Save €€€ and Make Friends While Taking Trains Across the Netherlands With Group Ticket Finder
If you haven't heard of Group Ticket Finder before, don't worry. But it's about to change your life.
Imagine travelling across the Netherlands as a student without breaking the bank. Group Ticket Finder, co-founded by Peter, TB, and Ali, is turning this dream into reality. This innovative platform not only makes train travel more affordable for students, but also helps them make new friendships along the way.
How the Idea was Born
The story of Group Ticket Finder begins with Alireza (aka TB), an AI master's student from Iran, who faced the steep costs of travel during his exchange semester in Groningen. Like many international students, he was eager to explore the country but was discouraged by the outrageous train ticket prices. That’s when he discovered the concept of ‘group tickets’, which offer significant discounts when multiple people travel together.
“At some point, somebody came to me and they were like, TB, you can use group ticket. And I never heard about that one before. I was like, what is group ticket? And he carried on explaining that if you travel with a group of friends, or basically everybody, anybody in the street, you can save up to like 70% on a train. I was so happy at that moment.”
Excited by this discovery, TB started a WhatsApp group to connect students travelling on the same routes. The response was overwhelming, with the group quickly reaching its maximum capacity at 1024 members. This success made TB realise the potential for a more permanent solution, and he needed more help onboard.
From WhatsApp to a Website
Determined to turn his idea into a sustainable platform, TB sought help from a mutual friend, Mustafa, who introduced him to Peter, an economics student from Hungary. (Ukrant’s article outlined how Peter received the call from Mustafa in a very inconvenient situation while sitting on the toilet, if you would like to read more details.) Despite the unconventional introduction, the two quickly saw eye to eye on the project's potential. “And it was genuinely something that was really interesting. And I really felt that TB was very enthusiastic about it.”
Peter and TB decided to transform the WhatsApp group into a full-fledged website. Despite having little experience building websites, TB used the knowledge from other startups he worked on to try and develop the initial site. He later found Ali, a technical expert from Iran, to finalise the coding while he worked on the design, and they turned their vision into reality.
Overcoming Challenges
Despite initial troubles creating the website, spreading the word about the platform was a challenge. Nevertheless, through the existing WhatsApp group chat and partnerships they have established, the pace picked up well.
In addition, Peter reached out to a successful Instagram influencer, who really liked their initiative, which kickstarted their visibility. “She realised that it has potential, that it's actually super helpful to people. She was like, yeah, we'll make this free for you, and we can definitely make a mutual post. And that went viral, - it had 330k views so far.” - TB
Current Operations and Future Plans
Operating with a small but dedicated team, Group Ticket Finder is focused on expanding its reach across the Netherlands. The founders are forming partnerships with universities and student organisations such as ESN and student associations to increase awareness of their services.
Future plans include hiring more staff to promote the platform, improving functionality, and exploring additional features like finding cheaper hostels or other travel-related services.
How to Use Group Ticket Finder
Using Group Ticket Finder is straightforward and user-friendly. Students create an account and enter their travel details, such as origin, destination, date, and time. The website then matches users with others travelling on the same route. If a match is found, users are connected via WhatsApp to finalise their travel plans and purchase group tickets. If no match is found, users can create their own trip listings for others to join.
More than Just a Discount
Peter and TB emphasise that Group Ticket Finder is about more than just saving money. It's a social platform that helps students, especially international and first-year students, make new connections.
“So I also think that's something that has merit to this platform, that you find friends instead of taking a boring path from Groningen to Amsterdam. You get an opportunity to have a long-lasting friendship.” - TB
The founders see it as a tool to bridge the gap between native, European, and third-country students, some of which are eligible for free travel benefits while others aren’t, making travel more accessible and enjoyable for everyone.
Looking Ahead
While Group Ticket Finder is registered as a business, it currently operates without monetising its services. Peter, TB, and Ali plan to keep the platform free for students, potentially funding it through advertisements from small businesses aligned with their user base.
Committed to expanding their service and enhancing the student travel experience across the Netherlands, the team is dedicated to making Group Ticket Finder an accessible and useful tool for student travellers.