Rotterdampas - how to have fun and save money in Rotterdam | Rotterdam Pass

If you are the sort of person who likes your weekends with a side of bargain, the Rotterdampas might be your best friend in Rotterdam. The Rotterdampas is a yearly discount card that offers free or reduced entry to over 750 activities in and around Rotterdam, including museums, attractions, and more.

If there is one thing that is an evergreen in the top three of favourite things for every Dutch person, it’s a bargain. If you are staying in Rotterdam for a weekend or a fortnight, go right ahead and skip this article. On the other hand, if you are here for a couple of weeks, months, or years and are averagely active, do consider getting a Rotterdam pass, especially, if you have children! 

I have been here for a while and I hadn’t got one until recently, the main reasons being:

1. Thinking it was a touristy thing to do, 
2. Having to fill out a form online which includes uploading a photo, 
3. It does cost €65* per person (students pay €20 and kids rates vary)*.

*Note that there are various rates depending on whether you live in Rotterdam, have a low monthly income or are a student. For example, students who live or study in Rotterdam can obtain the pass for €20 per year. The list of exceptions is quite long, so do check the rotterdampas.nl website (Dutch) for the latest up-to-date information.

The Rotterdam pass helps with saving money

The maths is simple. If you do a handful of paid activities that are included, the discounts add up quickly. Museums, pools, cinema tickets, family attractions and seasonal offers can knock tens of euros off an ordinary month. It is particularly useful if you have children because kid friendly outings are where costs can snowball. The Rotterdampas is regularly promoted as including big hitters like museums and major attractions, plus a long tail of smaller deals that make it easier to say “yes” to an afternoon out. 

It's also worth it if you, let’s say, go to a few museums, a couple of movies, for a swim and a few ice creams. There are more things like (seasonal) discounts on things like eating out, special movies, beauty and relaxing therapies, indoor children’s playgrounds, sports clubs and tours.  

Capri Ijssalon 📷 Anna Soetens

Children love the Rotterdam pass

For parents with children, there are more discounts in there, like good savings on a yearly zoo card or playgrounds aka theme parks like Plaswijk Park. But already the seasonal discounts, free nature playground, free ice creams, as well as the fact that all museums are free with the Rotterdam pass will provide a lot of entertainment.  

Rotterdam Zoo 📷 Anna Soetens
Natuurspeeltuin de Speeldernis 📷 Anna Soetens

When it is valid (do not get caught out)

Before you sign up, check the date, though. The Rotterdampas is not a rolling 12 months from the day you buy it. It runs as a fixed pass year from 1 March to end of February. For the current cycle, the Rotterdampas year runs from 1 March 2026 to 28 February 2027. If you buy late in the pass year, you are buying the same end date as everyone else. The official advice is that from 1 February you buy for the new pass year that starts on 1 March.

For more information on the Rotterdam pas, check out the official Rotterdampas website. 

Haggling for it