Rotterdam Transport

With its excellent tram and metro services, Rotterdam is an easy city to get around, with many of the main attractions located in a relatively small area of the city centre. Travelling by tram and metro is favoured by locals to using the bus routes, although the city’s bus services are useful for any trips outside of the city centre. The city also has an extensive network of water taxis, which connect with 250 different points in the surrounding area.

By Metro

The Rotterdam Metro is a very efficient service, with trains arriving every four minutes in the centre of the city at peak times of the day. At night, the service is less frequent, with trains running every 15 to 30 minutes. There are two lines; the Erasmus Line, which goes from Central Station to Spijkenisse, and the Caland line with a few different branches to the northeast of the city. Trains on the Caland line also terminate in Spijkenisse. The lines cross at Hoogvliet.

By bus

Although Rotterdam has a fairly substantial bus network, it is not the most favoured option for journeys around the city. There are not that many stops and the service is less efficient than the Metro and tram services. However, if you do want to travel outside of the city, then the bus can take you to the suburbs on the outskirts of Rotterdam and some neighbouring towns. The main bus station is located opposite the Central Station.

Taxis

There are a good number of taxis here, although this is not the preferred method of travel for getting around the city, especially in the daytime, when the tram and metro services are easy to navigate. RTC is the main company for calling taxis, and you can hail one on the street when cab light is on. Any restaurant or hotel will happily organise a taxi for you.

Water taxis

The water taxi is a fast and popular way to get around the region. The Maastaxis are fast and efficient and travel to 250 different destinations in the area. For information and pricing, call: +31 10 40 30 303.

Trams

The tram is the most popular option for travelling around the city;  the network is extensive, with nine different tramlines.  Fares are relatively cheap, making it a good option for short hops around the main tourist areas.  For convenience, the tram has a stop directly outside the Central Station.

Tourist services

The tram is the easiest and most convenient way to get around the city centre and a number of tickets and passes are available. The most common ticket is a ‘strippenkaart’, which is valid on buses, trams and Metro trains. Each time you make a journey, you stamp one strip per zone and one extra strip. You can buy your strippenkaart at stations and newsstands. It is also possible to buy one-way tickets and day passes.

From the airport

There are good bus and taxi connections available from the airport as well as offices of all the main car hire firms. From the airport, bus 33 takes you to Central Station in about 20 minutes, with buses departing every 10 minutes. There are also shuttle buses for those travelling to Amsterdam, The Hague and Delft. The taxi rank is located in front of the airport terminal.