Rotterdam

A modern city with a creative soul

Rotterdam is a major city in the Netherlands known for its modern architecture and vibrant port culture. It rebuilt much of its skyline after World War II, creating wide streets and contemporary buildings that stand alongside historic sites like the Rotterdam Cathedral. The city thrives as an economic center with one of Europe’s largest harbors, supporting trade across global routes. Public spaces prioritize cycling and walking, making it easy to explore by bike or foot. Cultural venues showcase art, music and diverse food scenes reflecting its multicultural population.

Add to list Map view

City in Netherlands

$$$

$	Cheap
$$	Medium
$$$	Expensive, upscale
$$$+	Very expensive, luxury

See price details

Safety: 9.0

General Safety:	9
Health & medical:	9
Accessibility:	8
Tap water:	10

Read details

5/5

Most locals speak English fluently, especially in tourist areas, restaurants, and hotels. You won't have trouble communicating, and signs are often in English as well.

Highlights Attractions Getting there Hotels Tips Travel costs Safety Articles

Last update: 12 Oct 2026

* We earn a commission from some links on this page.

Rotterdam Summary

These place ratings give you a quick overview of how well a destination matches different types of trips.

‘Best for’ scores:
The specific interest scores show where this place really shines – whether it's ideal for hiking, food & drink experiences, museums or other activities. These highlights help you understand what makes the destination special at a glance.

‘Your personal’ scores:
This reflects how well a place matches your personal preferences. You can adjust the importances of travel topics or other personal requirements categories in your account settings.

‘Suited for’ badges:
These give you a quick overview of how well a destination suits specific types of travellers, to help you find the places that match your lifestyle, preferences or travel situation.

Read how our scores work

Excellent for modern architecture and waterfront culture. Explore innovative buildings, visit major museums, cycle along harbors and enjoy lively food halls.

Place score

8.1

Best at:

Walkable

Spotless

Architecture

Guided tours

Luxury shopping

Personal score

Suited for

👶 8

Families

🧓 8

Seniors

💻 9

Digital Nomads

🌈 9

LGBTQ+

Netherlands – Quick facts

Guide Etiquette Holidays Other

Power Grid:	230 V, 50 Hz Plug: Type C , Type F Type C: Type F: Read about power adapters
Currency:	Euro (EUR) £1 ≈ €1.19
Cashless info:	Rating 5/5 The Netherlands is highly cashless, with almost all businesses accepting card payments. Contactless payments and mobile apps are widely used, and cash is not always necessary. Save with a travel credit card
eSIM providers:	Best value: Saily Flexibility: Airalo Read our in-depth comparison

Tipping:	Tipping is appreciated but not compulsory in the Netherlands. In restaurants, a tip of 5-10% is standard. Taxi drivers usually expect a small tip or rounding up, and hotel staff appreciate small tips.
Public drinking:	Public drinking is allowed in most places in the Netherlands, including parks and on the streets. However, there are some restrictions in specific areas or during festivals.
Public smoking:	Smoking is banned indoors in public spaces, including bars, restaurants, and public transport. Smoking areas are designated in many public places.

King's Day (April)	A national holiday with celebrations, parades, and festivals. Expect large crowds, especially in cities like Amsterdam.
Christmas (December)	Festivities are widespread, but cities can be crowded, and prices for accommodation may rise.
Sinterklaas (December)	Celebrations for the Dutch Christmas tradition, expect family-oriented events and high demand for accommodation.

Emergency contact:	Emergency Number: 112 (Police, Fire, Ambulance)
Taxi apps:	Uber, Bolt, Ola
Other:	The Netherlands has a well-developed infrastructure and public transport system. Be prepared for high bike usage in cities like Amsterdam, and expect occasional rain throughout the year.

Best times to travel

The best times to travel section shows how the months compare for a visit, so you can find the time of year that fits what you want to do.

Background colours of the months:
The colour shows the typical temperature: yellow (hot), green (mild) and blue (cold). How strong the colour is shows the travel season: full colour means high season, soft colour means shoulder season and soft-striped means off season.

Weather symbols:
Each month has one symbol showing what the weather is typically like, such as hot and sunny, freezing or a rainy or snowy season. Use them to quickly spot months that match the weather you want, or to avoid the ones that don't.

Crowdedness:
The people icon shows how busy the place usually is. The more people, the more crowded it gets.

Additional notes:
The grey info boxes point out special things worth knowing, like recurring weather issues or seasonal events.

for Rotterdam, Netherlands

☁️

Jan

☁️

Feb

🌤️

Mar

🌤️

Apr

🌤️

May

🌤️

Jun

🌤️

Jul

🌤️

Aug

🌤️

Sep

🌥️

Oct

☁️

Nov

☁️

Dec

High season:	May - Sep.
Shoulder season:	April, Oct., Dec.
Crowdedness:	7 (Many tourists)

Tap on a month for more info Hover over a month for more info

Climate details

North Sea Jazz Festival, mid July: hotels fill up and prices rise

Rotterdam Marathon, mid April: busy city centre and road closures

Many museums close on Mondays and some shops close on Sundays

Don't miss

🏠 Admire the bold architecture of the Cube Houses
🌆 Ride the Euromast elevator for sweeping skyline views
🌉 Walk along the Erasmus Bridge, Rotterdam’s modern landmark
🖼️ Explore art collections at Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen
🥐 Shop, eat, and photograph inside the futuristic Markthal
🚢 Take a harbor cruise through Europe’s largest port

You've been here?

Why travel to Rotterdam?

Rotterdam's skyline is unlike any other in the Netherlands, with futuristic buildings and iconic bridges like the Erasmus Bridge. The city is a playground for architecture lovers and art enthusiasts, with plenty of museums, galleries and street art. It's also home to Europe's largest port, adding an exciting maritime flair. Beyond the sights, Rotterdam's diverse neighborhoods, creative energy and world-class dining make it a must-visit city. The city is generally safe, but be mindful of busy areas, especially around the central station, where pickpocketing can occur.

🏯Places worth seeing

1 Maritime Museum
2 Delfshaven
3 Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen
4 KunstHAL
5 Erasmus Bridge

🎡Places for activities

1 Rotterdam Zoo
2 Miniworld Rotterdam
3 Rotterdam Ahoy
4 SS Rotterdam
5 Kralingse Bos

🏞️Natural landmarks

1 Plaswijckpark
2 Het Park
3 Kralingse Plas
4 Arboretum Trompenburg
5 Vroesenpark
6 Nieuwe Maas
7 Zuiderpark

🛍️Shopping

1 De Bijenkorf
2 Alexandrium Shopping Center
3 Fenix Food Factory
4 Markthal Rotterdam
5 Beurstraverse
6 Nieuwe Binnenweg
7 Witte de Withstraat

🎈Events

Rotterdam International Film Festival
North Sea Jazz Festival
Rotterdam Unlimited
King’s Day Celebrations
World Port Days
Summer Carnival
Art Rotterdam Week
Marathon Rotterdam
Metropolis Festival
Pleinbioscoop (Outdoor Cinema)

Explore on map

Open map view

Knowledge before you go

Expect striking modern architecture; the city was heavily rebuilt after WWII.
Use trams, metro and plentiful bike lanes to reach spread-out sights like Delfshaven, Markthal, Cube Houses and Euromast efficiently.
Base yourself near the center or Erasmus Bridge for easy walks to waterfront promenades, harbor tours, museums and evening dining streets.
Time a late-afternoon harbor or river cruise for golden-hour skyline views, then explore Witte de Withstraat’s galleries, bars and restaurants after dark.

How to travel to Rotterdam

Rotterdam The Hague Airport (RTM) serves European destinations, while Amsterdam Schiphol (AMS) offers more international connections, just 30 minutes by train. Rotterdam is also well-connected by train, including high-speed Thalys trains to Belgium and France. Ferries from the UK arrive in nearby Hook of Holland.

Access summary

From Rotterdam The Hague Airport (RTM): Bus 33 to Centraal, about 20–25 minutes.
From Amsterdam: Intercity and high-speed trains, typically about 40–60 minutes.
From Brussels: Direct high-speed trains to Rotterdam Centraal, usually around 1–1.5 hours.

Check your route from anywhere

Where to stay in Rotterdam

Rotterdam offers a wide range of accommodation, from modern hotels and boutique stays to budget hostels. The city center is a great place to stay for convenience, with easy access to main sights and public transport.

Hotel recommendations

*by rating and popularity. Commissions have no influence on the rankings.

Ibis Rotterdam City Centre

8.8

The James Rotterdam

9.1

Holiday Inn Express Rotterdam - Central Station By IHG

8.6

Hotel Nhow Rotterdam

8.6

Rotterdam Marriott Hotel

Haven Hotel Rotterdam, Curio Collection by Hilton

8.8

Novotel Rotterdam Brainpark

8.5

Bilderberg Parkhotel Rotterdam

8.6

Explore more accommodations

How to get around Rotterdam

Rotterdam's public transport is excellent, with trams, buses and metro lines covering the city. The OV-chipkaart is useful for all transport modes. Renting a bike is also a great way to explore. The central station (Rotterdam Centraal) is the main travel hub for trains, trams and buses.

Budget snapshot

Costs compared to home

We calculate the average costs when travelling to destinations and compare those with the living costs at your home. With this you can get an estimate of how expensive or cheap the destination is for you.

To customise this, you can set up which location and price level are used for the calculations in your account settings.

+24 %

Daily expenses in Rotterdam are around 24% higher than the average across United States. That means you'll spend considerably more on meals and getting around.

Exchange rate trend

The exchange rate price factor shows how expensive or cheap a currency currently is compared to its historical average. It's a quick way to see if a country is currently more or less affordable due to exchange rate changes.

-3 %

Your exchange rate (GBP to EUR) is 3% better than in recent years. That means travelling now costs around the same compared to the past.

Travel costs

To help you plan your trip, we provide estimated daily costs per person (when travelling as a pair) for different travel styles. These numbers give you an idea of what you might spend each day at this destination, including accommodation, food, transport and activities.

Additionally, we also provide average hotel costs for different travel styles to give you an estimate for the accommodation only.

Please note that these are only estimates. The real costs depend on booking times, season and other factors.

Daily cost summary

Travel style categories explained:

Backpacker:
Staying in hostels or budget hotels, cooking your own meals or eating cheap and choosing low-cost activities.

Mid-range:
Staying in mid-range hotels, eating at a mix of restaurants and casual spots and enjoying a variety of activities.

Luxury:
Staying in luxury hotels, dining out at high-end restaurants and enjoying premium experiences without worrying about the price.

	Backpacker	Mid-range	Luxury
💵 Total costs per day, including accommodation	£78	£176	£446
🏨 Accommodation per night, per person	£30	£75	£150
🍝 Food per day	£34	£86	£244
🚕 Transportation per day	£14	£15	£52

Food & Drink

🍽️ Restaurant Dinner, per person	£36
🍛 Lunch Set, per person	£18
🍟 Fast food combo	£10.50
🍝 Preparing your own food, per day	£11.50
☕ Cappuccino	£3.40
🍺 Beer in a restaurant, 0.5 l	£5.50

Transportation

🚌 Public transport ticket	£3.60
🚕 Taxi Ride, 10 km / 6 mi	£30
⛽ Petrol, 1 l	£1.70

Other

🎞️ Cinema ticket	£12.50
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's consult	£36
🤧 Cold medication	£5
💇 Basic haircut	£17

Safety information overview

General safety

Rotterdam is generally safe, but like any city, keep an eye on belongings, particularly in busy areas and public transport to avoid pickpocketing.

Health & Medical

Medical facilities in Rotterdam are high-quality and widely accessible. Pharmacies are easy to find and emergency services are reliable and quick.

Accessibility

The city is well-equipped for travelers with mobility needs. Public transport is mostly accessible and many attractions offer support for visitors with disabilities.

Tap water

Tap water is clean and safe to drink. Public water fountains are available in parks and some public spaces, making it easy to stay hydrated.