Welcome to the Rotterdam cruise port guide. Think about the Netherlands and you will probably think of canals, old warehouses and wooden shoes. Rotterdam is complete opposite. It is the 2nd largest city in the Netherlands with 655.000 inhabitants and it is like no other city in the Netherlands. Rotterdam is famous for its skyline, modern mindset, port, economy and cultural divine. It is home to a few of the top museums in the Netherlands, UNESCO world heritage sights that are just a bus ride away from the cruise port and architecture that sets the tone for the whole of Europe. Even if you would rather skip the big city and go into the countryside Rotterdams train system or water busses can take you anywhere in no time. See underneath what your options are.

Cruise Port Guide Rotterdam – the Netherlands

Cruise ships dock at the cruise terminal at the Wilheminakade of Rotterdam. The cruise terminal has lots of facilities inside. You will find a there is free wi-fi, lots of seating area, a bar and tourist information available. From the cruise terminal it is about 2,5 km to the city centre. You can chose to walk or take a tram or taxi. Find out more about the transportation underneath:

The Rotterdam cruise terminal

First some background information about the Rotterdam cruise terminal. For locals the cruise terminal is a well known place for its history. This is the exact location where the shipliners would depart for their great journey across the sea taking over half a million passengers towards their new adventures in the USA in a time long before airplanes. The famous Hotel New York build in 1901 was even the headquarters of (what is now) cruiseline Holland America Line.

Public Transport

If you exit the cruise terminal and turn left you will see there is a metro and tram stop at the first crossing. See map above for its exact location.
We find the tram is the best way to go in Rotterdam for practical reasons. At the crossing at the foot of the bridge, to the left of the cruise terminal, tram 20, 23 and 25 come by. Make sure to step into the ones saying “Centraal Station” or you’ll be heading the wrong way. Pay the driver 3 euro for a 1 hour ticket. You can pay for the ticket with cash or debit card. Mind you, creditcards are not accepted in the tram.
It’s best to take tram 23 or 25 and hop off at the stop “Beurs” or “Stadhuis” for the city centre. The tickets you buy on the tram are more expensive. Please know you can also buy a day travel card for bus, tram and metro for 7,50 euro at any metro station. See map above for the nearest metro to the cruise terminal (300 meters away).
You can already plan any journey with public transportation in and out of Rotterdam ahead of time through the following website: http://9292.nl/en. This website is in English. You simply put in the address or place to figure out how to get from point A to B. Remember that the stop at the cruise terminal is called “Wilhelminaplein, Rotterdam”.

Taxis in Rotterdam

The official cabs of the Netherlands do not have a special color but always wear a taxi sign on the top. All the taxis are metered. You will find the taxis right in front of the terminal building. Underneath is an estimation of the taxi prices: From the cruise terminal to the city centre, one way: 10 euro From the cruise terminal to the central station, one way: 15 euro From the cruise terminal to Delft, one way: 55 euro From the cruise terminal to Kinderdijk, one way: 65 euro These prices are based on normal sized taxis although they usually also have small vans available. What is also conveniënt to know: Ubers are also operational in the city of Rotterdam and can await you outside the cruise terminal.

Shuttle bus Cruise Terminal Rotterdam

Some ships provide a shuttle and others do not. When a ship is in port the tourist information is usually kind enough to provide a free shuttle service into the city centre. Ask the tourist information in the cruise terminal for details.

Tram line 10: Historical tram Rotterdam

For a unique way to discover the city of Rotterdam you can hop on the historical tram from the 30’s. You can catch in on the other side of the bridge (see map above for the exact location) and it comes by every 45 minutes. Pay the driver +/- 7 euro for a ticket. The total route takes about an hour and you can hop on and hop off whenever you want. It operates only in the summer season from 11 am to 5.30 pm.

Hop on hop off bus

Rotterdam also has a hop on hop off bus nowadays. Find a stop at the cruise terminal.

Going to Delft

Delft is a historically unique city in the Netherlands that never disappoints. To reach it you can take tram 20, 23 or 25 (like described above) to the Central station and hop on the train to Delft. It is a simple 15 minute train ride that departs a few times per hour and will cost you about 5 euro one way. The train station is Delft is located right next to the city center.

Going to Gouda

Gouda is place known throughout the world. Visit this city of cheese by train. Take tram 20, 23 or 25 (like described above) to the Central station and hop on the train to Gouda. The ride takes about 20 minutes, departs a few times per hour and will cost you about 6 euro one way.

Going to Amsterdam

Amsterdam is the city that doesn’t need a description. A taxi to Amsterdam will cost you +/- 200 euro one way, therefore we think public transportation is a better way. One way will take about 1,5 hours and cost you +/- 17 euro. First take tram 20, 23 and 25 (as described above) to the central station and hop on an Intercity train to Amsterdam Central Station. The train departs every half hour and takes about an hour. We highly recommend getting on an intercity train rather than the “stoptrein” which stops at every station.

Going to Kinderdijk

The best way to get to the famous windmills of Kinderdijk by yourself is to go by watertaxi. Read more information about this on: http://www.waterbus.nl/kinderdijk-en/ Check the map above to see where you need to catch the waterbus.