Hotel New York
Why we like it: 72 rooms in the former Holland America Line headquarters, at the tip of the Wilhelminapier, with towers turned into rooms and views over the Maas.
Duration2 nights
From Amsterdam40 min by Intercity Direct
Best timeApril – October
Budget€300–480 pp
Kinderdijk30 min by WaterShuttle
The plan
The plan, hour by hour
Designed to leave Amsterdam on a Friday morning, sleep Friday and Saturday in Rotterdam and return on Sunday afternoon from The Hague. That way the WaterShuttle to Kinderdijk, which in winter only sails Friday to Sunday, falls on Saturday.
Friday
- 109:00Train from Amsterdam
Intercity Direct to Rotterdam Centraal, about 40 minutes. Leave your luggage at the hotel: the Hotel New York on the Wilhelminapier or the Stayokay in the cube houses.
- 211:00Markthal and cube houses
The market under the painted arch and, opposite, the Kijk-Kubus, a furnished cube house.
- 313:00Lunch at the Markthal
Stalls for every taste under the ceiling of giant fruit.
- 415:30Harbour boat with Spido
Seventy-five minutes from the Willemsplein: the Maas, De Hef and the ss Rotterdam.
- 517:30Erasmus Bridge and dinner at the Hotel New York
Walk across the bridge and have dinner in the former Holland America Line headquarters.
Saturday
- 109:30WaterShuttle to Kinderdijk
Half an hour along the river from the Erasmus Bridge, with the combined ticket.
- 210:00Windmills, boat and Nederwaard
The De Fabriek film, the boat among the windmills and the miller's house.
- 312:30Lunch at the Kinderdijk café
Sandwiches on the terrace over the water before heading back.
- 416:00Delfshaven
The old harbour that survived the war, with terraces by the canal.
- 519:00Dinner at De Ballentent
Meatballs on the quay, between the Euromast and the Erasmus Bridge.
Sunday
- 109:30Train to The Hague
Half an hour by train to Den Haag Centraal, with your luggage.
- 210:15Mauritshuis
Girl with a Pearl Earring and View of Delft.
- 313:00Scheveningen and fish at Simonis
Tram 9 to the beach, a stroll along the pier and lunch in the harbour.
- 417:00Train to Amsterdam
About 50 minutes from Den Haag Centraal.
Rotterdam is the best base for seeing the south of Holland without changing hotel: it is 40 minutes from Amsterdam on the Intercity Direct, half an hour by boat from the Kinderdijk windmills and half an hour by train from The Hague. And the city itself, rebuilt after the war with architecture like nothing else, deserves a whole day. This getaway devotes one day to the harbour and the city, another to the windmills and Delfshaven, and the last to The Hague, with Vermeer in the morning and Scheveningen beach before heading back.
If you come directly from Spain, you can fly to Rotterdam The Hague airport, with direct flights from Barcelona, Málaga, Alicante, Valencia, Seville and the Canary Islands depending on the season, or to Amsterdam Schiphol and take the Intercity Direct there.
What does it cost?
| What | How much | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Amsterdam–Rotterdam train | Varies | Intercity Direct with supplement |
| Harbour boat (Spido) | €18.75 | €10.55 children |
| WaterShuttle + Kinderdijk entry | €32.50 | €15 for ages 4 to 12 |
| Kijk-Kubus | €3.50 | €1.50 up to age 12 |
| Mauritshuis | €21 | Free up to age 18 |
Where to stay
The Hotel New York occupies the former shipping company building, with rooms in the towers and views over the Maas; the Stayokay Rotterdam, one of Piet Blom's cubes, with private rooms, and the Hotel Pincoffs, a former customs house with wellness suites and parking, if you are going by car.
Where to eat
The Markthal for a quick midday meal, the café-restaurant of the Hotel New York for a dinner with the river, open every day, De Ballentent for something simple on the quay and, on Sunday, Simonis aan de Haven in Scheveningen harbour.
Map
The stops, in order
What to do
Eat
88 €Stay
Services
Plan the trip
Rotterdam, step by step
Each choice narrows the next: the season shapes how best to travel, and how you travel decides where you stay and where you eat.
When to go
When to go to Rotterdam
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Best timeGood timeLow season
How you travel
The same break, your way
The plan stays the same. What changes is where you sleep, how you get there and how much you spend.
Fly to Rotterdam or Amsterdam and Take the Train
Rotterdam has its own airport, Rotterdam The Hague, with direct flights from Barcelona, Málaga, Alicante, Valencia, Seville and the Canary Islands depending on the season, a few kilometres from the centre. From Madrid and the rest of Spain the usual route is to fly to Amsterdam Schiphol and take the Intercity Direct from the same airport, which reaches Rotterdam Centraal in under half an hour. You don't need a car.
- Getting thereRotterdam The Hague (RTM), with…
- Getting aroundRET metro, tram and water…
- Where to stayHotel New York, on the…
- ServicesRotterdam Centraal Station
Getting there
- Rotterdam The Hague (RTM), with a bus to the centre
- Amsterdam Schiphol (AMS), with the Intercity Direct to Rotterdam Centraal
- From Amsterdam Centraal, about 40 minutes by Intercity Direct
Getting around
- RET metro, tram and water taxi around the city
- WaterShuttle to Kinderdijk from the Erasmus Bridge
Where to stay
- Hotel New York, on the Wilhelminapier
- Stayokay Rotterdam, in the cube houses
Services
- Rotterdam Centraal Station
- WaterShuttle to Kinderdijk
Rotterdam by Train, Metro and Boat
Rotterdam is a big city, but it is easy to get around without a car: the centre around the Markthal and the cube houses can be done on foot, the metro and tram go everywhere, and by boat you reach the port and Kinderdijk. The budget per person per day includes accommodation, food and one activity.
90–170 €per person per day, approximate
- Where to stayStayokay Rotterdam, in the cube…
- Getting aroundIntercity Direct from Amsterdam, about…
- Where to eatThe Markthal stalls, every day
- ServicesRotterdam Centraal Station
Where to stay
- Stayokay Rotterdam, in the cube houses
- Hotel New York, in the former shipping company building
Getting around
- Intercity Direct from Amsterdam, about 40 minutes
- Metro and tram; Spido boat around the port; WaterShuttle to Kinderdijk
Where to eat
- The Markthal stalls, every day
- De Ballentent, on the quay, open daily
- The café-restaurant of the Hotel New York
Services
- Rotterdam Centraal Station
- WaterShuttle to Kinderdijk
Rotterdam with Historic Hotels
Rotterdam's luxury is not marble but harbour history: sleeping in the headquarters of the shipping line that carried emigrants to America or in a customs house with whirlpool-bath suites. From both, the river is right in front. The budget per person per day includes hotel, meals and activities.
From €250per person per day, approximate
- Where to stayHotel New York, rooms in…
- Getting aroundWater taxi from the door…
- Where to eatHotel New York Café-Restaurant, fish…
- ServicesRotterdam Centraal Station
Where to stay
- Hotel New York, rooms in the towers and in the former directors' offices
- Hotel Pincoffs, a former customs house with wellness suites
Getting around
- Water taxi from the door of the Pincoffs
- On foot across the Erasmus Bridge
Where to eat
- Hotel New York Café-Restaurant, fish and seafood
Services
- Rotterdam Centraal Station
How much does it cost?
People2
Nights2
Where to stay
Where to stay if you're flyingwithout a carin style
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Stayokay Rotterdam, in the Cube Houses
Why we like it: A hostel inside Piet Blom's cube houses, with private rooms, a cube studio, a bar and a terrace beside the Oude Haven. Opposite the Markthal.
Hotel Pincoffs
Why we like it: Small hotel in a former customs house in Kop van Zuid, with wellness suites, parking and the water taxi stop at the door. Green Key Gold since 2010.
Services for this trip
Where to eat
Where to eat in Rotterdam
Hotel New York Café-Restaurant
What to order: fish or seafood of the day at midday; or the breakfast buffet if you are staying nearby.
De Ballentent
What to order: the bal, the meatball that gives the place its name, with bread or chips.
Takeaway and markets
Markthal Food Stalls, Rotterdam