Getting There and Away

Written by Felix Schmidt, Lorraine Aust
03/09/2025
Breathtaking aerial view of Rotterdam cityscape featuring the iconic Erasmus Bridge under a clear blue sky.
Werner Hilversum, Pexels

Rotterdam is served by major transport hubs, including the modern Rotterdam Centraal Station for extensive train, metro, tram, and bus services, and Rotterdam The Hague Airport (RTM) for regional and international flights. The city's extensive port also facilitates ferry travel.

By Air:

Rotterdam The Hague Airport (RTM) offers direct flights from various European cities, with airlines such as Transavia, TUI fly, Pegasus, Corendon, and British Airways operating routes from destinations like London, Málaga, and Istanbul.

  • To reach the city center from RTM, bus line 33 travels to Rotterdam Centraal Station in approximately 20 to 25 minutes, with tickets costing around €4.50. Alternatively, one can take bus 33 for a short 5-minute ride to Meijersplein metro station, then Metro Line E, reaching Rotterdam Centraal in about 7 minutes. A taxi from the airport to the city center takes roughly 15 minutes and costs approximately €40.

By Train:

Rotterdam Centraal Station is a major railway hub with excellent national and international connections.

  • Direct high-speed trains connect Rotterdam to Antwerp (around 30 minutes), Brussels (approximately 1 hour 11 minutes), Paris (about 2 hours 36 minutes), and London (around 3 hours 1 minute). Indicative costs for a one-way trip to Brussels can start from €11, and to Paris from $46.
  • Within the Netherlands, frequent intercity trains connect Rotterdam to Amsterdam in approximately 41-60 minutes, with tickets starting from around €18.

By Bus:

Intercity bus services, such as FlixBus, operate to and from Rotterdam, connecting it with numerous European cities. The main bus stops are located at the Central Bus Station near Stationsplein and at Zuidplein. Ticket prices for some routes can start from as low as €4.48.

By Ferry:

P&O Ferries offers daily overnight crossings between Hull, UK, and Rotterdam. The journey typically takes around 11 hours 15 minutes. Departures from Hull are usually at 8:30 PM, arriving in Rotterdam around 8:30 AM the next morning. Costs for a return journey can be around £679.

By Car:

Car rental services are available at Rotterdam The Hague Airport from various companies including Hertz, Sixt, Budget, and Avis, with daily rates starting from approximately $35-$40. Driving from the airport to central Rotterdam takes roughly 15 minutes.

Check out our other pages on Rotterdam

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