There are many ways to get to Rotterdam. The most common methods are by plane, train or car. In most cases, you're likely to pass through Rotterdam Central Station at a certain point. The stunning transportation hub was officially opened by the king, on March 13th, 2014.
Rotterdam by plane
You have 2 options when travelling by plane. For starters, you can travel to Schiphol Airport (which often means cheaper prices). From Schiphol there are trains to Rotterdam. The trainride takes approximately 45 minutes via Intercity. Read more about train travel below.
Rotterdam The Hague Airport daylight
Rotterdam also has its own airport. Officially, its called Rotterdam The Hague Airport. However, it's actually located within the borders of Rotterdam. From Rotterdam The Hague Airport you can hop on to Bus 33 which takes you to Rotterdam Central Station in 25 minutes.
This is the address for Rotterdam The Hague Airport:
Rotterdam Airportplein 60
3045 AP Rotterdam
Eindhoven Airport
Another option is Eindhoven Airport. It's pretty small and relatively unknown, but many low cost carriers including Ryanair, Wizzair, Vueling and Transavia fly to and from the city. Check out the Eindhoven Airport website.
Rotterdam by train
From Schiphol Airport
A 2nd class full fare one-way trip is €12.20, a roundtrip costs €24.40
A 1st class full fare one-way trip is €20.70, a roundtrip costs €41.40
If you take the faster Intercity Direct train, the total duration is 30 minutes. However, the Intercity Direct is slightly more expensive (+€2,50 extra).
From Eindhoven Airport
Eindhoven is 110 kilometres away from Rotterdam. Before boarding a train, you'll need to catch a bus from the aiport to the train station. The busride from Eindhoven Airport to Eindhoven Station costs €2.20. The entire trip, from Eindhoven Airport to Rotterdam Central Station should take a little less than 2 hours.
As for the trainride:
A 2nd class full fare one-way trip is €17.90, a roundtrip costs €35.80
A 1st class full fare one-way trip is €30.40, a roundtrip costs €60.80
OV Chipcard (public transportation smartcard)
Please note that to travel within The Netherlands, a rechargeable OV-chipcard (public transport smartcard) is the cheapest option. A printed train ticket will always cost around €1,50 extra. Perhaps more importantly, you can also use the OV-chipcard in all busses, trams and metro stations. If you're going to be in The Netherlands for longer than one or two days, we highly recommend you buy an OV-chipcard.
Check out the NS website for more international travel details:
https://www.nsinternational.nl/en
If you're already in The Netherlands, you can use the local NS website.
http://www.ns.nl/en
Rotterdam by car
Coming to Rotterdam by car? Don't drive too fast. The speed limit outside of Rotterdam is usually 100 kilometers per hour. Also, there's paid parking within the entire city center, but parking is free after 23:00. A good idea is to park at a P+R area. The costs are relatively cheap and there is always access to public transportation.
