Travel

Getting to Rotterdam

Planes mostly fly into Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS, “Schiphol”), although some budget airlines from Southern and Eastern Europe fly into Eindhoven Airport (EIN, 2h20m by train). Rotterdam/The Hague Airport (RTM, 25 minutes by bus/metro) also exists, but has few flights and isn’t as easy to reach as Schiphol (although the ground transportation’s much cheaper).

Trains run from Schiphol every few minutes in midday: Schedules and prices are on ns.nl, where you’ll also see any current disruptions. You can pay with most bank/credit cards that have a chip, or get a paper ticket or national transit card (“OV Chipkaart”) from the train station attached to the airport. Read about the different payment methods here.

Express trains (“Intercity Direct”)
About 30 minutes and €18

Regular trains (“Intercity”)
About 50 minutes and €15

For those leaving the city late, Rotterdam is on the night train lines.

Long-distance buses arrive at Rotterdam Central Station (“Conradstraat”) and other (distant) places in the city. Make sure you have the right stop!

Photo of Rotterdam's skyline at dusk with Erasmusbrug in the foreground. — Photo credit: Kristoffer Trolle, CC-BY 2.0

Local transit

Local transit in Rotterdam is dense and frequent: See RET.nl for fares and schedules. As with trains, payment is made by bank/credit card, single ticket, or OV Chipkaart.

Rotterdam Centraal to Nieuwe Instituut	17 minutes’ walk. Or take the #7 tram (destination Willemsplein) to Eendrachtsplein.
Rotterdam Centraal to Stayokay Hostel	26 minutes’ walk. Or take the train (destination Dordrecht); or 21 or 24 tram to Rotterdam Blaak.
Stayokay Hostel to Nieuwe Instituut	24 minutes’ walk. Or take the A, B, or C Metro two stops to Eendrachtsplein.

Parking

Parking can be expensive (12 hours = €25). Here’s a link to spots on Parkopedia around Het Nieuwe Instituut.