If your Dutch weekend involves a regional bus, check before you travel. The FNV and CNV unions began strikes on regional public transport on Wednesday 14 October. They plan one strike day a week until Christmas.
What’s happening
The dispute is over a new collective agreement for about 13,000 transport workers, most of them bus drivers. The old deal expired at the end of June, and talks broke down after eight rounds. The unions say they will announce each new strike day only shortly beforehand, so employers can’t plan around it.
The strikes hit regional operators, including Arriva, Connexxion, EBS, Keolis, Qbuzz and Transdev. That means local buses and some regional train lines run by these companies. During the first strike, RET ran no buses in the Rotterdam region, although its trams and metro kept running.
Not affected: NS trains, including intercity services and Schiphol connections. City transport run by GVB in Amsterdam and HTM in The Hague is also unaffected.
What it means for your weekend
A classic city weekend in Amsterdam, Rotterdam or The Hague, travelling between them on NS trains, should mostly go ahead as normal, though in Rotterdam check RET’s bus service on strike days. The risk is in the countryside and smaller towns. Day trips that end with a regional bus, such as to national parks or villages outside the big cities, could be cancelled at short notice on strike days.
What to do
- Check the 9292 journey planner or your operator’s website on the morning you travel.
- For countryside trips, have a backup plan, such as a bike from an NS station or a taxi.
- Keep the main legs of your trip on NS trains, which are running as normal.
Our Amsterdam guide has a route that works on foot and by tram. For more ideas, see best city breaks in Europe.
