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| Transportation
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| by air
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Rotterdam does have its own airport, a very small one that is a pleasure to fly into or depart from, with flights to and from various other European countries. The Rotterdam airport is in easy reach of the city, and a 20 minute ride on the LET airport shuttle will bring you to Rotterdam Central Station. It is also easy to take a taxi into town if you prefer, and there are always several lined up near the airport exit.
Holland’s main airport, however, is Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam, and this is the airport where all overseas flights as well as most European ones arrive. This airport is considered to be one of the finest in Europe in terms of its facilities and efficiency. The airport serves over 90 airlines flying to over 220 destinations. Airport facilities include bureaux de change, currency exchange machines, restaurants, duty-free shops, left luggage, tour operators, hotel reservations, car hire and prayer rooms.
It is easy to get from Schiphol to Rotterdam by train, and takes 40 - 55 minutes. The train station is part of the airport, located right in the middle of the arrivals halls. The trains depart from platforms underground, and there are blue monitors in the hall displaying the next trains to leave. Trains leave the airport for Rotterdam frequently, usually every fifteen minutes. You can buy rail tickets from the NS counters in the main hall, or from the blue and yellow ticket machines if you have coins.
Taxis are also available outside the arrivals hall. For more information on Schiphol airport you can visit www.schiphol.nl
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| by train
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There are trains to Rotterdam from nearby European countries such as Belgium, Germany, France, and England, and if you don’t mind a long trip with some changing of trains you can get to Rotterdam by train from most places in Europe. The Thalys high-speed train is the best one to take to France and Belgium, and has quite reasonable rates if you book far enough in advance. There are up to seven trains a day connecting Rotterdam and Paris. More information is available at www.thalys.com.
You can also find good details on international trains to and from Holland on the Dutch train website, www.ns.nl, which is available in both English and Dutch. For all international trains, it is much cheaper to book in advance, and is required for Thalys trains.
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| by car
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The Dutch road system is easily accessible from elsewhere in Europe and is extremely well maintained. You usually do not need an international driver’s license as a tourist to drive here as long as you have a valid license in your own country, but if you are from a non-English-speaking country outside of the EU, you should check about this.
The roads in the Netherlands are organized so that a green ''''E'''' indicates international motorways, a red ''''A” national motorways and a letter ''''N'''' marks smaller roads. Speed limits are 120kph (75mph) on motorways, 80kph (50mph) on major roads, and 50kph (30mph) in towns.
There are many car rental companies in Rotterdam, many of which have a desk at the airport, making it easy to get a car as soon as you arrive. But it is often cheaper to reserve a car in advance from your home country. There are usually discount rates for car rentals of one week or longer. To rent a car in the Netherlands you have to be at least 21, though some companies require you to be 23. Once you get a car, make sure you pay your parking fee, as fines are very expensive. There is a place to pay on every block or two, identified by a blue ‘P’ sign, and you can only pay by credit or a “chip card.” Chip cards can be purchased at newsstands, tobacco shops, supermarkets and the like. Parking tariffs and the times that they apply are posted on all ticket machines.
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| by bus
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The Eurolines bus company offers cheap and reliable transport from many major cities throughout Europe, such as London, Paris, Brussels, and Frankfurt. Bus is also often the cheapest way to get to Holland from Eastern Europe. Tickets are generally cheaper the further in advance you book, and there are reduced fares for students and youths. Details, routes, and schedules can be found at www.eurolines.com.
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| by water
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Travelling by ferry can be a good alternative way of getting to Holland from the UK. Crossings operate between Harwich and the Hook of Holland (Hoek van Holland), between Newcastle and Amsterdam, and between Hull and Rotterdam.
Ferries running between Harwich and the Hook of Holland are operated by Stenaline (www.stenaline.com) and the crossing time is 3 hours and 40 minutes. To get to the centre of Rotterdam takes a further half hour.
Ferries from Newcastle to Amsterdam take 16 hours, and are operated by DFDS Seaways (www.dfdsseaways.com). The trip from Hull to Rotterdam takes 11 hours, operated by P & O Ferries (www.poferries.com).
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