NS Dutch Railways has recently introduced a new and more complicated discount card structure. The previous “korting” card (known as a voordeeluren) cost €55 per year and gave a 40% discount on fares for the holder and up to 3 other passengers. The discount was valid after 0900 on weekdays, and at any time during weekends and July and August. The summer months were  considered off-peak due to the large number of Dutch residents heading off to sunnier climes.

The discount subscriptions are now based on newly defined peak hours which are weekdays 0630-0900 and 1600-1830. Up to 3 people can still travel with the card holder at the 40% discount fare during off-peak times. The new card options are as follows:

Dal Voordeel (Off-peak discount) – this effectively replaces the old card and costs €50 per year. The 40% discount is not available between the peak hours of 0630-0900 and 1600-1830. The card holder still gets the discount anytime during weekends, but the July and August peak-time discounts have been dropped.

Altijd Voordeel (Anytime discount) – This costs €20 per month (€240 per year) and gives a 20% discount off travel during peak hours (0630-0900 / 1600-1830) and a 40% discount during other times.

Weekend Vrij (Weekend free travel) – This costs €40 per month 2nd class and €65 per month 1st class. This allows a 40% discount during off-peak, no discount during the weekday peak hours and free travel at the weekend, from Friday 1830 to Monday 0400.

Dal Vrij (Off-peak free travel) - This costs €95 per month 2nd class and €165 per month 1st class and allows free off-peak travel. No discount for peak time travel.

Altijd Vrij (Free travel) – For €295 per month 2nd class and €495 per month 1st class you can get totally unrestricted free travel.

All discount card holder are entitled up to 3 free Kids Vrij (Kids free) subscriptions which allow children aged 4-11 to travel free with the card holder at anytime. The Kids Vrij card can also be bought separately for €15 per year for travel with an adult.

Adults 60+ can pay a supplement of €14 (2nd class) or € 39 (1st class) to the Dal Voordeel or Altijd Voordeel subscriptions to get 7 unrestricted free travel days (known as keuzedagen).

Those aged 65+ can get the Weekend Vrij card for €20 per month (instead of  €40) or the Dal Vrij for €40 (instead of €95).

New subscriptions are currently valid on NS trains only. Note that the card holder must now use the OV chip card rather than paper tickets.

The NS offers the Lentetoer for travel during March and April.

They also offer a summer product (Zomertoer) in June and July and an autumn ticket (Herfsttoer) in September and October.

You can buy these tickets at any ticket service desk at NS stations or from the yellow ticket machines (though note most machines only accept Dutch bank debit ‘PIN’ cards or coins).

It is possible to purchase online with a €5 discount – but the only payment method is “iDeal” – which requires a Dutch bank account with internet banking.

During February, NS is also selling 2 for €70 and 3 for €99 (online only).

The service will be extended to the southern city of Breda from 4th April 2011. The Amsterdam-Breda journey will now take 1:09 compared to the current 1:43.

TEFAF is the world’s leading fine art and antiques fair where prestigious international dealers showcase their wares and where genuine masterpieces can be offered for sale. All items at the fair are vetted carefully for authenticity.

The 2010 fair will be held at the MECC (Maastricht Exhibition & Congress Centre) between March 12th and 21st, open daily from 11am. Tickets will set you back €55 per person or €90 for 2. Those aged between 12 and 18 years get in for €20 and under 12’s have free entry.

Getting to Maastricht

There are many flights to Amsterdam Schiphol from UK/Europe/US and from there you can connect onto the Dutch rail network. The train journey between Amsterdam and Maastricht takes around 2 and a half hours.

Visitors could also fly into Eindhoven airport – Ryanair operates flights from London Stansted, Dublin and other European cities – from there travel on to Eindhoven railway station and take the 1 hour train ride to Maastricht.

Another UK travel option is to use Stena Line’s Rail and Sail which includes a train from London to Harwich, a ferry over to Hoek van Holland and then an onward train valid to any Dutch station.

Maastricht has a small airport with a limited number of scheduled services. You could consider flying by private jet into Maastricht. For example, small jet operator Blink is offering a day return for up to 4 passengers from London for £3,599 or an overnighter for £4,999. They also fly from Geneva in Swizerland which will cost €4,299 and €5,999 respectively.

The MECC is located 250m from Maastricht-Randwyck railway station, literally a 3 minutes train ride from Maastricht central station or easily reached by taxi.

Maastricht has relatively few hotels and booking in advance is essential. You can book a Maastricht hotel here

For more info on the city check out our brief Maastricht guide.