Practical tips for visiting Rotterdam

Read this blog for several practical tips for your visit to Rotterdam. Rotterdam is a modern city to check out the architecture or to plan different activities, such as a museum visit, a nice dinner or to enjoy the beautiful parts of the city. In this blog I will tell you several tips for your visit to Rotterdam.

Travelling to Rotterdam

Rotterdam is a city that can be easily reached from different places in the Netherlands and Europe. The best options are:

– By train

Rotterdam Centraal is a large train station and there is a good connection between the major cities in the Netherlands, such as Amsterdam, Utrecht and The Hague. In addition, Rotterdam can be reached from Paris (Thalys) and London (Eurostar).

– By car

Rotterdam is easy to reach by car. There are plenty of parking spaces in the city for your visit to Rotterdam, but keep in mind that the traffic in the city is heavy during rush hours. Furthermore, parking rates are high in the center, so you can choose to park your car outside the center and get to the center by metro.

– By plane

Rotterdam The Hague airport is 15 minutes from the city center. From here you can take a cab, Uber or the bus to get to the center.

Public transport in Rotterdam

In the center of Rotterdam, public transport is the fastest way to get around the city. There are several options you can take, such as:

– OV-chip card and debit card

With your OV-chip card or debit card you can use buses, streetcars, metros and trains. The OV-chip card can be recharged at vending machines at the station and this is often also possible at the Albert Heijn.

– RET

RET is a local transport company that operates all buses, metros and streetcars in Rotterdam. You can get a day ticket from as little as 9.50.

– Water bus and water taxi

Rotterdam is a city on the river Maas, so you can use a water bus or a water cab. This makes your visit to Rotterdam even more fun by seeing the city from the water.

– Part time scooter/bicycle

In Rotterdam you can rent several part-time scooter or bikes to get around in the city, such as Check, Felyx and GO Sharing. Through the App of these scooters, you can reserve the scooters and pay for the scooter by the minute during use. The helmets of the scooters sit in the bin on the back and this way you can ride around the city with two people. Just be sure to pay close attention to the signs where you should ride on the road or bike lane.

Safety and information

Rotterdam is generally a safe city, but it is always good to be alert, especially in the busy tourist areas of the city. One tip which is actually true of every major city is to watch your belongings carefully for pickpockets. Especially at the busy places, such as the shopping streets and the Market Hall.

In the Netherlands and also in Rotterdam the locals speak English well. Therefore, you don’t have to worry if you don’t speak Dutch.

Are you curious to learn more about Rotterdam and its architecture? Then take a look at the SmartWalk of Rotterdam where you can visit the most beautiful places of the city. This walking tour via your phone offers you a fun tour where you will get background information, answer fun questions and you can walk all this at your own pace.

Have fun during your visit in Rotterdam!