Train stations in The Hague

Use Den Haag Centraal for the city centre and the museums. Den Haag HS is the stop for the Rotterdam and Eindhoven Intercity and the night trains.

Which station to use in The Hague

Most visitors should use Den Haag Centraal. It is the city's main station and sits close to the centre, so the Binnenhof, the museums and the main shopping streets are within easy reach. Pick it as your destination in the journey planner and let the app do the rest.

The Hague has a second major station, Den Haag HS, short for Hollands Spoor. It catches people out. Some trains never touch Centraal, so a ticket to "The Hague" can leave you at a different station from the one you planned for.

Centraal and HS: what stops where

Three services matter here.

The Intercity between Eindhoven, Tilburg, Breda, Rotterdam Centraal, Delft and The Hague stops at Den Haag HS. If you come from Rotterdam or Delft on this train, HS is where it stops.

The night trains also use HS. They run every night, about once an hour, from Rotterdam via The Hague HS, Leiden, Schiphol and Amsterdam Centraal to Utrecht Centraal. A ticket costs the same as in the daytime.

The Intercity direct, the fast train between the big cities, does not serve The Hague at all. It links Amersfoort, Amsterdam Zuid, Schiphol, Rotterdam Centraal and Breda. Do not board it expecting to reach either Hague station. Choose a regular Intercity or Sprinter instead.

Everything else is simpler. For Schiphol, Leiden and Amsterdam, enter Den Haag Centraal as your destination and follow what the planner gives you. Sprinters stop at every station, so they take longer than Intercity trains. That suits short hops, such as Delft or Rotterdam, but not a tight connection.

Journey times to The Hague

All four of the main routes into The Hague run direct, with no change. Times are typical, and a Sprinter takes longer than an Intercity.

Amsterdam and Rotterdam each have well over 100 trains a day. Fares are one-way second class and are cheapest as an e-ticket bought online. Which Hague station you arrive at depends on the train, so read the final station on the screen or in the planner.

Trains from Brussels and beyond

Brussels to Den Haag Centraal is one change and a little over two hours at the fastest. Fares start around €25 on NS International.

The Eurostar between London and Amsterdam stops at Rotterdam, not The Hague, so a ticket to The Hague from London involves one change. From Germany the same applies: Berlin to The Hague is one change.

From the station into the city

Den Haag Centraal is the better base for the historic centre. Tram 9 runs from Centraal to the beach at Scheveningen and stops at the Kurhaus. Expect about 15 to 20 minutes.

Hollands Spoor has its own tram stops. Tram 1 runs from HS to the Kurhaus, and tram 11 goes to Scheveningen Haven. If you are staying near HS, the beach is a simple ride with no change.

Trams and buses in The Hague are run by HTM. It accepts contactless bank cards and the OV-chipkaart, so you can tap in at the tram door without buying a separate ticket.

Other stations in The Hague

The Hague has six stations: Den Haag Centraal, Den Haag HS, Den Haag Laan van Nieuw Oost Indie, Den Haag Mariahoeve, Den Haag Moerwijk and Den Haag Ypenburg. The last four are smaller local stops. They matter only if your hotel or address is beside one of them, in which case enter that station by name in the planner rather than searching for The Hague.

Tickets and fares

Local NS trains run on the OV-chipkaart system and OVpay. Hold a contactless bank card or a phone against the yellow gates and posts to tap in at the start and out at the end. If you forget to tap out, you pay a standard correction fare for the journey.

Fares for the main routes are in the journey times table above. Interrail and Eurail passes are valid on NS Intercity and Sprinter trains.

Practical tips

Look at the final station on the platform screen before boarding in Rotterdam. A train that ends at Den Haag HS is not the same as one that continues to Den Haag Centraal.

Late at night, the hourly night train is the option home, and it calls at Den Haag HS rather than Centraal. If your hotel is near Centraal, plan the last leg by tram. HTM runs the tram network, and both stations have stops right outside.

Buy or top up an OV-chipkaart at the OV Service & Tickets shops at Den Haag Centraal or Den Haag HS if you prefer a card to tapping a phone.