Seeking advice to save on transportation

Hi,

You probably do not need to stay as far away as Hoorn to find cheap accommodation. Assendelft would be better than Hoorn in my opinion, but I also see some affordable hotels in Zaandam, which would be more convenient.

Fares from Paris to Rotterdam or Amsterdam are typically not very different. You should book in advance for best prices.
I am not aware of any way to reduce the price of local trains / buses in Holland. It is not that high anyway.

And the cheapest way to Brussels is by Intercity train all the way. Cheaper if bought in advance (on NS International), but you can still take any train on the day for which you've bought the ticket.

Just book Paris - Hoorn and Hoorn - Brussels on www.nsinternational.com

For all your other trips you can look up the times and prices on www.ns.nl, and just use OVPay to pay for transport. See ovpay.nl for more info.

There are various options available to tourists to travel by train at a reduced price, but these options depend on the number of people traveling, their ages and the day and time of day you wish to travel. If you give us more information about these above mentioned criteria, we can help you better.

Hi, I have been trying to find accommodation near Amsterdam but the prices are really much more expensive compared to what I got at Hoorn. Hotels are difficult as well as there are 3 of us -- I would have to get 2 rooms at the hotel which makes it more expensive.

I managed to find one at Hoorn at 90€ per night for 3 of us, inclusive of breakfast, and another two at slightly above 110€ at Assendelft. The timing needed to get to Amsterdam Centraal for all 3 are about the same, within 35 min - 60 min. We are okay with this duration. I should mention that the accommodation at Hoorn is a lot closer than the ones at Assendelft. I would need a bus transfer at Assendelft to get to the accommodation.

We are a family of 3, aged M20, F48 and M55. We don't mind travelling on off-peak timings to get the off-peak subscription, except on Day 5 when we wish to get to Keukenhof as early as possible.

Hope this clarifies. Thank you everyone

After going through the 9292 app, I realised that the transport fees if I stayed at Hoorn would be slightly more expensive. I estimate it to be around 5€ more each way. Considering I make a return trip everyday, that would be 10€ per pax per day, which amounts to 180€ in total (or 60€ per pax) in addition to the basic transport cost we would pay from Assendelft.

So the question here is whether we are willing to pay 180€ more for added convenience (due to no additional transfers), and besides we get to explore an additional city (Hoorn) during our trip.

But before we make the decision, we would like to seek advice from the people here, whether you guys think the amount is worth it (I understand that it's subjective), and whether there is any way for us to save on public transport.

there is also the value of time in your holiday. A couple of extra hours commuting from and to Hoorn every day = if you weren't doing that what else would/could you do with that time each day? What value would that have for your expensive holiday - more or less than 180€ ?

Only you can decide.

May I ask…are train fares cheaper if purchased in advance as compared to day of travel?

@Denny; the answer to your question depends on where you want to go to by train.

@Marcusslim; in that case there really aren’t any options to save money on public transport.
With regards to your question about whether or not the €180 is worth it, only you can answer that question. Personally I would never stay out all the way in Hoorn if Amsterdam was the main goal of my trip, time is worth money too. You obviously feel differently about that and that’s okay, because we aren’t all the same.
I however feel that I must warn you about the costs while here. Amsterdam really isn’t a budget destination. Tickets to the major art museums cost €20-€25, the Anne Frank house is €16 etc. The costs of eating and drinking in a cafe or restaurant have also risen quite a lot in the last years.