NLRandstad Noord Vrij and EBS Vrij are flexible monthly subscriptions that allow you to travel unlimited by bus, tram and metro in North Holland and surrounding areas. The traditional zone subscription will disappear in 2026 and be replaced by these new subscriptions that work via OVpay. OVpay is the payment system that lets you check in on public transport with a regular bank card (OV stands for openbaar vervoer, meaning public transport). From €104 per month, you can travel unlimited within your chosen region, without topping up in advance. Ideal for anyone who regularly makes day trips to Alkmaar, Waterland, Texel or Amsterdam. Read on and find out whether this subscription can make your journey through North Holland easier and cheaper.
What is Randstad Noord Vrij and who is it for
Randstad Noord Vrij is a continuous monthly subscription that you link to your debit card. You choose from 14 available regions in North Holland, Almere and parts of South Holland and Flevoland. Within that chosen region, you can travel unlimited by bus, tram, metro and night buses operated by Connexxion, GVB, EBS and AllGo/Keolis. Connexxion mainly operates in North Holland and Utrecht. GVB provides tram, metro and bus services in Amsterdam. EBS operates in the Zaan region and Waterland. AllGo/Keolis serves, among other places, Almere and Lelystad. You check in and out with the same debit card you used to activate the subscription.
The subscription costs €104 per month and renews automatically, but you can also change or cancel it flexibly online. If you travel outside your chosen region, you pay the normal distance-based fare per kilometre. The subscription is suitable for people who visit the same region frequently. Think of day trippers who head from their base several times a month to towns or nature in North Holland. They can make good use of the subscription.
For which traveller is this a convenient option
Randstad Noord Vrij is a good fit for travellers who organise their own holiday and make frequent use of public transport within a single region. It is practical if you:
- Stay in North Holland for several days and visit various destinations
- Fan out from a fixed base to sights such as the Zaanse Schans, Texel or Alkmaar
- Often take the bus, tram or metro and do not want to keep track of separate tickets
- Plan your route in advance and clearly know which region you need
The subscription is less suitable if you only travel in the region once or twice a month. Compare the monthly fee to the cost of single journeys to determine whether it is cost-effective.
EBS Vrij as an alternative for the Zaan region and Waterland
EBS Vrij is a similar subscription, but specifically for EBS and MeerPlus buses in the Zaan region and Waterland area. You choose from 3 available regions and travel unlimited within that region. This subscription is suitable if you mainly stay in the northern area around Amsterdam and do not necessarily need to go into the city itself.
It works in the same way as Randstad Noord Vrij: linking to your debit card, checking in and out, and paying monthly. The difference is in the coverage: EBS Vrij does not cover GVB lines in Amsterdam. If you do want to go to Amsterdam, Randstad Noord Vrij with the Amsterdam-Noord region or broader coverage is the better choice.
Differences between EBS Vrij and traditional day tickets
In the past, you bought a day ticket for unlimited travel within a particular zone. That day ticket was valid for one day and had to be bought again each time. EBS Vrij and Randstad Noord Vrij work differently: you have a continuous monthly subscription that allows unlimited travel within your chosen region.
Flexibility and use
The main difference lies in duration of use and flexibility:
- A day ticket is valid for up to 24 hours and must be bought in advance
- EBS Vrij and Randstad Noord Vrij are valid for a full month and renew automatically
- With a day ticket you pay per day, with a monthly subscription you pay a fixed amount
- You can cancel the monthly subscription online whenever you want, a day ticket expires automatically
If you travel intensively within one region for three or four days a month, the monthly subscription may work out cheaper than individual day tickets. Calculate the number of travel days in advance and compare the costs.
Travel area and operators
Day tickets often have more limited coverage or only apply to specific operators. Randstad Noord Vrij covers several operators in a single subscription: Connexxion, GVB, EBS and AllGo. This means you can transfer between different buses, trams and metros within your region without any hassle, and without needing an extra ticket or surcharge.
Monthly subscriptions instead of city cards
Many tourists use city cards for entry to museums and public transport in a city. Monthly subscriptions such as Randstad Noord Vrij offer similar benefits for public transport, but for a longer period and a larger area.
City cards are usually valid for a few days and combine public transport with discounts on attractions. Monthly subscriptions only offer unlimited travel, without extra discounts or museum entry. They are therefore not completely comparable, but can complement each other. Are you staying in a region for a week or longer? Are you planning many local journeys? In that case, a monthly subscription can be more economical than several day tickets or a city card that includes public transport.
When should you choose a monthly subscription
A monthly subscription such as Randstad Noord Vrij is a better match for your trip if you:
- Stay in the region for longer than a week and plan several day trips
- Mainly use bus, tram and metro, and are less interested in museum discounts
- Have a fixed base and explore various towns and countryside from there
- Want to set your costs in advance without paying again every day
For a short city break of two or three days, a city card or separate day ticket is often more convenient and cheaper.
Flexible cancellation with OVpay Randstad Noord Vrij
Randstad Noord Vrij is a continuous subscription, but you can change or cancel it online at any time. This makes it flexible for travellers who do not know exactly how long they will stay in the region. You do not have a long-term contract or notice period.
If you want to cancel, you do this via your account with the operator. Cancellation usually takes effect at the end of the current month. This means you can continue to travel unlimited until the end of the month. If you start the subscription halfway through the month, you often still pay the full monthly fee. Check your operator’s terms and conditions for the exact rules.
Changing region during your trip
You can also change the chosen region online if you notice that you are visiting another region more often. This gives you the freedom to adapt your subscription to your travel schedule. Here too, the change usually takes effect at the beginning of the next month.
The traditional zone subscription will disappear in 2026
The current Randstad Noord Zone monthly subscription will end on 1 March 2026. This is part of the national transition to OVpay, where you check in and out with a regular debit card. You can still buy a traditional zone subscription up to and including 28 February 2026. After that, only Randstad Noord Vrij will remain as a monthly subscription for the region.
The old system worked with a central zone and surrounding “star” zones. The more star zones you chose, the more expensive the subscription became. The new Randstad Noord Vrij is simpler: you choose one region for a fixed monthly fee, without a complex zone layout.
What does this mean for your trip planning
If you are planning a trip after March 2026, prepare for the new system. Decide in advance which region you need and make sure you have a suitable debit card. The new subscription works with physical debit cards and, in future, also with the OV card. Digital wallets or mobile payment methods are not always available, so take a physical card with you.
Practical use for your trip through North Holland
Randstad Noord Vrij and EBS Vrij give you access to a large area with a wide variety of sights. From the windmills in the Zaan region to the beaches of Texel, from historic Alkmaar to the polders of Waterland: with a single subscription you can travel unlimited throughout this region.
Examples of routes and destinations
A typical route could be: from your accommodation in Amsterdam-Noord you take the GVB bus to Zaandam, then the Connexxion bus to Alkmaar, and from there on to the coast or Texel. With Randstad Noord Vrij you do not need to pay or top up each time. You simply check in and out with the same card.
R-net lines are also included in the subscription. R-net is a network of fast, frequent bus and tram lines in various regions, such as between Delft, Zoetermeer and The Hague. Is comfort and speed important to you? Then these lines are a practical choice.
Combining with the train
Outside your chosen region, you pay the normal distance-based fare. If you want to travel further by NS train, your subscription is not valid there. You pay separately for the train journey. Take this into account when planning routes that cross several regions or provinces.
Buying and activating your subscription
You order Randstad Noord Vrij online via the operator’s website. You need a physical debit card that you link to the subscription. After activation, you can immediately check in and out with that card. For the old zone subscription, you need a personal OV-chipkaart. You load this subscription at top-up machines, service shops or on the bus.
If you want an annual subscription, you pay for 10 months and travel for 12. This gives you a saving if you stay in the region for a long period. Some operators also offer payment in instalments, which is handy if you want to spread the costs.
Choice tools and journey planners
Use the decision aid on the operator’s website to determine which region best matches your travel schedule. Enter your starting point and destination, and the tool will indicate which region you need. Combine this with a journey planner to check routes and transfers before you set off.
On the Traveler Tips website you will find much more information about public transport, routes through the Netherlands and tips for planning your trip. Discover which other regions offer convenient subscriptions or day tickets, and learn how to organise your holiday even more smartly using bus, tram and train.
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Frequently asked questions
Use EBS Randstad Noord Vrij by choosing one suitable region that covers your main destinations (towns, nature areas and sights), so that you can travel unlimited by bus, tram, metro and night buses without separate tickets. Plan your routes in advance with a journey planner and use the fast, comfortable R-net lines for longer distances. Combine stops strategically with walking and cycling routes to nature and villages, so you can hop on and off flexibly without parking stress. Activate and manage your subscription online and pay with your debit card, so that when travelling you only need to check in and out.
With EBS Randstad Noord Vrij you experience the region best via the R-net buses to Waterland (Monnickendam, Volendam, Edam), ideal for picturesque villages, dykes and polder landscapes. Routes around the Zaan region and Waterland to places such as the Zaanse Schans are also easy to reach, allowing you to combine windmills, wooden houses and museum areas without difficulty. For days at the beach and in nature, you can continue towards North Holland North, for example via Alkmaar to the coastal region. Use the fast R-net lines for the longer stretches and transfer to local buses for the last few kilometres to the sights.
Yes, EBS Randstad Noord Vrij is generally a cost-effective solution if you travel a lot by bus, tram and metro within the chosen region during your holiday. Because you can travel unlimited for a fixed monthly amount, you will soon save money compared with separate tickets or checking in for each journey. This works particularly well for longer trips and day excursions to various towns and nature areas in North Holland and the surrounding regions. It therefore fits well with a self-organised holiday in which you want to travel around a lot by public transport.
To integrate EBS Randstad Noord Vrij seamlessly into your travel planning, first choose the right Randstad Noord region based on your fixed routes and use a journey planner to check that all your destinations fall within the coverage area. Make sure you have a suitable debit card or OV-chipkaart and link your continuous Randstad Noord Vrij subscription to it online. Check in advance which buses, trams, metros and night services of EBS, Connexxion, GVB and AllGo are covered by the subscription and where the distance-based fare applies outside the region. Then plan your journeys with an up-to-date public transport journey planner so that transfers between R-net and other lines are logical and workable in terms of timing.
Yes, with EBS Randstad Noord Vrij you can get off outside the well-known hotspots in smaller villages and nature areas such as Waterland, the polders around Purmerend and the Zaan region. Use the bus as a “hop-on, hop-off” service: get off spontaneously at stops with views of meadows, dykes or old village centres and walk a bit further away from the main streets. Travel outside peak hours and at weekends to avoid the crowds, and use R-net lines only for the longer distances, then switch to slower local services. Make a rough plan with a journey planner, but keep the last few kilometres deliberately unplanned so you can discover unexpected places.
