The OV-fiets is a clever invention. You step off the train, pick up a bike and ride to the office or an appointment in just a few minutes. It works perfectly for commuters. That’s what it was designed for.
A day in Zandvoort is a different story. You want to go to the beach, explore the dunes, maybe continue on to Bloemendaal aan Zee. Maybe you’re a couple, or with friends or the whole family. And you don’t want to spend half the afternoon cycling into the wind. You’ll soon see that the OV-fiets is meant for a different kind of day. Read on to find out what to expect and how to make things easier.
Contents:
- What the OV-fiets is designed for
- The card comes first, then the bike
- Is there a bike available?
- Behind the station, with no staff on site
- One type of bike for every ride
- And it gets even trickier with children
- The numbers don’t add up as well
- Always return it to the same station
- A relaxing start to your day
- Frequently asked questions
What the OV-fiets is designed for
NS rents OV-fietsen at nearly 300 locations across the country. The idea is simple: you make the last part of your journey by bike. From the station to work, a meeting or a friend who lives nearby. You rent it for 24 hours at a time.
Zandvoort aan Zee station also has an OV-fiets location. There’s space for 46 bikes in a self-service storage facility at the back of the station (Eltzbacherstraat). It’s open day and night.
It’s not quite as suitable for a day by the sea. Whether you’re coming alone, as a couple or with the whole family, you’ll run into the same issues.
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The card comes first, then the bike
The first hurdle comes at home. You can only rent an OV-fiets with a personal OV-chipkaart—the card with your name and photo. It must also have an OV-fiets subscription or an NS Flex subscription. The OV-fiets subscription is free, but you do need to arrange it in advance.
If you don’t have one of these cards, you’re stuck before you even start:
- Anyone who checks in and out with a bank card or phone (OVpay) can’t rent an OV-fiets;
- anyone with an anonymous OV-chipkaart can’t either;
- nor visitors from abroad without a Dutch OV-chipkaart.
Also, one card usually lets you rent no more than two bikes. If there are four of you, you’ll need at least two personal cards with subscriptions. And even if you have the right card with you, you’ll still run into the other issues on this list.
Is there a bike available?
You can’t reserve an OV-fiets. First come, first served. You won’t know whether there’s a bike available until you get to the bike shed.
In summer, four trains an hour run to Zandvoort. The bike storage facilities around the station have recently been expanded to over 370 spaces, but the number of OV-fietsen hasn’t increased. Those 46 OV-fiets spaces are shared by everyone getting off the train in Zandvoort.
You can check how many bikes are available in advance on the availability page for the Zandvoort OV-fiets location. But it’s only a snapshot. While you’re still on the train, others could already be riding away on them. And if the bike storage is empty, you’re left at the back of the station with your beach bag and no plan B.
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Behind the station, with no staff on site
Hold your card against the lock and ride off. It’s quick, as long as everything works. But there’s no one there to answer your questions.
Want to know which route is scenic, whether you can ride this bike on the beach, where you’re allowed to cycle in the dunes or where to leave your bike at the beach pavilion? You’ll have to figure that out yourself. A tip from someone who’s here every day can take you to places you’d otherwise ride right past. And even if you know Zandvoort well, there’s no one at the bike storage if the lock jams or you get a flat tire.
One type of bike for every ride
Zandvoort station has standard OV-fietsen. They’re sturdy city bikes, made for the short ride from the station to the office. A day on the coast calls for more from your bike.
Wind. It’s often pretty windy by the sea. If you have the wind at your back on the way there, you’ll be riding into it on the way back. You’ll feel it in your legs on a regular bike. On an e-bike, you can just keep riding.
Sand. The beach is why you’re here, and narrow tires sink into the soft sand. A fat bike with wide tires is much easier to ride there. Find out when you’re allowed to cycle on the beach in our blog about cycling on Zandvoort beach.
Luggage. Beach chair, cooler, towels: on a day by the sea, you’ll soon be carrying more than a laptop bag. A cargo bike or a bike with a large basket is a real plus.
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And it gets even trickier with children
Everything above applies to everyone. Bringing your children? There’s one more thing to consider. The OV-fiets is an adult bike, and there’s no children’s bike you can rent with it.
So you’ll need to find bikes for the children somewhere else anyway. At a bike rental shop, you can choose a 20- or 24-inch children’s bike, a child seat or a cargo bike with the little ones seated up front. Read more tips in our blog about cycling with children on the coast.
The numbers don’t add up as well
On paper, the OV-fiets looks cheap: € 4,80 per 24 hours in 2026. But that price doesn’t tell the whole story.
- You pay per bike, for each 24-hour period. There’s no hourly rate.
- If you’re bringing children, you’ll have to rent bikes for them somewhere else anyway. You might as well arrange everything in one place.
Then there are the costs that don’t show up on the receipt: the time you lose if the bike storage is empty, or if you find after an hour of riding that the bike isn’t right for what you want to do. That’s a shame on a day by the sea.
Find out what our bikes cost and what’s included in our blog about the cost of renting a bike in Zandvoort.
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Always return it to the same station
You must always return an OV-fiets to the location where you picked it up. So if you get one at Zandvoort aan Zee station, you must return it in Zandvoort.
At the end of the day, you need to park the bike properly in the bike shed and lock it according to NS instructions. Only then does your rental end. You can check in the NS app whether it worked. Just when you’re trying to catch your train, there’s one more thing to take care of.
A relaxing start to your day
There’s another option. Our rental shop in Zandvoort is at Haltestraat 51, within walking distance of the station. Walk from the platform into town, and before long you’ll be on your bike.
- Book in advance. Reserve online and know your bike will be ready for you, even on the busiest summer day.
- The right bike for your day. City bike, e-bike, fat bike, cargo bike, electric cargo bike or children’s bike. We only have fat bikes in Zandvoort.
- No OV-chipkaart required. Anyone can rent from us, including visitors using OVpay or without a Dutch OV-chipkaart.
- Staff at the desk. You’ll get an explanation of the bike and a route tip.
- Two locations. As well as Zandvoort, you’ll find us in Bloemendaal aan Zee, at Camping de Lakens on Zeeweg.
Check our bike rental overview to see which bikes are available at each location. Book ahead and your bike will be ready, especially on a sunny day.
Where you head next is up to you. Take the promenade to the beach clubs in the south, ride through Zuid-Kennemerland National Park towards Overveen, or follow the coast north to Bloemendaal aan Zee. With the right bike, it’s all the more enjoyable.
Frequently asked questions
How much does an OV-fiets cost for one day?
An OV-fiets costs € 4,80 per 24 hours in 2026. You always pay for a full 24-hour period, even if you only use the bike for a few hours. A surcharge applies after three days.
Can anyone rent an OV-fiets?
No. You need a personal OV-chipkaart with an OV-fiets subscription or an NS Flex subscription. You can’t use OVpay, a bank card or an anonymous OV-chipkaart. At Behind the Beach, you don’t need any of that: you can simply rent a bike.
Can you reserve an OV-fiets in Zandvoort?
No. If the bike storage is empty, you’ll need to make other arrangements. To make sure you get a bike, book online with a bike rental shop in the village.
Can you ride an OV-fiets on the beach?
The narrow tires on a regular bike quickly sink into the soft sand. If you want to ride on the beach, a fat bike with wide tires is much easier to ride. Check the rules for cycling on the beach.
Can you return an OV-fiets at another station?
No. You must always return an OV-fiets to the location where you rented it. So if you pick up a bike at Zandvoort aan Zee station, you’ll need to return it in Zandvoort.
Is there an OV-fiets for children?
No. The OV-fiets is an adult bike, and you can’t rent a children’s bike or child seat with it. If you’re bringing children, you’re better off renting from a shop with children’s bikes, child seats and cargo bikes.