Day trip from Amsterdam Rotterdam
The second city of the Netherlands, rebuilt after 1940 with modern architecture around a working port, 41 minutes from Amsterdam on the fastest train.
Is Rotterdam worth a day trip from Amsterdam?
Go. Take the whole day.
Go if you want a different Netherlands from the canal-house one. Rotterdam is 41 minutes away on the fastest train and there are around 146 departures a day, so you can leave when you like. A day covers the Markthal, the Cube Houses, the Erasmus Bridge and the Euromast, where the general ticket is € 17.50 at the desk or from € 13.50 online. The catch is the fare: € 20.20 each way before the Intercity Direct supplement, so the return alone passes € 40. If old streets and gabled houses are what you came for, Haarlem gives you more for less.
The decision sheet
- Travel time
- 41 minIntercity Direct, supplement applies · one way · Trainline (NS timetable and fares)
- Transport
- Intercity Direct
- Self-guided cost
- € 53.90–57.90Train return at the standard fare (2 x € 20.20) + Euromast general ticket (€ 13.50 online, € 17.50 at the desk). Intercity Direct supplement not included · Euromast
- Tour price
- From € 57Civitatis catalogue
- Time needed
- 6–8 hDaytripo editorial
- Closed days
- None
- Best time
- All year; clear days for the EuromastDaytripo editorial
- Verdict
- Worth a full dayDaytripo editorial
What to see and do in Rotterdam
- 01
Markthal
A horseshoe-shaped apartment block arched over a food hall, with a ceiling mural the size of two football pitches. Free to enter and open daily. Allow 45 minutes, more if you eat.
- 02
Cube Houses
Thirty-eight yellow cubes tilted on their corners, built in 1984 over a footbridge. Walking under them is free. One furnished cube is open as a small museum for a low fee and takes 15 minutes.
- 03
Erasmus Bridge and Kop van Zuid
The 800-metre cable-stayed bridge crosses the Maas to a district of towers on former docks. Walking over takes 15 minutes. The Fenix migration museum and its spiral viewing stair stand on the Katendrecht side.
- 04
Euromast
An observation tower from 1960 with a platform at 112 metres and a rotating lift that goes higher. Allow an hour. Skip it in low cloud, when you see nothing.
- 05
Depot Boijmans Van Beuningen
A mirrored bowl in the Museumpark that stores a whole museum collection in public view, with a free-standing rooftop wood on top. Allow 90 minutes. It is closed on Mondays.
How to spend the day
Leave Amsterdam Centraal on an Intercity Direct around 9:00 and walk out of Rotterdam Centraal by 9:45. Head to the Markthal and the Cube Houses first, about 20 minutes on foot, then follow the river to the Erasmus Bridge. Eat at the Markthal. Take a tram to the Euromast in mid-afternoon for the view from 112 metres. A train around 18:30 gets you back to Amsterdam before 19:30, and they keep running late into the evening.
Rotterdam in summer and in winter
Summer
June to AugustLong evenings suit Rotterdam, because the waterfront and the bridge look better at dusk and trains run late. Terraces open along the Maas and on the old harbour next to the Cube Houses. Big events fill hotels and trains on some July weekends, including the North Sea Jazz festival. Queues are short everywhere except the Euromast on clear days.
Winter
December to FebruaryA good cold-weather choice, since the Markthal, the Depot and the other museums are indoors and close together by tram. The Erasmus Bridge in January wind is unpleasant, so cross it by tram or metro. Low cloud often hides the view from the Euromast. Decide on that ticket only when you can see the sky.
How crowded it gets
Quiet- Busiest
- Saturdays 12:00-16:00 at the Markthal; festival weekends in July
- Quietest
- Weekday mornings; most of the city at any time
Rotterdam is a large working city and visitors spread out. The only tight spot is the Markthal at Saturday lunchtime. Eat there before 12:00 or after 14:00, and buy the Euromast ticket online to walk past the desk.
How do you get to Rotterdam from Amsterdam?
Intercity Direct
- Travel time
- 41 min
- Frequency
- About 146 trains a day, all types
- Cost
- € 20.20 each way + supplement
- Departs from
- Amsterdam Centraal
The Intercity Direct needs a supplement between Schiphol and Rotterdam; tap the red supplement post on the platform or add it to your e-ticket. Regular Intercity trains need no supplement and take about an hour. Check the planner, some fast trains leave from Amsterdam Zuid.
Organized tour
- Travel time
- 9 hours round trip
- Cost
- From € 57
- Departs from
- De Ruijterkade 34a, Amsterdam Centraal
One coach covers The Hague, Rotterdam and Delft, with about 2.5 hours free in Rotterdam. It suits you if you want three cities ticked off without planning. For Rotterdam alone the train is faster and gives you the full day.
Practical: clothes, food and money
What to wear
Walking shoes: the sights are 20-30 minutes apart on foot over wide, windy streets. A windproof layer matters more than warmth, above all on the bridge and at the top of the Euromast.
What to eat
The Markthal has stalls for everything from fresh stroopwafels to Surinamese rolls. Rotterdam invented the kapsalon, a foil tray of fries, shawarma, melted cheese and salad sold in snack bars all over the city. For a calmer meal, try Witte de Withstraat or the food hall in Katendrecht.
What you will spend
The train is the big cost at € 20.20 each way before the Intercity Direct supplement. The Euromast is € 13.50 online or € 17.50 at the desk. The Markthal, the Cube Houses from outside, the bridge and the harbour front are all free.
How to get the most out of the day
- The regular Intercity takes about an hour and needs no supplement. If you are not in a hurry, it is the simpler choice.
- Trams and the metro accept the same contactless card as the train. Tram 7 or 21 links the station with the Markthal area.
- The yellow water taxis are public transport too. A short hop across the Maas is the cheapest way to see the skyline from the water.
- Look up inside Rotterdam Centraal before you leave. The station hall of 2014 points its roof straight at the city centre.
How long do you need in Rotterdam?
Plan 6–8 h on site, plus 41 min of travel each way from Amsterdam.
When is Rotterdam closed?
None. Best time: All year; clear days for the Euromast.