Rotterdam moves by water, by rail and by bike. The Nieuwe Maas divides the city into a north bank and a south bank, and almost every trip crosses that river: through a tunnel, over a bridge or by boat. Metro, tram and bus are mostly run by RET, the Rotterdamse Elektrische Tram. This page describes what runs and sails, not prices or timetables: always check the operator's website before you travel.
1. Getting around the city
**Metro.** Rotterdam was the first Dutch city with a metro, in 1968. RET runs five metro lines, lettered A to E. Lines A, B and C form the east-west link and share tracks between Schiedam Centrum and Capelsebrug. Lines D and E form the north-south link and share tracks between Rotterdam Centraal and Slinge, where they cross the Nieuwe Maas in a tunnel. All lines meet at Beurs station in the centre. Line E continues to Den Haag Centraal. Line B runs west to Hoek van Holland Strand, the metro station by the North Sea beach, which opened in 2023 when the old Hoekse Lijn finally became a metro line.
**Tram.** RET trams run through the centre and the surrounding neighbourhoods, on streets and on their own tracks. They stop more often than the metro and suit short trips, for example between Rotterdam Centraal, the Coolsingel and Kop van Zuid. Note: RET changed most tram line numbers at the start of 2025. Do not rely on an old map or an old guide; check the stop or the RET app for the line you need.
**Bus.** RET buses fill in where metro and tram do not go: the outer neighbourhoods and the villages around the city. Night buses run under the name BOB-bus. Regional buses from other operators pick up at Rotterdam Centraal or at metro stations on the edge of the city.
**Cycling and walking.** Rotterdam is flat, with separate cycle paths along most main roads, over the Erasmusbrug and through the Maastunnel, the tunnel under the Nieuwe Maas for cars, cyclists and pedestrians. For short trips in the centre, the bike is often faster than bus or tram. The centre is compact: Rotterdam Centraal, the Coolsingel, the Markthal and the Oude Haven are all within walking distance of each other. Kop van Zuid is reached on foot over the Erasmusbrug, the white cable-stayed bridge over the Maas.
**On the water.** The Watertaxi runs on demand across the Nieuwe Maas, between dozens of landing stages in the city and the port, from Delfshaven to Katendrecht and the ss Rotterdam. Book ahead, as the small boats do not run to a fixed timetable. The Waterbus is a fast ferry from the Erasmusbrug: line 20 sails to Dordrecht, line 21 to Kinderdijk. Kinderdijk is outside Rotterdam: its windmills stand in the municipality of Molenlanden. It is a day trip from the city, not a Rotterdam neighbourhood.
2. Getting to and from the city
**Train: Rotterdam Centraal.** Rotterdam Centraal is the main station, on the north side of the centre, and the building dates from 2014. NS runs intercity trains there to Amsterdam, Den Haag, Utrecht, Breda and Eindhoven, and sprinters to the stations in and around the city. On the HSL-Zuid high-speed line, international trains stop for Antwerpen, Brussels and Paris, and the Eurostar for London. Other stations in the city are Rotterdam Blaak, Rotterdam Alexander, Rotterdam Noord, Rotterdam Zuid and Rotterdam Lombardijen. Rotterdam Stadion station serves only the stadium, on match and event days.
**Rotterdam The Hague Airport.** The airport has no train station. From Rotterdam Centraal, take bus 33 straight to the airport, or metro line E to Meijersplein/Airport station and bus 33 from there to the airport. RET times the bus and metro to meet at Meijersplein. For Schiphol, take the train from Rotterdam Centraal first.
**Road.** Rotterdam sits on the A13 to Den Haag, the A20 towards Utrecht, the A16 to Breda and Antwerpen and the A15 to the east. The port area west of the city is a working area, not a walking area: for a harbour tour, board in the city.
3. Commuting in general terms
People who live in Rotterdam combine metro, tram and bike. From the outer neighbourhoods, take the metro to Beurs or Rotterdam Centraal and then the tram or bike onwards. In the centre, many people walk between Centraal, the Coolsingel and the Markthal, and take the metro for longer distances or to the south bank.
At rush hour, metro and train are the most reliable, because they run on their own tracks and are not held up by street traffic. At night, the BOB-buses run; check the RET website for which night buses run on your evening. To Den Haag, metro line E is the regular route, with no change to another operator.
4. What a newcomer needs to know first
- **Always check in and out.** On all Dutch public transport, you check in at the start of your journey and out at the end, with the same card or the same device. This applies to metro, tram, bus and train. One card is one traveller. Forgetting to check out costs more than the ride.
- **OVpay or OV-chipkaart.** You can travel with a contactless bank card or phone through OVpay, or with an OV-chipkaart or the new OV-pas. The old anonymous OV-chipkaart is no longer sold; if you have a subscription or discount, ask the operator whether it already works on OVpay. For current tickets and conditions, see ret.nl, ns.nl or ovpay.nl.
- **Pick the station, not just the city.** Rotterdam has several stations: a train to Amsterdam leaves from Rotterdam Centraal, but a train to Gouda or Utrecht may also leave from Rotterdam Alexander or Rotterdam Blaak. Check your ticket for which station your train leaves from.
- **Tram numbers have changed.** RET renewed the tram line numbers at the start of 2025. Do not trust old numbers from a guide; use the current information at the stop or in the app.
- **The airport has no train.** Take bus 33, or metro E plus bus 33 from Meijersplein. Plan the change in advance in the 9292 app or on the RET website.
- **This page is general information.** It sells no tickets and verifies no services, times or prices: for the day of your trip, the operator is the source.