Travel to Rotterdam

Travel to Rotterdam

Rotterdam, situated 50 miles southwest of Amsterdam, is the most modern city in the Netherlands, largely due to the destruction from WWII and subsequent rebuilding. As a result, the city is a fascinating place for those interested in modern architecture and there are many interestingbuildings here, from the Euromast to the unique cubic houses. The citys history is largely focused around the importance of the port, which is the second largest in the world, and there are some excellent museums to be enjoyed.

Transportation to Rotterdam

By the standard of most European cities, Rotterdams airport, only five miles from the city centre, is small. There are three main scheduled airline carriers serving the facility, and in the low cost airline category, Transavia.com fly to London Stansted. However, the airport has good facilities and transport links to Rotterdam and further afield are also good.

Roads are well maintained and driving is a viableoption here, especially if you want to explore other cities in the Netherlands, or indeed neighbouring countries. The ferry services from the UK (Harwich and Hull) both offer facilities for taking your car and there are daily ferries from both ports. If travelling here from Amsterdam, take the A4 to The Hague and then connect to the A13 for Rotterdam; the 50-mile journey should take about an hour.

The train is another popular option for visitors to Rotterdam, with the high-speed Thalys train taking only 3 hours to reach Paris. Brussels is 2 hours by train. There are plenty of coach services from around Europe, as Rotterdam is on the Eurolines network.

Travel within Rotterdam is made easy by an efficient and extensive network of trams and metros as well as buses, taxis and water taxis.

What to see

Rotterdam offers plenty for visitors, starting with the symbol of the city, the 185-metre high Euromast space tower. From here, the views around the city and its port are spectacular and there is also a good restaurant at the 100 metre point. The city is well known for its museums, with around 30 different museums dotted around the city. Among these, the Kunsthal and Boijmans van Beuningen are two of the most impressive and are well worth a visit.

As the only major building in the city that survived WWII, the St Lawrence Church in the centre of Rotterdam is particularly poignant. The churchs history dates back to the 16th century, although significant parts were rebuilt in the 1950s and 1960s, and today, it hosts exhibitions and concerts.

In contrast, the extraordinary cubic houses have an ultra modern feel to them, with the houses constructed at a 45 degree angle to the normal. There is a show house here, which is fun and cheap to visit.

Daytrips

One of the most popular daytrips here is to Delfshaven, just outside the city centre andeasily reachedby metro. The tree-lined canal has a rich history as an area that escaped bombing in WWII and there are many good restaurants, cafs and shops as well as the De Pelgrim brewery, where Rotterdams oldest beer is still brewed.

Activities and leisure

Rotterdam was nominated as the European Capital of Sport in 2005, and the city has one of Europes most famous football stadiums; Feyenoords De Kuip stadium has hosted more European finals than any other. The city also hosts the ABN AMRO indoor tennis tournament, one of the biggest indoor tennis events in the world.

Cycling is a popular leisure activity here, as the city is flat and easy to cycle around, while swimming, running and canoeing are also popular. For an adrenalin rush, it is possible to abseil down the Euromast!

Safety issues

Rotterdam has a slightly higher crime rate than other cities in the country and there are a couple of sensible precautions that tourists should take. Take care of your valuables in busy tourist areas and dont take all your money out with you at one time. There are a couple of common scams involving people posing as police that are easily avoided by asking to go to the police station. A good travel insurance policy is important, as with any trip.