# Waterbus

Boat en Dordrecht

Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/companies/waterbus

Fast public transport boats between Rotterdam and Dordrecht along the rivers, with stops in the villages on the bank and free bikes on board.

The Waterbus is the network of fast public transport boats in the Rotterdam and Dordrecht area. Its lines run along the rivers between the two cities, with stops at Zwijndrecht, Papendrecht, Alblasserdam or Ridderkerk, and also serve to reach the Kinderdijk windmills by water.

## Who operates it

It is not a tourist boat company but public transport. The fast boats began running in 1999, and the current Waterbus arose from the merger of the old Fast Ferry and Waterbus lines. Since 1 January 2022 the service has been provided by the company Aqualiner, commissioned by the province of South Holland and the Drechtsteden region. Aqualiner is renewing the fleet with a hybrid fast boat developed with the Damen shipyard, with more room for bikes, charging points on board and wider gangways. The office is at Lindtsedijk 14C in Zwijndrecht.

## The lines

Line 20, the long one, with stops at Rotterdam (Erasmusbrug), Capelle aan den IJssel (Rivium), Krimpen aan den IJssel (Stormpolder), Ridderkerk (De Schans), Alblasserdam, Hendrik-Ido-Ambacht, Papendrecht (Noordhoek) and Dordrecht (Merwekade).

Line 22, the short one, with stops at Dordrecht (Hooikade and Merwekade), Zwijndrecht (Veerplein) and Papendrecht (Veerdam).

For the traveller, line 20 is a way of doing Rotterdam–Dordrecht by river, with views of the quays and the dyke villages, instead of the train. From the Erasmusbrug jetty you board in the very centre of Rotterdam. For Kinderdijk you get off at Ridderkerk and cross on the Driehoeksveer, a separate ferry. Timetables and frequencies change according to the day and the season, and can be checked on their website or app; notices of delays, closures or extra departures are published there and on the screens at the stops.

## How it works

Before boarding you must check in at the blue posts at the stop, with the OV-chipkaart, with a contactless bank card or with your phone (OVpay), and check out again when you get off. If you pay with your phone, show it to the attendant when you board. A day ticket bought on the website is also valid: €16.10 for ages 12 to 65, €11.65 for over-65s, €5.20 for ages 4 to 11 and free for under-4s. On board you can buy a ticket from the attendant, but it costs more, and only by card.

Bikes travel free, which makes the Waterbus a good ally for cycling routes along the dykes; scooters and cargo bikes board if the attendant allows, and on good days the boat fills up. All the boats are wheelchair accessible; on one of the models the staff help with a ramp. Dogs board on a lead. All the boats have a toilet. The website is in Dutch and English, and for questions they answer on 085 489 51 91.

## What they run

- [Waterbus from Dordrecht to the Kinderdijk Windmills](https://www.geocalia.com/en/the-netherlands/dordrecht/things-to-do/waterbus-from-dordrecht-to-kinderdijk-windmills), in Dordrecht. Waterbus day ticket, line 20 to Ridderkerk. Desde 16.1 € per adult (ages 12 to 65). All year. Ages 4 to 11 €5.20, over-65s €11.65, under-4s free; also with a contactless card (OVpay); on board card only; at Ridderkerk change to the Driehoeksveer, with a separate ticket

Independent companies: you book with them, on their terms. Prices are as they publish them and may change.

## Practical details

- Address: Merwekade, Dordrecht
- Details checked on 12 November 2026.

## Contact

- Web: https://www.waterbus.nl/en/
- Coordenadas: 51.8194, 4.6741

## Preguntas frecuentes

### Does it go directly to Kinderdijk?
Not from Dordrecht: you change at Ridderkerk to the Driehoeksveer, a separate ferry.

### Can you take a bike?
Yes, free, as long as there is room.

### Do you pay in cash?
No: by contactless card, phone, OV-chipkaart or web ticket.