a valid ticket. It suits families taking the train several times this holiday; the next step is to count how many days your child will travel.

• The rules of each option: Railrunner is sold in the NS app, online and at station ticket machines; the e-ticket carries the child's name and cannot be changed or refunded; in 2nd class a child may travel alone, in 1st class an adult with a 1st-class ticket must come along, with at most 3 children per adult. Kids Vrij requires the child to travel in the same class and on the same route as the companion, at most 3 children per companion; the child checks in and out with their own card, and it stops automatically at the 12th birthday.
• Work out which pays: Railrunner cost = 2.50 x travel days x children aged 4 to 11; Kids Vrij costs 0 per trip once there is a personal OV-chipkaart. One NS page says a personal card can currently be ordered free, another says a card can be bought for EUR 7.50 when ordering; if you pay EUR 7.50, then 7.50 / 2.50 = 3, so from the third travel day Kids Vrij beats Railrunner, and every extra day saves another EUR 2.50.
• If you also have older children: there is no child fare for ages 12 to 17, but NS lets them switch on NS Flex Dal Voordeel for free, giving 40% off on weekdays 09:00 to 16:00, after 18:30 and all weekend; adults pay EUR 6.35 a month for the same product. A family day on the train = adults x fare + ages 12-17 x fare x 0.6 + ages 4-11 x 2.50 (0 with Kids Vrij). Note that the Groepsticket Daluren for 2 to 7 people only counts travellers aged 12 and over, so young children cannot make up the group.
• Before you go: Kids Vrij ordered together with a new card takes up to a week to arrive, while a child with an existing personal card can collect the product at a ticket machine within one working day, so order early; Kids Vrij is a yearly contract that can be cancelled monthly after the first year. Railrunner is not valid on Nightjet or Eurostar, and for Belgium or Germany the adult needs an international ticket. NS has several engineering works during the autumn break, so check the day's route in the NS app before you set off.

Hokimi field note: if your child only takes the train once or twice this holiday, just buy Railrunner; if you often take the train at weekends, set up the personal OV-chipkaart and Kids Vrij a week ahead and you will not need a ticket for a 4 to 11 year old for a whole year. Sources: source 1, source 2, source 3, source 4, source 5, checked on 2026-09-30.