Rotterdam, a major European port and the second largest city of the Netherlands. It lies about 30 km from the North Sea, to which it is linked by a canal called the New Waterway.

It is unlike any other Dutch city. With its impressive skyline, Rotterdam is also called ‘the Manhattan on the Meuse’. Rotterdam’s international port is Europe’s biggest harbour and among the world’s top five biggest harbours. It is an architectural and cultural metropole with countless attractions, festivals and museums. The city has a lively, young urban culture and an unmatched selection of shops, restaurants and cafes. Rotterdam used to be a labourers’ city, which has lived on in its way of thinking characterized by honesty and hard work.

It is a city of many faces: a tough port city, a trendy nightlife city, a sophisticated shopping city, and a hip artistic city. Above all, Rotterdam is the architecture city of Holland that stimulates innovation. Its skyline is always changing. There are many things to do amid Rotterdam’s skyscrapers. You can go on a shopping spree, enjoy some excellent food, and visit a range of museums and attractions in and around the city centre.

The best-known museums in town and two of Holland’s most sophisticated museums, Boijmans van Beuningen and Kunsthal, are located on the Museumpark in Rotterdam. Elsewhere in the city you will find even more museums and exciting attractions, such as the Scheepvaartmuseum shipping museum, Euromast, Hotel New York, Spido and Steamship Rotterdam. If the cultural offering doesn’t convince you, the huge and varied shop offering will.

TRAIN

One of the fastest and easiest ways to get to Rotterdam is to travel by train. Intercity trains hailing from every corner of the Netherlands make a stop at Rotterdam Central Station, including the high-speed train. The fastest connection between Amsterdam, Schiphol, Rotterdam and Breda is the NS Intercity Direct. It runs twice per hour. When travelling between Schiphol and Rotterdam, you will have to pay an Intercity Direct surcharge.

When travelling from France and Belgium, you should take the Thalys (it runs ten times per day). When travelling from the United Kingdom, you will arrive direct by Eurostar.

You can find more information about routes, departure times and prices on www.ns.nl(domestic travel), www.NSinternational.com (from and to destinations abroad), www.thalys.com (Thalys) and Eurostar.

 CAR

Rotterdam can easily be reached by car, using the A4, A13, A15, A16 and A20 motorways. Exits to Rotterdam Centrum are clearly marked on signs.

Car rental

You can also simply rent a car,  making your stay in Rotterdam even more flexible. Sixt has five locations in Rotterdam - at Rotterdam the Hague Airport, next to Hilton Rotterdam and three other locations in the city, providing an extensive fleet of cars

 BOAT

Obviously, any true port city can be reached by boat! You can travel to Rotterdam by ferry from the United Kingdom. P&O Ferries and Stena Line offer regular ferry services between the United Kingdom and the Netherlands. Stena sails from Harwich, England to Hook of Holland, and it takes 30 minutes to travel from there to Rotterdam. P&O sails from Hull to Rotterdam Europoort. De Jong tours operates a shuttle service between Rotterdam Europoort and the city.

More information:
P&O Ferries www.poferries.com or call +31107145464
Stena Line www.stenaline.nl or 0900-8123 (€ 0,35 per call)

 BY PLANE

An increasing number of European cities provide direct flights to Rotterdam The Hague Airport. Operators Transavia, British Airways, TUIfly Belgium, TUIfly Nederland and Corendon fly to the second regional airport in the Netherlands. Check the websites of the operators for more detailed information.

From Rotterdam The Hague Airport, you can reach the very heart of Rotterdam very quickly, travelling by car (rental through Sixt), taxi or public transport.

You can also fly to Amsterdam Shipol Airport (AMS) and take a train, a bus or a taxi to Rotterdam. The train journey time between Amsterdam Schiphol Airport (AMS) and Rotterdam is around 32 min and covers a distance of around 53 km. The fastest train normally takes 20 min. Operated by Dutch Railways (NS) and Thalys, the Amsterdam Schiphol Airport (AMS) to Rotterdam train service departs from Schiphol Airport and arrives in Rotterdam Centraal. Typically 597 trains run weekly, although weekend and holiday schedules can vary so check in advance.

It is very easy to get around in Rotterdam. As the city center is relatively small, you can simply walk or rent a bike. To get to other parts of Rotterdam you should use public transportation like city bus system or a taxi.

PUBLIC TRANSPORT PAYMENT

When travelling to Rotterdam, you need a public transport (OV) chip card or you can buy single tickets at the station or on the bus. Another option is the Tranzer app. With this app, you can buy tickets for all the train companies, the Connexxion buses and the RET. Your ticket will appear in your app after purchase and it allows you to travel immediately, using your phone. Checking in and out and a chip card is not required. Various taxi services, such as Uber, can also be ordered with Tranzer.

ROTTERDAM WELCOME CARD

This city card is your key to great discounts in Rotterdam! The Rotterdam Welcome Card offers great discounts on top attractions, art & culture and drinks & dining. Plus you get a travel pass for 1, 2 or 3 days of public transport in the city. See more. Pay less.

Where to buy

The Rotterdam Welcome Card is available at Rotterdam Tourist Information offices and can also be ordered online (one day). There are numerous other sales points that sell the card. If you like to purchase the card from another sales point than Rotterdam Tourist Information, then we advise you to contact them in advance to check if they have your preferred card in stock. Due to the corona measure, please note that these locations have a limited capacity, so time slots will be filled quickly.
For more information and to order the Rotterdam Welcome Card online: www.rotterdamwelcomecard.com