Train travel from the airport to Haarlem and around the Netherlands for 8 days for family of 4

I am assuming that you are asking the best way to travel from Schipol airport to Haarlem. If so, you can take a train from Schipol to Amsterdam Sloterdijk (10 minutes); then from Amsterdam Sloterdijk to Haarlem (10 minutes). It appears from the schedule that the trains run about every 20 minutes. In total, the trip should average around 30 minutes.

depending on where in Haarlem you may be very happy with the 300 bus which goes straight there.

The Connexxion Bus R-NET 300 is more frequent and takes 40 minutes to Haarlem bus station, next to the train station. and is a bit cheaper.
Find your route at 9292.nl/en

Thank you. Do you know if I can buy a family train/bus pass for the week?

Kathy

We (couple) used Haarlem as our base in the Netherlands. We decided that just buying a return train ticket on the day (eg. to Amsterdam return, to The Hague return) was our most economical option. We didn't travel many times.

As there are four of you, you might find that the off peak group ticket makes more sense. Just model your journeys on the travel planner on the NS website to see how much each option would cost: https://www.ns.nl/en/travel-information

It looks like Bus 300 which would leave the airport to Haarlem is the best way. Does anyone know if there is a visitor center contact number to call?

My basic question is once we land, where do we go at the airport to buy the bus ticket and catch the bus?

And since there are 4 of us and it looks like you could catch an Uber at the airport, is that a feasible option or is the bus just simple? I have been to the area to catch the Hyatt place shuttle and have seen buses there.

the buses are at the door to the outside, above the train station, near the La Place.

I don't believe in Uber so can't help you there. Regular taxis are white and should be easily available. The 300 bus is really easy.

Here is a previous thread: https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/netherlands/bus-300-from-schiphol-airport-to-haarlem-centrum

And as mentioned, the bus stops are just outside the entrance, they are impossible to miss. I don't know where in Haarlem you are going, but an advantage of the bus is that it doesn't get stuck in traffic.

As others have mentioned, the busses are just outside the main Schiphol building with signs pointing you in the right direction. Otherwise, just follow the taxi arrows on the floor and the busses are across from the official taxi rank.

You can still buy paper tickets on the bus (https://www.connexxion.nl/en/tickets/individual-tickets/paper-ticket). Only Mastercard and Visa seem to be accepted (same ones as for OVPay: https://www.ovpay.nl/en/frequently-asked-questions#what-payment-methods-can-i-use-to-check-in-and-out).

Uber is available and believe there is now a special special area for prebooked taxis (noticed it when on the 300 bus to Schiphol airport), although I cannot find it mentioned on the Schiphol.nl website. It may therefore be a bit if a hassle to find the right pickup location.
An official taxi to Haarlem city centre can be around 70 euros (I only take a taxi when arriving too late in the evening for my liking to take the 300 when want to be home [in Haarlem city centre) in 20-25 minutes). Don't take any of taxi from the guys shouting "taxi" or waiving taxi signs.

More info of interest in these threads: https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/transportation/bus-from-schipol-airport-to-haarlem and https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/netherlands/paying-for-amsterdam-public-transit

Thank you everyone for this very helpful information and links.

And from other research, it’s possible to buy paper tickets for the bus. Since we are a family of 4, my great niece does not have her own credit card. And it appears you can’t use one credit card for 4 travelers.

Thank you ALL.

“ And it appears you can’t use one credit card for 4 travelers.”
No but you can use a credit card and Apple/Google Pay. So you tap in with your phone using Google/Apple Pay and you can tap in for your niece with your actual plastic credit card.

Also, using the same credit card, you can tap with the Apple Watch, IPhone, and actual credit card- that covers three people. The #300 bus is comfortable and easy, and inexpensive. It runs about every ten minutes. We just used it three weeks ago.
The RSGuide is outdated on this topic, as this Tap system is relatively new.
The 300 bus stops at the Haarlem train station. You'll have to google to check the other stops along the way.
Safe travels!

Also, using the same credit card, you can tap with the Apple Watch, IPhone, and actual credit card- that covers three people.

Is this a certainty? If so my life will be easier this summer, as my Android watch has Google Wallet loaded and my wife probably won't want to use Apple Pay.

I will be traveling with my family of 4 (wife, plus two kids ages 8 and 10), and keep wondering the best way to handle this. It seems the best option may be to have my wife and I each use 2 different cards (1 for us, 1 for a child) per trip we take?

Did anyone that travel recently do just this vs paper tickets?

Thanks,
Matt

Go-mo,
Please read all of the above useful info.
Do you use Tap pay on your phone or watch? This saves getting out a credit card and possibly losing the card. It's just so easy. You can tap on the watch, and tap on the phone, and use the card directly, for the same credit card.
We were there this past April, and just tapped tapped tapped.