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Getting Around - Rotterdam

Rotterdam Airport

Though much smaller than the major Dutch hub, Schiphol, Rotterdam Airport (RTM) is the second largest in the Netherlands and has grown much busier in the past five years, mainly due to the growth of the low-cost carrier market. The budget airline Transavia flies there from London-Stansted, while KLM Cityhopper flies from London-Heathrow and the Belgian VLM airline flies from London-City and Manchester. Formerly known as Zestienhoven, it is located 8 kilometres north of the city. The service bus 33, operated by RET, runs every 10 minutes, on average, between Rotterdam Airport and Rotterdam Central Station. The journey time is approximately 20 minutes. A single ticket may be purchased from the driver and will cost €2.70. At Rotterdam Central Station, the bus stop is located in front of the ‘Groot Handelsgebouw’ on Weena Street. The taxi rank is located directly in front of the exit to the terminal. A journey to the centre of Rotterdam should cost approximately € 23.00.

Schiphol Airport

The Netherlands’ major hub and the fourth busiest airport in Europe, Amsterdam Schiphol Airport, is about 55 kilometres from Rotterdam. The budget airline Transavia flies from Glasgow-Prestwick. bmi flies from Aberdeen and London-Heathrow. British Airways flies from London-Heathrow and London-Gatwick. KLM flies from Aberdeen, Edinburgh, London-Heathrow and Manchester. KLM Cityhopper flies from Aberdeen, Bristol, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds/Bradford, London-City, Manchester and Newcastle. Flybe flies from Exeter, Norwich and Southampton.

Schiphol Airport Train Station is located directly under the terminal building for a quick transfer. The station is accessible via six escalators located on the main concourse. Tickets can be bought from yellow ticket machines, or from ticket offices (both situated on the main concourse.) Free luggage trolleys are available on the platform. Trains depart every 10 minutes for Rotterdam Central Station and the journey takes about 50 minutes. A one way ticket costs between €10 and €16. There’s also an hourly night train.

General Transport

Unsurprisingly, given that it’s a Dutch city, Rotterdam can most easily be negotiated by bicycle. There are plenty of places where you can easily rent a bike by the day or by the week. In spite of this, Rotterdam does have a good public transportation system, comprising bus, tram and metro.

Tram is generally the most popular method of transport. Stations are located throughout the city and can take you from point A to point B with a minimum of fuss and trouble. Metro trains depart every 4 minutes during daytime. In the evenings they depart every 15 or 30 minutes. Buses depart less often than trams or metros and bus stops are not to be found on every street corner. The only advantage to this method of travel is that the buses go further and are therefore an excellent way to get deeper into Rotterdam’s suburbs, as well as neighbouring cities and towns.

Whatever form of public transport you’re intending to use, it’s best to buy a 'strippenkaart'. You can buy a strippenkaart at any news stand, tobacco store or station. Every time you take the bus, tram or metro, you stamp one strip per zone plus one extra. If you’re unsure, just ask the driver or the conductor how many strips you have to stamp. If you don’t have a strippenkaart and you still want to travel by tram or bus, you can always buy a single ticket for €1.60 from the driver or the conductor.

Rotterdam is built on a number of islands, so the most picturesque method of travelling from shore to shore is by water taxi. This speedboat will take you over the Nieuwe Maas River to IJsselmonde Island and back to the mainland. Two regular services run from Wilhelminakade (near hotel New York on Kop van Zuid) to Veerhaven and Leuvehaven. Services run Monday to Fridays from 08.00 – midnight and on Saturdays and Sundays from 09.00 – midnight. Do be aware that except for buses on Friday and Saturday night, there is no public transportation after midnight. Rotterdam is not a night owl’s city.