Getting EU coins -- before our VOV arrival in Rotterdam

[Alex88]

This thread does seem to be "Rotterdam specific" so not sure your post will apply...at least not based on our own experience. The last time we tried using the ticket vending machines at the Rotterdam train station....they would not accept any of our US-issued cards...including those with chips and one with a chip/PIN that normally works around Europe. The only way we could purchase a ticket was to go upstairs to the ticket office and pay in Euros (cash). Perhaps the Dutch have recently upgraded their ticket vending machines.....but that is not something we would count on :).

 

Hank

 

Hank, how long ago?

 

Regards

 

Alex

[jertom]

 

Btw, any US checking debitcard with the Visa or Mastercard logo would work as well at our machines if you know the cards pin.

 

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Sounds good. So I should feel comfortable that I could use my debit card, also known as ATM card, to buy tickets?

[Alex88]

Sounds good. So I should feel comfortable that I could use my debit card, also known as ATM card, to buy tickets?

 

Absolutely as long as it has the visa or mastercard logo and you know the pin number for your debit card.

[OlsSalt]

Fodor's now weighs in on this confusing Dutch Train ticket clown car with even more conflicting advice about using any sort of card (except accepted Dutch bank cards): http://www.fodors.com/community/europe/purchasing-train-tickets-from-machine-with-foreign-credit-card.cfm

 

Getting the right EU coins still seems like the best bet. But a Dutch train day ticket costs EU58 - that is a lot of coins. Except if you can find discounted day tickets in various shopping locations .............

[Wehwalt]

I would suggest one of the following:

 

A local coin shop. I had a dealer from whom I bought foreign exchange (coins) at a slight discount and lugged them to the destination. That's become too much of a bother these days. Some dealers may stock the 2 euro commemorative coins that are collected by some.

 

Second, although the front desk may not keep coins normally, some ships I've been on accept bills and coins for the crew welfare fund. It's possible that an exchange could be worked.

 

Third, vending machines are pretty widespread in the Netherlands. They take small euro notes. Buy a candy bar.

Edited June 28, 2017 by Wehwalt

[cruisemom42]

Fodor's now weighs in on this confusing Dutch Train ticket clown car with even more conflicting advice about using any sort of card (except accepted Dutch bank cards): http://www.fodors.com/community/europe/purchasing-train-tickets-from-machine-with-foreign-credit-card.cfm

 

 

Hmmm, my takeaway from that thread is that a true chip and pin card should work. The person who mentioned a Dutch bank card was talking about using iDeal to purchase tickets online.

 

Edited to add: Someone also mentioned a possible limit to the number of coins the machine would accept per transaction. If you are looking at a 58 euro ticket, even coins may not be an option for you.

[OlsSalt]

Hmmm, my takeaway from that thread is that a true chip and pin card should work. The person who mentioned a Dutch bank card was talking about using iDeal to purchase tickets online.

 

Edited to add: Someone also mentioned a possible limit to the number of coins the machine would accept per transaction. If you are looking at a 58 euro ticket, even coins may not be an option for you.

 

Since this got so cray-cray, we are now looking at a 3 Day Benelux Eurail Pass ordered online upfront - discounts for two seniors traveling together - we use it for two days and come out pretty much on par with two day Dutch Rail tickets and get two extra countries - for those who do like passive train travel in small countries. ;p

 

That way we can chase the infamous weather around until we find what we like. Start out running the first day, maybe an overnight in Luxembourg and then back home again. Possibilities for total Benelux saturation are endless.

[kazu]

I really think this is getting more complicated than it need be.

 

We bought our train tickets out of Rotterdam on line. No problem (but, we were going to Paris).

 

If the ticket is 58 euros and if the machine will take bills, then why not just forego the change? Not sure if that is possible, but that will be a lot cheaper than buying a coffee at Rotterdam train station (coffee there is NOT cheap).

 

The other option is the chipcard that you can get at a vending machine and use for train travel. https://www.cityguiderotterdam.com/travel/travel-chipcard-rotterdam/

 

btw. Rotterdam train station is fantastic. Lots of people to help and very willing to do so.

 

 

 

Certainly if the OP wants to stay fixated on coins - well and good but there are other options

Edited June 28, 2017 by kazu

[Alex88]

Perhaps just use a debit card (with pin).. or go to the counter. We are working on accepting creditcards on our website to buy e-tickets and expect this to be implemented in Q3 or Q4.

 

In the meanwhile you could use the b-europe site, you only need to know the dates you want to take the train, the time is not required if you are booking regular intercity (IC) trains. Even while you need to select a time on the website the fare condition is: Ticket valid for any conventional train on the requested route during the whole validity period of the ticket.

[taxmantoo]

Certainly if the OP wants to stay fixated on coins - well and good but there are other options

 

Couldn`t agree more! I frankly think 59 posts on `how to buy a train ticket` is overkill. More time has been spent analyzing this than will actually take to buy the ticket. ;) Probably took less time to actually book the cruise!