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Leiden Central

Leiden, Zuid-Holland, Netherlands

The Leiden Central Train Station (Leiden Centraal in Dutch) is the main train station for the city of Leiden. It's one train stop away from Schipol (the main Amsterdam airport), and is quite easy to get to from there.

The trains in the Netherlands are all quite nice and easy to use. Tickets are checked occasionally, but not always. The rail system is currently in the process of upgrading their ticketing practices, so this will likely change in the near future. As of the time of writing, railway employees occasionally come around from car to car checking (and stamping) everybody's ticket. If you don't have a valid ticket, you must pay a prohibitive fine.

The Leiden Centraal station has a couple restaurants, including a cafe, a small grocery store, Burger King and La Place.

Purchasing Tickets

Ticket purchasing machines

Tickets are purchased from large yellow machines. At Schipol airport, the machines accept coins, bills, and credit cards. At Leiden Centraal, the machines only accept coins! During one visit, I didn't have enough change, and I was there early in the morning before the ticket counter opened. I had to convince someone to purchase a ticket for me, and pay them with a bill. Although everyone spoke English, it took awhile to find someone who was willing to help me. She was from Sweeden - not a local.

During business hours, the ticket counter is open, and tickets can be purchased with bills. Tickets purchased from the ticket counter have a €0.50 convenience fee added. Tickets can not be purchased with credit cards anywhere in this station. I would recommend purchasing an "Open" ticket from Schipol (the airport) when you're there, if you want to get back. (Keep in mind that if you purchase an open ticket, you must stick it in a smaller yellow machine to stamp the date on it when you want to use it. If you don't, you will get fined if your ticket is checked.)

Cost

The cost of rail travel in the Netherlands is quite affordable. As of the time of writing, it cost €5.20 to get from Schipol airport to Leiden Centraal.