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Travelling to Rotterdam

Are you planning a visit to Rotterdam? The city can be reached easily from across the country and abroad. Whether you come by train, bus, car, plane, boat or possibly even by bike, Rotterdam offers excellent connections in and around the city.

Travelling by train

The train is one of the fastest and easiest ways to travel to Rotterdam.

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 traveling from France, Belgium, or the United Kingdom, the Eurostar is a convenient and direct option.

Een foto van treinen op Rotterdam Centraal StationIris van den Broek
Trains at Rotterdam Central Station

Approximate travel times from various cities, domestic and abroad:

  • Amsterdam: 40 min (Intercity Direct)
  • Schiphol: 25 min (Intercity Direct)
  • Breda: 25 min (Intercity Direct)
  • Antwerpen: 32 min (Eurostar)
  • Brussel: 1u 10 min (Eurostar)
  • Parijs: 2u 40 min (Eurostar)
  • Londen: 3u 29 min (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), and Eurostar.

Night trains

After a night out in Rotterdam, you can take the night train from Rotterdam Central Station. The night train runs every night to The Hague Hollands Spoor, and continues its route to Leiden, Schiphol Airport, Amsterdam Centraal and Utrecht Centraal.

OV-chip card and OV-pay

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. Alternatively, you can check in with OV-pay, a contactless payment method via your debit card, credit card or mobile, ideal for shorter trips. Another option is the Tranzer app. With this app, you can buy tickets for all the train companies, the Connexxion buses and the RET.

Een foto van reizigers bij het busstation ZuidpleinIris van den Broek
Zuidplein bus station, one of the largest bus stations in the Netherlands

Bus transportation

Regional buses from regions such as the South Holland islands, Zeeland, Bergen op Zoom and Utrecht often travel to Zuidplein via Station Lombardijen.

On weekends, RET and Arriva night buses operate from Rotterdam Central to various neighbourhoods and the Drechtsteden.

FlixBus offers connections from cities such as Amsterdam, The Hague, Antwerp, Den Bosch, Nijmegen, Amersfoort, Apeldoorn and Utrecht to Rotterdam. Rotterdam is also accessible by FlixBus from foreign cities such as Berlin, Brussels, Hamburg, Ghent, Paris and Copenhagen.

Een luchtfoto van het verkeer op het SchiepleinGuido Pijper
Schieplein traffic square in Rotterdam North

Auto

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. You can find up-to-date information about traffic, congestion and accidents from the ANWB national motor association (Dutch), Rotterdam Bereikbaar, or check VanAnaarBeter (Dutch) for the latest news on roadworks in this region.

Een luchtfoto van de Hoek van Holland met op de voorgrond een schip van de Stena LineGuido Pijper
Daily sailings on the Harwich to Hook of Holland route

Transport by water

Obviously, any true port city can be reached by boat!

From England, you can take the ferry. Stena Line and P&O Ferries offer regular sailings from the UK to the Netherlands. Stena Line sails from Harwich to Hook of Holland, from where you can reach Rotterdam in 30 minutes. P&O sails from Hull to Rotterdam Europoort, with a connecting shuttle service to Rotterdam.

More information:

Tram rijdt op Erasmusbrug met een cruiseschip op de achtergrondGuido Pijper
A cruise ship is docked at the Cruise Port

Cruise

At Cruise Port on the Wilhelminakade there are regularly cruise ships docked.

Cruise lines such as AIDA and Holland-America Line also sail to Rotterdam. Travelers can disembark at Cruise Port on the Wilhelminakade and explore the city from there. On the website of Cruise Port Rotterdam you can find a calendar with the arrival and departure times of the different shipping companies.

Het zonnepark met zonnepanelen met op de achtergrond een vliegtuig bij Rotterdam The Hague AirportKoen Laureij
The solar farm at Rotterdam The Hague Airport is one of the largest in the south-western Netherlands

Flights to Rotterdam

An increasing number of European cities provide direct flights to Rotterdam The Hague Airport.

Airlines such as Transavia, British Airways, TUI fly Belgium, TUI fly Netherlands and Corendon offer connections to the Netherlands' second regional airport.

From Rotterdam The Hague Airport, you can quickly reach the centre of Rotterdam:

  • Car/taxi: 10-15 min
  • RandstadRail: 15 min
  • RET (bus line 33): 20-25 min

More info: www.rotterdamthehagueairport.nl or 010 446 34 44

Travelling in Rotterdam

Within Rotterdam you can travel well with public transport, bicycle, car and on foot. In the city with the largest port in Europe, water transport is of course also an option.

Een foto van een metro en reizigers bij het busstation op Zuidplein