NS Group Ticket for fewer than four people

[scragend]

My friend and I will be travelling from Amsterdam (Centraal) to Eindhoven. A single costs €20.50 but I know that the NS Group ticket exists for €32, but is for a minimum of four people.

Would we be likely to run into problems if we had one of these tickets and, if challenged, said that the other two people had missed the train but we had decided to catch it anyway?

I appreciate it may be morally dubious, and if it would potentially cause us an issue I won't do it, for the sake of saving €4.50 each, but I was just wondering if it's the kind of thing that could be "got away with".

 

[Mag_seven]

My friend and I will be travelling from Amsterdam (Centraal) to Eindhoven. A single costs €20.50 but I know that the NS Group ticket exists for €32, but is for a minimum of four people.

Would we be likely to run into problems if we had one of these tickets and, if challenged, said that the other two people had missed the train but we had decided to catch it anyway?

I appreciate it may be morally dubious, and if it would potentially cause us an issue I won't do it, for the sake of saving €4.50 each, but I was just wondering if it's the kind of thing that could be "got away with".

This is fare evasion - don't do it.

 

[scragend]

This is fare evasion - don't do it.

Understood. I won't. Thanks.

 

[MisterT]

It's no problem and is perfectly allowed, as long as the first ticket is used (tickets are numbered from 1, and that ticket MUST be used.

 

[Mag_seven]

It's no problem and is perfectly allowed, as long as the first ticket is used (tickets are numbered from 1, and that ticket MUST be used.

Can you elaborate please - the OP implied the ticket was for a minimum of four people. Is that not the case?

EDIT:

According to the NS Website

Useful information
Available for 4 - 7 people

Do all the people in the group have to travel together?
People from the same group are required to travel together at the same time. Each group ticket has a main ticket holder and their fellow passengers. Each ticket says whether the passenger concerned is the main ticket holder or not and how many people are in the group. The main rule is that a fellow passenger must always travel together with the main ticket holder. The fellow passengers can get on at a later station.

https://www.ns.nl/producten/en/meest-gekocht/p/groepsticket-daluren

I would say that if you intend to use this facility for less than the minimum of four then that is fare evasion.

 

[MisterT]

You are absolutely right that you have to book for a minimum of four persons, but it is fine to travel with just two.
Everyone has an individual ticket. The only rule with the group tickets that really matters, is that the main ticket holder (with ticket number 1) must be present for the whole journey. Other travellers from the booked group can join from a later station and doesn't have to join for the whole journey.

Please be aware that the group ticket is only valid during the off-peak hours.

 

[Spoorslag '70]

Cheaper still would be a single from "Actie van de Dag" (Dutch only) for just €10,50 per person, but you will need to print it. You will recieve a code that can be activated on the NS website for a single journey from any Dutch station to Eindhoven, Rotterdam Centraal or Schiphol Airport stations, thus allowing for a journey from Amsterdam Centraal to Eindhoven. The equivalent single for journey starting at the aforementioned stations is linked on the page. Valid M-F from 09.00 and at any time during the weekend.

 

[scragend]

Cheaper still would be a single from "Actie van de Dag" (Dutch only) for just €10,50 per person, but you will need to print it. You will recieve a code that can be activated on the NS website for a single journey from any Dutch station to Eindhoven, Rotterdam Centraal or Schiphol Airport stations, thus allowing for a journey from Amsterdam Centraal to Eindhoven. The equivalent single for journey starting at the aforementioned stations is linked on the page. Valid M-F from 09.00 and at any time during the weekend.

That looks just the ticket! (Pardon the pun)

Does that offer expire? In other words do I need to book it fairly soon or risk the offer being withdrawn? We will be travelling in the middle of April.

 

[Spoorslag '70]

Deze actie staat online van zondag 13 januari t/m vrijdag 30 augustus 2019 23:59 uur

Which translates to: This offer is online from Sunday 13th January to and inclusive of Friday, 30th August 23:59. So yes it expires and no you do not have to rush.

 

[scragend]

Which translates to: This offer is online from Sunday 13th January to and inclusive of Friday, 30th August 23:59. So yes it expires and no you do not have to rush.

That's great. Thank you so much!

 

[MisterT]

Even cheaper would be the Kruidvat NS ticket: https://www.kruidvat.nl/ns
For two persons, 15,50 euro per person, and it is a day ticket, so you can use it as a return ticket.
This ticket is available until March 31.
You'll receive a coupon code after your purchase, and you can use this code on the special NS site (https://www.ns.nl/kruidvat ) to activate the ticket. You'll receive a mobile ticket that can be printed or shown on your mobile phone or loaded into the NS app.

 

[Spoorslag '70]

This ticket is available until March 31.

It is also valid till March only, so of no use to the OP. When making a day return, this offer (Daldagkaart for €19.50, valid off-peak only (i.e. before 06.30, between 09.00 and 16.00 and from 18.30) would be the cheapest currently on offer (excluding "Spoordeelwinkel" products which - as far as I know - can only be purchased with IDeal, which needs a Dutch bank account). But that is only on sale till tomorrow but valid till the 31st of April. Cheaper tickets may come around, so it is best to check again before travelling.

Treinreiziger.nl offers a newsletter about cheap tickets ("Treinactie alert"), which can be subscribed to here.

 

[scragend]

I do actually have a Dutch bank account (bunq) so I would be able to pay with IDeal. I don't need a return though, we are only going one way.

I'm happy with the €10.50 ticket. Thanks again to both of you for your help.

 

[MisterT]

Oops, I missed that post about the travelling taking place in April, my bad.

 

[AlexNL]

The "Actie van de Dag" ticket is not valid to the city of Amsterdam, it's only valid to Schiphol Airport ("Amsterdam Schiphol"), Rotterdam Centraal and Eindhoven.

 

[scragend]

The "Actie van de Dag" ticket is not valid to the city of Amsterdam, it's only valid to Schiphol Airport ("Amsterdam Schiphol"), Rotterdam Centraal and Eindhoven.

I'm not going to Amsterdam. I'm going from Amsterdam to Eindhoven. So it seems to be OK for me, as it is valid from any Dutch station to one of the three named, one of which is Eindhoven.

 

[AlexNL]

In that case I do apologise, I thought you were traveling in the opposite direction