Airports

Rotterdam is easily accessible from international destinations. Connections from the major hub at Schiphol Airport (with well over 350 European and Intercontinental destinations) are excellent by road and rail. With the direct high speed train you can transfer in only 26 minutes from Schiphol Airport to the city centre of Rotterdam.

Rotterdam The Hague Airport, located just outside the city, serves over 40 destinations in Europe. An increasing number of European cities provide direct flights to Rotterdam The Hague Airport. Operators Transavia, British Airways, TUIfly Belgium, TUIfly Nederland and Corendon fly to the second regional airport in the Netherlands. Check the websites of the operators for more detailed information.

From Rotterdam The Hague Airport, you can reach the very heart of Rotterdam very quickly, travelling by car (rental through Sixt), taxi or public transport:

Car/taxi  | 10-15 minutes
RandstadRail | 15 minutes
RET (bus 33) | 20-25 minutes

More information: www.rotterdamthehagueairport.nl or 010 446 34 44

Public transportation to Rotterdam

One of the fastest and easiest ways to get to Rotterdam is to travel by train. Intercity trains hailing from every corner of the Netherlands make a stop at Rotterdam Central Station, including the high-speed train. The fastest connection between Amsterdam, Schiphol, Rotterdam and Breda is the NS Intercity Direct. It runs twice per hour. Please note that a supplement is needed for the Intercity Direct in addition to your NS ticket. Click here for more information.

When travelling from France and Belgium, you can take the Thalys (it runs 10 times per day). When travelling from the United Kingdom, you can use the Eurostar connection.

You can find more information about routes, departure times and prices on www.ns.nl (domestic travel), www.nsinternational.nl (from and to destinations abroad), www.thalys.mobi (Thalys) and Eurostar.

Public transport in the Netherlands in general

The Netherlands and Rotterdam have excellent public transport systems. You can get around the city by bus, tram and metro. In order to travel by public transport, you need to have a valid public transport card.
You can either buy a ticket at the station, in the bus or tram, or in the NS app (available for iOS and Android). If you are traveling by train, you can buy a ticket at the station. Important: always check in at the station of departure and out at the station of arrival by swiping your ticket on the yellow card readers (train) or the readers inside the bus/tram.

You have three options to buy a train ticket:
1. Buy a public transport ticket at the station: buy a ticket from the yellow ticket machines at Schiphol, located outside the arrival and departure halls or at the baggage belts, or any other train station.

Ticket machines at  Schiphol: 

2. Buy a ticket and plan your journey in the NS app: You can also download the NS app on your phone to find everything you need to plan your entire trip, from door to door. In the app, fill in your destination, select a trip and buy your train ticket right inside the app! (Note: your ticket is valid for one entire day for your chosen journey, and is thus not restricted to a specific time; also a ticket does not guarantee a seat).

3. (new!) OVpay is a new way of checking in and out in public transport in the Netherlands. You can check in and out with your smartphone (through Apple or Google Pay) or credit/debit card. Read more: https://ovpay.nl/en

Trains to Rotterdam generally leave from track 5-6 at Schiphol. Please check the signs above the platform to make sure you are boarding the right train. Also be aware that for some trains (marked as Intercity Direct) a supplement is mandatory, payable at a Supplement Pole on the train platform.