Travel

Getting to Rotterdam

Rotterdam is easy to reach in a variety of ways: by car, boat, train, bus and by air. Inside the city, a network of buses, trams, water taxis and metro maintains excellent connections and the city is small enough that it is usually easy to walk from one place to another. The ICCBH venue, De Doelen Conference Centre, is just 5 minutes on foot from Rotterdam Central Station and there are several hotels in the immediate vicinity or close by.

Please see this map showing the locations of the venues we will be using for the ICCBH along with the suggested accommodation options.

By plane

Amsterdam Schiphol Airport is only 25 minutes from Rotterdam by high speed trains which depart approximately every 20 minutes. There are direct flights to Schiphol from many of the world’s major cities.

You can travel by train directly from Schiphol to Rotterdam using the high speed Fyra service.  It takes just 27 minutes and trains run twice an hour.  

In addition, Rotterdam is served by its very own airport, which is just 8 km / 5 miles north-west of the city centre. Rotterdam The Hague Airport is relatively small and features regular flights to many European cities. Regular bus transport is on hand and provides a cheap way to travel into the city centre, with a journey time of no more than 20 minutes.

By boat

Those travelling from the UK could consider travelling direct to Rotterdam by boat. Both Stena Line and P&O Ferries offer options from Harwich and Hull respectively.

By train

The Thalys network offers a high-speed link from Paris through Belgium with up to 10 trains a day. Journey times have recently been cut and you can now travel from Paris to Rotterdam in just a little over two and half hours. Travellers from the UK can travel by Eurostar to Brussels then on with the Thalys.

Typical journey times:

Antwerp to Rotterdam 30 minutes
Brussels to Rotterdam 1 hour 11 minutes
Paris to Rotterdam 2 hours 36 minutes

By car

Rotterdam is easily accessible by the A13, A15, A16 and A20 motorways. Once in the city there are a number of options for parking but it is important to note that on-street parking often requires a pre-paid card. For more about parking in Rotterdam please view here. The nearest car park to De Doelen is at Schouwburgplein but if you’re travelling from outside the city a Park & Ride location may be cheaper.

By bike

Cycling is an ideal way to explore the city, as it allows you to view many of Rotterdam's most important attractions in just a short space of time. To rent bikes visit Fietspoint Rotterdam CS located near Central Station. You can also take a guided tour of the city for example with Rotterdam ByCycle.

Local Transportation - Getting around in Rotterdam

By Tram / metro

Within Rotterdam a network of buses, trams, water taxis and metro makes it easy to get around by public transport. All the information you need is on the web here.