To & From Schipol Airport
By Train
The best way of getting from Schipol airport to Rotterdam is via train.
The minimum price of a train ticket from Schiphol Airport (Amsterdam) to Rotterdam Centraal is €13.2**. To buy train tickets from Schiphol Airport (Amsterdam) to Rotterdam Centraal for the lowest price possible, we recommend that you book your tickets between 3 to 6 months in advance. Booking early allows you to take advantage of the cheapest fares and best tickets.
You can buy tickets from websites such as the Trainline.
The average journey time between Schiphol Airport (Amsterdam) and Rotterdam Centraal is 28 minutes and the fastest journey time is 20 minutes. On an average weekday, there are 92 trains per day travelling from Schiphol Airport (Amsterdam) to Rotterdam Centraal. The journey time may be longer on weekends and holidays.
The first train from Schiphol Airport (Amsterdam) to Rotterdam Centraal departs at 00:27.
The last train from Schiphol Airport (Amsterdam) to Rotterdam Centraal departs at 23:57.
To & From the Hague Airport
From Rotterdam The Hague Airport, you can reach the very heart of Rotterdam very quickly, travelling by car, taxi or public transport.
By Bus
Bus 33 makes the 20-minute run from the airport to Rotterdam Centraal Station every 15 minutes throughout the day.
By Rental Car
You can also simply rent a car, making your stay in Rotterdam even more flexible. Sixt (+32 10 462 72 21) has offices at Rotterdam The Hague Airport and several other locations in the city, providing an extensive fleet of cars.
By Taxi
This is the most expensive option however if you wish to use a taxi you can go with a local taxi. A taxi takes 10 minutes to get to the centre and costs around €25.
|
Rotterdamse Taxi Centrale (RTC) |
010 - 462 60 60 |
| Rotterdam Airport Taxi |
010 - 262 04 06 |
Or you can use apps such as Uber;
https://www.uber.com/en-GB/cities/rotterdam/
In Rotterdam
Public transport
Rotterdam has an excellent public transport system, provided by the RET. You can get all over the city by bus, tram and metro. In order to travel by public transport, you will need a valid public transport card, known as the 'personal OV-chipkaart'.
Public transport cards
There are various types of public transport cards:
- RET Tourist Day Ticket: One-day unlimited travel throughout South Holland (bus, tram, metro & waterbus): for sale at RET service shops and service centres, Rotterdam Tourist Information (Coolsingel and Central Station).
- RET 1-2-3 days: for sale at RET service shops and service centres, Rotterdam Tourist Information (Coolsingel and Central Station).
- RET 2 hours and RET 2x1 hours: for sale and rechargeable at sales desks and reloading machines in metro stations
- RET 1 hour: for sale from bus drivers and tram conductors.
Check the prices of the public transport card on the RET website.
Metro
The metro system lets you travel quickly and easily in Rotterdam and the surrounding areas. There are five lines (routes), each marked with their own letter (A-E), their own colour and with their final destinations. Beurs station is the biggest metro hub, where all the lines intersect. Line E (RandstadRail) connects Rotterdam with The Hague. Travel times: Mon-Sat 05:30-0:15 / Sun 07:30-0:15 (times may vary per route).
Tram
Tram lines 8, 7, 21, 23, 21, 23, 24 and 25 all travel through the centre. All trams converge at Central Station, the perfect place to get on the tram. Travel times: Mon-Sat 05:00-0:30 / Sun 07:00-0:30 (times may vary per route).
Bus
The RET provides several bus routes which connect the centre with several city districts, neighbourhoods and the greater metropolitan area. Check the RET website for further information about routes and stops.
Hop on Hop off and Historic tram line 10
Discover all the Rotterdam highlights at your own pace using the Hop on Hop off bus or with the historic tram line 10. Both of these services will take you past many of the tourist attractions of Rotterdam. You can get on or off whenever you feel like it.
The Hop-on-Hop-off bus tour with its characteristic red double-decker bus has been travelling through Rotterdam since July 2015. There are stops at Central Station, Museum Park, Erasmus Bridge / Spido, Euromast / The Park, Kop van Zuid / Cruise Terminal, Markthal / Oudehaven, City Hall / Coolsingel. One full tour takes about an hour. One 24-hour ticket (unlimited use and 30’ free bike rental) costs € 17 (€ 16 for senior citizens and students, € 8.50 for children). One 48-hour ticket (unlimited use and 30’ free bike rental) costs € 25 (€ 24 for senior citizens and students, € 12.50 for children).
Tram line 10 is available in July and August from Wednesday through Sunday at the following stops: Willemsplein - Museumplein - Kruisplein - Centraal Station - Oostplein - Blaak - Beurs - Lijnbaan - Delfshaven - Oostkousdijk - Euromast - Museumplein - Eendrachtsplein - Lijnbaan - Beurs - Willemsplein. In September and October, the tram runs on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Tickets can be bought on the tram, or at the departure point at Willemsplein. A ticket costs € 7 (adult) or € 4.50 (children 4-11 and 65+).
Taxi
Of course you can also traverse Rotterdam by taxi. You have the choice between the car taxi or the bike taxi:
| Rotterdamse Taxi Centrale (RTC) | 010 - 462 60 60 |
| Rotterdam Airport Taxi | 010 - 262 04 06 |
| Taxi St-Job | 010 - 425 70 00 |
| Stadstaxi Rotterdam | 010 – 818 28 23 |
| Fietstaxi (a kind of covered bike rickshaw) | 010 – 411 02 22 of 06-15295901 |
If you hail a bike taxi on the street, you pay €1 p/p per 3 minutes and for two persons € 10 per 15 minutes. Do you want to be sure you can use the bike taxi for that specific trip? Then call in advance for information about the price and to make a reservation.
By bike
Want to discover Rotterdam actively? Then get on a bike! Rotterdam has an extensive grid of cycle paths and is a part of the City Region Rotterdam bike junction network. You don’t have a bike at your disposal? Rent one at Fietspoint, located in the Groothandelsgebouw near Central Station, at a price of € 6.50 per day. Or at Zilt aan de Maas, located at Willemsplein (at the foot of Erasmus Bridge, close to the departure point for the Spido boat tours). If you have an NS pass or OV-bike subscription (purchase online and link it to your public transport card), there are several places where you can rent a bike in Rotterdam.
In the city centre, you can park your bike in free bicycle parking facilities at these locations: Binnenrotte, Meent, Coolsingel and Central Station. You can also recharge your electrical bike here. The bike racks at Central Station also include a guarded bicycle parking facility for a small fee.
Would you like to take a guided bike tour through Rotterdam? You can, with Urban Guides and Zilt aan de Maas. Both provide tours offering a wide variety of distances and themes.
Tip: your bike travels for free on the ferry services of the Waterbus and Aqualiner
By water
Want to feel like a true local? Don't miss the Maas during your visit to Rotterdam. There are various ways to incorporate the river into your travel plans:
Watertaxi
A spectacular experience and a convenient travel option, all rolled into one! The water taxi has about 50 landing stages in Rotterdam. The classic water taxi travels every 15 minutes between Hotel New York and Veerhaven or Leuvehaven and even more frequently on busy days. The water taxi can transport a maximum of 8 people at the same time and a ride starts from € 2.90 (depending on which harbour you're going to, Leuvehaven or Veerhaven). A child's ticket starts from € 1.30. The ferry service sails Monday -Thursday 11:00-21:00 and Friday - Sunday 9:00 to midnight.
In addition to the classic HNY water taxis, you can also go to any of the 50 water taxi landing stages to catch the modern water taxis, which traverse the entire area between Kinderdijk and Spijkenisse. The water taxi van be ordered via phone number 010 4030303 or through www.watertaxirotterdam.nl. Ticket prices vary, depending on the number of people on board and the distance that needs to be travelled. On request, transport to outlying towns like Dordrecht or Hook of Holland is also possible. These longer trips are subject to special prices (available upon request). There are water taxis that can accommodate up to 8 people, as well as water taxis that can accommodate up to 12 people. An overview of all the landing stages can be found at www.watertaxirotterdam.nl/aanlegplaatsen.
Waterbus
The water bus is a fast ferry service in Rotterdam, which can just as easily be used for commuting between home and work or to have a fun day on the water. This water bus travels daily between several stops: Heijplaat–RDM (e.g. bike tour of the port), Katendrecht (e.g. ss Rotterdam), St. Jobshaven (e.g. Euromast) and Erasmus Bridge. From there, you can transfer to a ferry to the windmills of Kinderdijk and historic Dordrecht. If there is sufficient space, you can bring your bike for free! You can travel with the water bus using your public transport chip-card. Prices depend on the distance you travel. Departure times vary per route. Check the Waterbus website for the up-to-date schedule (Dutch).
Ferry
In the direct vicinity of Rotterdam, you can also cross the Maas by ferry. The ferry from Maassluis and Rozenburg leaves every 20 minutes. During rush hour, a ferry leaves every 10 minutes. Check the schedule
The Waterbus also provides a ferry service for pedestrians and bikers between Plantagelaan (Kralingen – De Esch) and Piekstraat (Feijenoord). Line 19 is available several times between 07:00-18:52. Check the schedule.
