Last modified August 21, 2026
There is one way onto Texel: the TESO ferry from Den Helder, roughly 20 minutes across the Marsdiep, the strait at the southern edge of the Wadden Sea, to the ferry terminal at ‘t Horntje. No reservation is possible and none is needed. A foot passenger pays €3.00 and a car up to 6.5 metres pays €48.00 or €32.00, decided entirely by which day you travel to the island. Every ticket is a return, bought on the mainland side, so nothing is checked when you leave. The number most day-trippers need is the one nobody puts in a headline: on a normal August day the last boat off Texel leaves at 21:00, half an hour before the last boat to it.
What is the fastest way to get to Texel?
Take the train to Den Helder, then bus line 33 to the ferry terminal, then the TESO boat to ‘t Horntje. From Amsterdam Centraal the train runs to Den Helder in roughly 1 hour 15 to 1 hour 20 minutes and Den Helder is the end of the line, so there is no stop to miss. The train, the bus and the boat all connect to each other by design, which is why the chain works without a plan.
Driving is not faster unless you are already north of Amsterdam. The car still crosses on the same ferry at the same speed; what a car buys you is freedom to reach any village, small town centre or beach car park on your own schedule, and what it costs is the difference between a €3.00 ticket and a €48.00 one.
| Leg | Operator | Time | What you pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amsterdam Centraal to Den Helder | NS | About 1 h 15 to 1 h 20 | Varies by date and NS discount; price it on ns.nl |
| Den Helder train station to the ferry terminal | Connexxion line 33 | Short shuttle timed to the boat | OVpay or OV-chipkaart out; return leg free |
| Den Helder to ‘t Horntje, Texel | TESO | About 20 minutes | €3.00 return on foot |
| ‘t Horntje to Den Burg or De Koog | Connexxion line 28 | Timed to each ferry | €3.30 single |
| Anywhere else on Texel | Texelhopper minibus | Book 30 minutes ahead | €3.30 single |
What time does the last ferry leave Texel?
On Thursday 20 August 2026 the last departure from Texel was 21:00 and the last departure from Den Helder was 21:30. That gap is the single most useful fact on this page. You can still reach the island after the island can no longer send you home.
TESO does not publish one fixed annual timetable. It publishes schedule information per day, with extra sailings added when it expects volume, and it publishes live queue estimates online on the same page. The table below is one dated release, not the timetable. Treat it as the shape of a summer weekday and check your own date before you book anything that depends on it.
| Thursday 20 August 2026 | Departures from Texel (‘t Horntje) | Departures from Den Helder |
|---|---|---|
| Early, hourly | 06:00, 07:00, 08:00, 09:00 | 06:30, 07:30, 08:30 |
| Half-hourly window | 09:30 to 15:30, every 30 minutes | 09:30 to 16:30, every 30 minutes |
| Evening, back to hourly | 16:00, 17:00, 18:00, 19:00, 20:00 | 17:30, 18:30, 19:30, 20:30 |
| Last boat | 21:00 | 21:30 |
| Sailings that day | 23 | 23 |
Two consequences follow. First, the hourly evening service means missing one boat costs you an hour, not twenty minutes. Second, the half-hourly window ends in the middle of the afternoon, so the ferry gets less forgiving exactly when a day-tripper is heading back.
How much does the Texel ferry cost in 2026?
A single return on foot is €3.00. A car up to 6.5 metres, including up to nine people in it, is €48.00 or €32.00. Those are TESO’s own published rates, read from teso.nl on 21 August 2026.
This matters because the secondary sources disagree with the operator. Widely syndicated travel pages currently quote €46.50 for a car and €2.50 for a pedestrian. Both are stale. Rather than pick a winner, here is the disagreement in the open: TESO’s rates pages say €48.00 and €3.00, several aggregators say €46.50 and €2.50, and the operator is the one that takes your money. Price your crossing on TESO’s own rates pages, not on a travel article, including this one.
| Ticket (always a return) | Travelling to Texel Fri, Sat, Sun, Mon | Travelling to Texel Tue, Wed, Thu |
|---|---|---|
| Pedestrian, adult | €3.00 | €3.00 |
| Child 4 to 11, or 65+ | €3.00 | €3.00 |
| Child under 4 | Free | Free |
| Car or transporter up to 6.5 m, up to 9 people | €48.00 | €32.00 |
| Motorcycle, rider plus one | €14.00 | €11.00 |
| Vehicle up to 2.50 m, or motorcycle with sidecar | €23.50 | €16.00 |
| Longer than 6.50 m, per running metre | €10.00 | €7.50 |
| Wider than 2.75 m, up to 6.50 m | €90.60 | €67.80 |
| Hazardous goods, up to 6.50 m | €139.50 | €139.50 |
Can you take a bicycle on the Texel ferry?
Yes, and it is the cheapest way to arrive with your own transport. TESO prices cyclists and moped riders as pedestrians, so a bicycle crosses on a €3.00 return rather than a vehicle fare. The catch is that the same rule excludes them from the midweek discount, which is why a cyclist gains nothing by picking a Wednesday while a driver saves €16.00.
If you would rather not carry a bike across, you can rent one in Den Burg, De Koog and most of the other villages, and the island is small enough that most people never want a car. Ferries in both directions load bicycles as a matter of routine.
Why does the same car crossing cost €48.00 or €32.00?
Because the price is set by the day you sail to Texel and by nothing else. TESO states plainly that you choose your own return day and that a discounted outbound does not oblige you to come back midweek. So two identical three-night trips can differ by €16.00:
- Out on Thursday, back on Sunday: €32.00.
- Out on Friday, back on Monday: €48.00.
Same boat, same nights on the island, 50 percent more money for the Friday departure. Shifting a long weekend back by one day is the largest single saving available on this journey.
The advertised 30 percent discount is right for none of the vehicle classes
TESO’s own first-trip page says the midweek discount is 30 percent and that it “applies for all vehicles”. Its rate table says otherwise. Working the arithmetic across every class TESO publishes gives a range from 21.4 percent to 33.3 percent, and one class where the discount is zero. This is not a gotcha, it is a planning number: a motorcyclist choosing a Wednesday saves €3.00, while a driver choosing a Wednesday saves €16.00.
| Vehicle class | Peak | Midweek | Saving | Actual discount |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Car up to 6.5 m | €48.00 | €32.00 | €16.00 | 33.3% |
| Vehicle up to 2.50 m or sidecar | €23.50 | €16.00 | €7.50 | 31.9% |
| Wider than 2.75 m, up to 6.50 m | €90.60 | €67.80 | €22.80 | 25.2% |
| Long vehicle, per running metre | €10.00 | €7.50 | €2.50 | 25.0% |
| Motorcycle | €14.00 | €11.00 | €3.00 | 21.4% |
| Hazardous goods | €139.50 | €139.50 | €0.00 | 0% |
Do children and over-65s pay less on the Texel ferry?
Not on a single crossing. A child aged 4 to 11 and a passenger aged 65 or over both pay €3.00 for one return, which is exactly the adult fare. The concession exists only on multi-trip tickets, where it becomes large: five returns cost €6.00 instead of the adult €13.50, and fifteen cost €16.00 instead of €36.00.
So a family visiting once gets nothing for the grandparents and nothing for the children over three. Under-4s cross free. Every guide that says Texel has senior and child discounts is describing a season ticket, not a day out.
What a multi-trip ticket is actually worth
TESO advertises savings of “up to 40 percent” on its rates pages and “up to 30 percent” in the promotional panel on the same vehicle page. Both understate the top of the range. Multi-trip tickets do not expire and can be used once per hour per vehicle or per person.
| Multi-trip ticket | Price | Same number bought singly (peak) | Saving |
|---|---|---|---|
| Car, 5 returns | €152.50 | €240.00 | 36.5% |
| Car, 15 returns | €410.00 | €720.00 | 43.1% |
| Motorcycle, 15 returns | €136.00 | €210.00 | 35.2% |
| Pedestrian, 15 returns | €36.00 | €45.00 | 20.0% |
| Pedestrian, 100 returns | €165.00 | €300.00 | 45.0% |
| Child 4 to 11 or 65+, 15 returns | €16.00 | €45.00 | 64.4% |
The practical read: the five-trip car ticket works out at €30.50 a crossing and so beats peak singles on the fourth trip (four at €48.00 is €192.00 against €152.50), and the pedestrian version is only worth it for people who genuinely commute. If you are visiting once, buy the single return and take the midweek day instead.
How do you get from Amsterdam to Texel without a car?
Getting there without a car is four legs, none of which needs booking. Train to Den Helder, line 33 bus to the harbour, TESO ferry, line 28 bus to Den Burg or De Koog. The whole chain is timed around the ferry, so the connections hold as long as you keep moving.
- Train. Intercity services run to Den Helder via Amsterdam from as far south as Nijmegen and Maastricht. Den Helder is the terminus. NS sells discounted one-way e-tickets in advance on quieter trains, which VVV Texel describes as up to 60 percent off the standard fare; the actual saving depends on how busy the train is expected to be.
- Bus line 33. Board at Den Helder station for the TESO harbour and use OVpay, a contactless card, a phone or an OV-chipkaart to pay. On the way back, the leg from the ferry to the station is free and you board without showing anything.
- Ferry. Purchase the €3.00 return ticket at the TESO desk or online as an e-ticket. Nothing is checked on the return crossing.
- Bus line 28. Leave the ferry on the right-hand side to reach the bus station. Line 28 runs the ferry port to Den Burg (stop Elemert) to De Koog and connects to both the regular sailings and the extra ones.
Coming back to the train, the one place the chain can break is here: the bus has to make the rail departure, so the walk from the boat to the stop is brisk by design and the driver opens three doors to speed boarding. This is the leg where people miss connections, and it is worth knowing before you stroll.
If you are basing yourself in the capital first, our 36-hour Amsterdam itinerary and the Amsterdam bus schedule guide cover the city end of the journey, and the new European train routes roundup covers the wider rail picture.
How do you get around Texel once you arrive?
Texel has one fixed bus route and a fleet of minibuses you have to order. Line 28 runs the ferry port, Den Burg and De Koog on a timetable pegged to the boat. Every other destination on the island, and there are roughly 200 marked stops, is served by the Texelhopper, which must be booked at least 30 minutes ahead through the Texelhopper app or by calling +31 (0)222 784000. Each stop has a name and a number printed on the post; you give both when you book.
Three details that catch people out. A single ride is €3.30 and Connexxion states it explicitly: no transfer is allowed, so the ticket dies the moment you step off. Ferry port to Den Burg to De Cocksdorp is therefore two fares, not one. Cash is not accepted on line 28; the driver takes a debit or credit card. And children up to 11 travel free on both line 28 and the Texelhopper, which is the one genuine family concession on the island.
| Line 28 bus | Texelhopper minibus | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it goes | Ferry port, Den Burg (Elemert), De Koog | Around 200 stops across the island |
| Booking | None, just turn up | At least 30 minutes ahead, app or phone |
| Timing | Fixed, tied to ferry departures | Runs from first ferry to last ferry |
| Single fare | €3.30 | €3.30 |
| Transfers | Not included in a single ride ticket | Not included in a single ride ticket |
| Children up to 11 | Free | Free, but still book a seat |
| Payment | Card only, no cash | Card in the bus, or card in the app |
Two ticket options are worth knowing before you buy singles all day. Connexxion sells a day ticket alongside the single ride, and both can be bought online in advance as e-tickets rather than paid for on the bus. Because a single ride excludes transfers, the day ticket is the one to price up if you plan more than a couple of hops. Separately, the Kids Day Pass lets children travel free on buses across North Holland North and Texel all day when accompanied by an adult, with unlimited transfers, although a new pass has to be requested at each transfer and every child still needs a booked seat on a Texelhopper minibus.
The failure mode is specific: arriving on a late ferry with a bed booked in one of the outer villages and no Texelhopper reservation. The minibuses run until the last boat, but they are ordered, not caught. Book the ride before you board the ferry, not after you land.
Can you fly to Texel?
Not on a scheduled flight. Texel International Airport (ICAO code EHTX), near De Cocksdorp, is “international” because it clears customs, not because airlines serve it. No airline is known to run a scheduled passenger service there; the field handles light piston aircraft, the occasional turboprop or small jet, and helicopters. Booking a flight to Texel means chartering one.
Worth saying plainly, because the airport’s name appears in search results and its ICAO code appears on flight-tracking sites, which makes it look like a destination you can buy a seat to. Fly to Amsterdam Schiphol and take the train north.
Is there another way onto the island?
One, and it only works in summer and only from another island. De Vriendschap, run by Waddenveer, links Paal 33 on Texel’s north-east coast with Het Posthuys on Vlieland by meeting the Vliehors Expres beach truck halfway across the sandflat, with passengers transferring in the middle. The crossing takes around half an hour and the service runs seasonally on a limited number of days per week. Reservations are required from the Texel side, and in high season Waddenveer asks for at least a week’s notice.
This is island hopping, not access. If you are arriving from the Dutch mainland, TESO from Den Helder is the only route, and it is the reason the ferry has no reservation system: there is no competing sailing to protect a slot against.
What this guide deliberately does not publish
- A fixed annual ferry timetable. TESO publishes per-day schedules with extra sailings decided by expected demand. Any table presented as “the” Texel timetable is a snapshot with the date filed off. The one above carries its date.
- An exact NS train fare. Third-party sites currently quote anything from about €12 to €24 for Amsterdam to Den Helder depending on ticket type, discount and time of day. Rather than average a spread that wide, price your own date on ns.nl.
- Waddenveer’s sailing dates. The Texel to Vlieland service runs on a seasonal, limited-day pattern that shifts year to year. The operator publishes the current dates; we are not going to freeze one version of them here.
- A queue-time estimate. TESO shows live expected waiting times on its own timetable page. A number written into an article in August is worthless in October.
Mistakes that cost money or a night’s sleep
- Leaving on a Friday. The outbound day sets the whole car fare. Thursday out, Sunday back is €32.00; Friday out, Monday back is €48.00.
- Planning around 21:30. That is the last boat to Texel. The last boat off Texel is 21:00.
- Assuming the half-hourly service runs all day. On the dated release above it stopped mid-afternoon and the evening ran hourly.
- Buying a return on the island. You cannot, and you do not need to. The mainland ticket covers both crossings.
- Expecting a senior or child fare on one crossing. There is not one. Only the multi-trip tickets carry the concession.
- Arriving without a Texelhopper booking. Line 28 covers three places. Everywhere else is a minibus you order 30 minutes ahead.
- Carrying only cash. Line 28 does not take it.
- Queueing at the desk with an e-ticket. If you registered your number plate, the three self-service lanes on the far right read it and open the barrier.
What is worth doing once you land
Texel is the largest of the West Frisian islands, and its western dune belt sits inside Dunes of Texel National Park, which is why the island reads as much bigger than the ferry ride suggests. De Koog is the main beach village, and the best known thing to do on the island sits there: Ecomare, a seal and seabird sanctuary and nature museum. The working harbour at Oudeschild is the counterweight to the beach resorts, and it is where you will find the fishing fleet. The red Eierland lighthouse, located at the northern tip, is the postcard, and it is also the reason a Texelhopper booking matters: it is nowhere near line 28.
For what to bring, our Texel Island packing list is built for the wind that makes the island what it is. If you are costing a wider trip, see the Netherlands trip cost breakdown and our roundup of places to visit in the Netherlands. For the food, start with traditional Dutch dishes worth ordering.
Disclosure: some links in this article are affiliate links. If you book through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Ferry, bus and airport facts on this page come from the operators’ own sites and carry no commercial relationship. You can compare island stays on Booking.com, and guided walks, cycling routes and boat trips are listed on GetYourGuide and Viator.
Frequently asked questions
Do you need to book the Texel ferry in advance?
No. TESO does not operate a reservation system in either direction, and states that you can start your trip whenever you like. When it expects heavy traffic it puts a second ferry on instead. Buying an e-ticket in advance skips the ticket desk but does not reserve a sailing.
How long is the ferry from Den Helder to Texel?
About 20 minutes across the Marsdiep to the harbour at ‘t Horntje. Allow more than that in total: you still have to reach the harbour from Den Helder station and get from ‘t Horntje to wherever you are staying.
Do you buy a ticket to leave Texel?
No. Every TESO ticket is a return bought on the Den Helder side, and TESO does not check tickets on the crossing from Texel back to the mainland, so you board directly.
Is it cheaper to take a car to Texel midweek?
Yes, and the saving is set only by your outbound day. A car up to 6.5 metres pays €32.00 travelling to Texel on a Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday against €48.00 on a Friday, Saturday, Sunday or Monday, a 33.3 percent difference. Your return day does not affect the price.
Can you visit Texel as a day trip from Amsterdam?
Yes, and the binding constraint is the evening ferry rather than the train. On the dated August schedule above, the last departure from Texel was 21:00, and the service dropped from half-hourly to hourly after mid-afternoon, so a missed boat costs a full hour. Work backwards from the boat, not forwards from Amsterdam.
How do you get around Texel without a car?
Line 28 links the ferry port, Den Burg and De Koog on a timetable tied to the boat. For everywhere else you order a Texelhopper minibus at least 30 minutes ahead through the app or on +31 (0)222 784000. Both cost €3.30 for a single ride with no transfers included, and children up to 11 travel free.
Are there flights to Texel?
No scheduled ones. Texel International Airport (EHTX) has customs facilities, which is where the name comes from, but no airline operates a scheduled passenger service there. It handles general aviation, charters and helicopters.
Is there a ferry from Texel to the other Wadden islands?
Only to Vlieland, only in the summer season and only on selected days. Waddenveer’s De Vriendschap sails from Paal 33 on Texel and meets the Vliehors Expres beach truck partway across, with passengers transferring. Reservations are required from the Texel side, and a week’s notice is asked for in high season.
Sources and how this was checked
- TESO, rates for vehicles and rates for pedestrians, read 21 August 2026.
- TESO, time tables, for the dated Thursday 20 August 2026 schedule and live waiting times.
- TESO, your first trip to Texel, for the return-ticket rule, the no-reservation policy and number-plate recognition.
- VVV Texel, travel to Texel by public transport, for bus 33, the free return leg, line 28 and the Texelhopper booking line.
- Connexxion, Texelhopper single ride, for the €3.30 fare and the no-transfer rule.
- Connexxion, Kids Day Ticket, for free child bus travel in North Holland North and on Texel.
- Waddenveer, Texel to Vlieland with De Vriendschap.
Every fare and departure time above was read from the operator’s own site on 21 August 2026 rather than taken from another travel article. Where a computed figure appears, such as a discount percentage or a multi-trip saving, it is derived from the published rates and the arithmetic is shown so you can check it.
Last updated 21 August 2026. This rewrite added TESO’s current 2026 fare tables for every vehicle and pedestrian class, a dated ferry timetable with the last departure in each direction, the computed midweek and multi-trip discounts, the Texelhopper booking rule and fare, the Texel airport clarification and the seasonal Vlieland connection. The previous version contained no fares and no departure times at all. Fares quoted by aggregators (€46.50 car, €2.50 pedestrian) were checked against TESO’s own pages and found to be out of date.