Skip to main content
Answer

IJmuiden to Gent-Dampoort

  • November 12, 2025
  • 5 replies
  • 58 views
N
Full steam ahead
Forum|alt.badge.img+1

Travelling on a 4 day 1st class pass on Thursday 20th November. Ferry arrives at IJmuiden at 9.45. Any recommendations for how to travel to Gent-Dampoort reservation free?

There are engineering works between Uitgeest and Santpoort-Noord with a bus replacement service and so I was thinking that we’d start at Santpoort-Noord. 
NS suggests Santpoort-Noord to Haarlam to Rotterdam Central to Antwerp to Gent. 
Travel planner suggests Santpoort-Nord to Amsterdam Sloterdijk to Schiphol Airport to Antwerp to Gent 

DB all include EuroStar which we didn’t want to use. 
Fortunately we are not in a hurry but would appreciate anyone’s ideas on how best to do this day’s travel. Many thanks 

 

Best answer by Marvin Heer

Are you just looking for alternative connections to the eurostar or also for recommendation on which of the citys to visit on the way. (DB also shows the other connections if you turn of the setting “show fastest route”, this can often be helpfull).

Both of your listed routes make sense. So just take whichever connection comes fits better from the time you arrive at the station.

As there is no supplement on the Eurocitydirect from Schipol if you take it from there to antwerp.

A tip for the ticket gates in the netherlands is that you have to turn of the NFC of your phone if you show the ticket qr code from your phone. (atleast if you also have a nfc ticket or something else active) As the gate otherwise complains about ticket being presented at the same time.

NewcastleTourists

    5 replies

    M
    Keeps calm and carries on
    Forum|alt.badge.img
    • Marvin Heer
    • Keeps calm and carries on
    • Answer
    • November 12, 2025

    Are you just looking for alternative connections to the eurostar or also for recommendation on which of the citys to visit on the way. (DB also shows the other connections if you turn of the setting “show fastest route”, this can often be helpfull).

    Both of your listed routes make sense. So just take whichever connection comes fits better from the time you arrive at the station.

    As there is no supplement on the Eurocitydirect from Schipol if you take it from there to antwerp.

    A tip for the ticket gates in the netherlands is that you have to turn of the NFC of your phone if you show the ticket qr code from your phone. (atleast if you also have a nfc ticket or something else active) As the gate otherwise complains about ticket being presented at the same time.

    N
    Full steam ahead
    Forum|alt.badge.img+1

    Thanks ​@Marvin Heer for looking at this. We are not planning any stops except lunch along the way, maybe in Antwerp as the station itself looks grand. 

    NewcastleTourists
    Z
    Engin-ius
    Forum|alt.badge.img+7
    • zagmund
    • Engin-ius
    • November 12, 2025

    Thanks ​@Marvin Heer for looking at this. We are not planning any stops except lunch along the way, maybe in Antwerp as the station itself looks grand. 

    I can recommend the station cafe in Antwerp.  I’m not sure how it compares to other places nearby, but it’s certainly an impressive setting for a quick bite and a coffee.

    N
    R
    Railmaster
    Forum|alt.badge.img+10
    • rvdborgt
    • Railmaster
    • November 12, 2025

    A tip for the ticket gates in the netherlands is that you have to turn of the NFC of your phone if you show the ticket qr code from your phone. (atleast if you also have a nfc ticket or something else active) As the gate otherwise complains about ticket being presented at the same time.

    The Rail Planner app suppresses NFC when you show the barcode, so it's not necessary to turn NFC off manually.

    Please ask questions in the community and not via a private message. That's the quickest way to get a response. I don't work for Eurail/Interrail.
    N
    kupfers
    M
    S
    Full steam ahead
    Forum|alt.badge.img

    A tip for the ticket gates in the netherlands is that you have to turn of the NFC of your phone if you show the ticket qr code from your phone. (atleast if you also have a nfc ticket or something else active) As the gate otherwise complains about ticket being presented at the same time.

    If I use QR-codes on Dutch ticket gates on my phone, I found that if you approach the code very slowly towards the reader there is a point where it can already read the code but is not yet in the NFC range. So there’s no error message and the gates open.

    Terms and Conditions & Privacy PolicyAccessibility statement