Visiting Rotterdam in the Netherlands means visiting a European destination at the confluence of the Rhine and the Meuse that you might not have thought of, yet Rotterdam is a surprising and very dynamic city. Welcome to our simplelive.us blog and this new City Guide on Rotterdam.
Accessible in only 2h37 by Thalys from Paris, the 2nd largest city in Holland is a very pleasant urban escapade for a weekend or more. The city is a real center of architectural experimentation. The buildings are all different, with infinite shapes and colors. Pure creativity at every corner.
The cosmopolitan Rotterdam, nicknamed the "Manhattan on the Meuse" or "the little Manhattan of the Netherlands", has a lot to offer and moreover, it is less touristy and more authentic than its rival Amsterdam. We love to visit Rotterdam because it is a melting pot of architecture and cultures with more than 170 nationalities living there. So many good places to eat and drink to try!
Rotterdam offers many attractions and visits not to be missed. We detail them in this new post of our travel blog simplelive.us with lots of tips.
After our trip to New York, visiting Rotterdam appeared as an obvious choice.
You can visit Rotterdam in all seasons. Spring, summer and autumn are the three ideal seasons. For our first stay, we left in October 2019 for 3 days. We walked about 15 km per day, just to get a feel for the different parts of the city. With the free location app maps.me (notice to read below), we always tend to multiply the detours and we love it!
We quickly fell under the charm of Rotterdam because the water is everywhere. Located at the confluence of the Rhine and the Meuse, it is nevertheless one of the biggest harbor cities of the world but this activity is not felt by visiting the city which is completely independent from the big maritime activities. We saw the skyline from the inevitable Erasmus bridge and that's all. In downtown on the other hand, there are small ports with these pretty boats which punctuate our walks. So romantic!
The uniqueness of Rotterdam is that it was almost totally wiped off the map at the end of World War II. The Dutch are a resilient people who knew how to roll up their sleeves to rebuild the city after this dramatic episode. They took the opportunity to build a city that looks to the future. Architecturally, this is reflected in all the neighborhoods and it is exciting to discover.
Rotterdam, a destination that we recommend especially if you are looking for a cheap and original urban destination in Europe to spend a long weekend and easily accessible by Thalys train from Paris.
We would also like to go back to Rotterdam in another season.
1. How to get to Rotterdam? By Thalys!
Rotterdam is easily accessible from France. By car, by bus, by plane or by train, all means of transportation are possible. We chose to come to spend these 3 days to visit Rotterdam by train Thalys. In only 2h37, we are directly plunged in the heart of Rotterdam. Very practical, fast, comfortable with free wifi on board, and very accessible price (from 35 €), the Thalys to go to Rotterdam is really the best option of transport. You don't lose time and you can immerse yourself in the Dutch city as soon as you arrive.
Rotterdam's central station, a multi-modal station, welcomes nearly 110,000 passengers a day. Completely rebuilt and modernized with solar panels on the roof that points to the city center, the station has also become one of the most emblematic architectural elements of Rotterdam. The station, now nicknamed The Shark, is modern and connected but we saw that there were also some traces of the past like the clock on the front façade, the giant letters of Rotterdam Centraal Station, or the granite sculptures that we discovered while waiting for our Thalys on the way back on platform number 1.
From Paris North Station (and Rotterdam), 3 classes are offered on board the Thalys:
Standard Class: The lowest fares starting at 35€ per trip with on-board wifi, 2 power outlets and 2 pieces of luggage.
---- Read Also ----
Visiting Montreal for the first time: TOP visits, tips and good plans
----------------------
Comfort Class: More spacious seats and faster wifi, with 2 sockets and 2 pieces of luggage.
Premium Class: The services of the Comfort Class with the addition of a meal, the press, access to the lounge. To have tested the Premium Class, we can add that the service is top and the meal which is a nice surprise is served directly at your seat.
2. How to get around Rotterdam?
Visiting Rotterdam means experiencing a city on a human scale. Most of it is done on foot. But Holland is also the land of bicycles, so it's not hard to find one to rent. You can also take the subway, the bus or the streetcar. Very easy to use, these public transports allow you to save your steps to go from one district to another. To use them, an OV-chipkaart is essential. You just have to buy it in a metro station for 7,50€ and then load it. It is valid for 5 years.
Rotterdam is a city built on the water. Water cabs can be a good option to visit Rotterdam but be careful, we are far from the cruise LOL. The boats are rather small shuttles which go very quickly. The prices depend on the routes and are relatively high because the watertaxis are mainly used by tourists (4,50€ a journey on average).
To get around Rotterdam, it's great. You can visit Rotterdam with your GPS, which even works in airplane mode, and calculate your routes according to your mode of travel. An indispensable application when you travel and one that you've been using for years, because you can also insert landmarks and notes. Very easy to use, this application is an indispensable tool that allows you to get lost while traveling without ever really getting lost. Even in a dugout canoe in Indonesia, you can find your way!
3. What to see, what to visit in Rotterdam? 8 visits and attractions to visit
To visit Rotterdam or rather to live Rotterdam, it is to benefit from its architectural curiosities, its atmosphere sometimes bohemian and its good addresses. In short, it's about enjoying the Dutch way of life in a modern, forward-looking city. Indeed, the new post-war Rotterdam was not built for tourists but for the people who live there.
There are still multi-stop tourist buses (more info and reservation via the link at 19,50€/person). Always very practical to have a first idea of the city. And there are also "Euromast + multi-stop tourist bus" tickets at 30,75€.
Some facilities and prices to help you visit Rotterdam for less and without wasting time:
The Rotterdam Welcome Card (12€) allows you to enjoy unlimited use of the metro for 1, 2 or 3 days and get 25% off the main attractions in the city.
The Rotterdam Pass is valid for 1 month and costs €40 for 2 visits/attractions with free transportation or €60 for 4 visits/attractions with free transportation.
3.1 Rotterdam, a center of architectural experimentation: the cube houses
Rotterdam was almost wiped off the map during the Second World War. Traditional Dutch houses are therefore rare. But at the same time, since that terrible period, the city has not stopped reinventing itself. As a result, today Rotterdam is a real open-air architectural museum of the 20th and 21st centuries. The perfect example of this is the unmistakable cube houses.
0 Comments