The Rotterdam Metro is run by Rotterdam municipal city transport company RET (Rotterdamse Elektrische Tram) and RandstadRail. The metro offers an extensive network for travel around the greater Rotterdam area.

The Rotterdam Metro first opened in 1968 and now has 5 lines (A-E) with 70 stations. There are 167 metro vehicles in use including articulated express trams and light rail trains. Line E run by RandstadRail connects Rotterdam and The Hague.

Rotterdam Metro Map

We have developed our own version of the Rotterdam Metro map here which has some places of interest marked including Rotterdam Central Station, Rotterdam-The Hague airport (RTM), Ahoy Rotterdam arena, Feyenoord Stadium and Hoek van Holland ferry port. Our map also feature NS (Dutch Railways) train lines.

The Rotterdam metro and rail map is here:

The Line B extension to Hoek van Holland Haven opened in 2019 and replaced the rail line which was previously serviced by NS Sprinter trains.

A new metro station at Hoek van Holland Strand (beach) opened in 2023. A Stena Line ferry service runs between Hoek van Holland and Harwich in UK.

To get to Rotterdam-The Hague airport from Rotterdam Centraal station you should take RET bus line 33. This bus also serves the nearby Meijersplein station where airport travellers can connect to the metro if needed.

RET Rotterdam Transport Tickets (2026)

There are a number of ticket options for travelling on the Rotterdam metro and transport network.

* valid on all transport in the South-Holland province. It covers travel to/from Alphen aan den Rijn, Delft, Den Haag, Dordrecht, Gouda, Lisse, Leiden, Op Voorne Putten, Rotterdam and Zoetermeer – but not Amsterdam.

Transport providers for the Tourist Day Ticket include Connexxion, EBS, HTM, HTMbuzz, Qbuzz, RET and Waterbus. Not valid on trains.

First published in 2020, last checked and updated 5 January 2026.

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Below we show how to get from Rotterdam airport to either Rotterdam or The Hague (Den Haag) by public transport and then beyond to Amsterdam and elsewhere in the Netherlands.

Rotterdam airport transport options: summary (2026 prices)

1. Local RET bus 33 to Rotterdam Central station (€5.50 single, up to 6x hourly).

2. Local RET bus 33 to Meijersplein then Metro line E to Rotterdam Central, The Hague Central or other Rotterdam metro stations (€5.50 single, up to 6x hourly).

3. Intercity train from Rotterdam to Amsterdam Central (from €20.20 single, €1.60 extra for disposable tickets, run regularly all day).

‘Intercity Direct’ fast train from Rotterdam to Amsterdam Zuid (€18.70 single + supplement €3.20)

4. Intercity train between The Hague Central and Amsterdam Central is cheaper (from €15.30 single, €1.60 extra for disposable tickets). Book refundable Den Haag-Amsterdam train tickets here

5. Rotterdam airport taxi rates: to Rotterdam station €25; to Den Haag €55; to Amsterdam approximately €150. Book a taxi at fixed rate with Sneleentaxi

Let’s take a look at these travel options in more detail with some tips and advice for visitors.

1. Local bus to Rotterdam Central

RET city bus 33 serves Rotterdam The Hague Airport. These electric buses run between Rotterdam Central Station and the nearby Meijersplein metro station, stopping at the airport both ways.

During the day, the buses depart 4x hourly from the airport bus stop – with the destination alternating between Meijersplein and Rotterdam Centraal. In the evenings the bus frequency is reduced to half-hourly.

The service runs from 06:00 weekdays, 07:00 on Saturday and 08:30 Sunday and operates all day until just after midnight.

To get to Rotterdam Central from the airport you have the choice of the 33 bus (a journey of around 20 minutes) or taking the 33 bus to Meijersplein (5 minutes) and then taking line E metro from there to Rotterdam Central (3 stops, 7 minutes) or any other station on the network.

As you come out of the terminal, head left – the airport bus stop is a short walk away. At the bus stop there is a RET ticket machine which sell a variety of RET tickets – coins, debit and credit cards are accepted.

For the Rotterdam airport to Rotterdam Central journey we would advise most visitors to keep it simple and just buy a standard single ticket.

The “RET 2 hour” ticket costs €5.50 and can be purchased from the ticket machine. Children 0-3 travel free.

Here are other ticket options:

• Using an OV-chipkaart (public transport smart card) by checking-in and -out using the card readers on the bus. The distance fare (roughly €2.37) will be charged. We don’t recommend the OV-chipkaart to short-term visitors as it costs €7.50 to purchase before credit is added.
• Using OVpay – checking-in and -out with a bank card or other contactless payment. The standard distance fare will be charged.
• An RET 1 day ticket costs €12.00 (Book RET day tickets here) and a RET child 4-11 day ticket costs €6.00.
• A Tourist Day Ticket (€17.50) is valid for 1 day’s travel in South Holland province on RET Rotterdam, HTM The Hague, Connexxion, EBS and Syntus. It’s not valid on trains.

On board the RET airport bus has reasonable space to fit passenger luggage.

The 33 bus arrives at the bus terminus near Rotterdam Central station.

2. Bus + Metro to Rotterdam or Den Haag (The Hague)

To connect onto the metro, take the RET bus 33 to the nearby Meijersplein metro station – this takes about 5 minutes. The bus stop is directly outside the metro station.

From there you can take the RET metro (E line) operated by RandstadRail which runs between Slinge and Den Haag Central via Rotterdam Central. See our Rotterdam metro map for more details – the airport is marked.

The standard RET 2 hour ticket (€5.50) can get you from the airport to any station on the network. You need to hold your ticket against the gate barriers to enter to the metro station platforms.

If going towards Rotterdam then go up to platform 2 (the nearest one). The trip to Rotterdam Central is just 3 stops and takes 7 minutes.

For direction Den Haag go to the other side (platform 1). The trip to Den Haag Central takes 25 minutes and is the 11th and last stop. The total travel time from the airport to Den Haag is about 45 minutes.

The line E metro train runs every 10 minutes.

Check out our visitors guide to Den Haag here

3. Trains from Rotterdam Central to Amsterdam

NS trains run regularly between Rotterdam Central and Amsterdam Central stations.

There is also a fast domestic train called Intercity Direct takes just 40 minutes and runs 4x hourly on a dedicated high speed track to Schiphol Airport and then onto Amsterdam Zuid (not Amsterdam Central).

Supplements for the Rotterdam-Schiphol sector are mandatory for travel on the Intercity Direct train.

The Intercity train to Amsterdam Central which travels to Schiedam, Delft, Den Haag HS, Leiden, Haarlem and Amsterdam Sloterdijk. The journey times is just under 1 hour 15 minutes with departures every 15 minutes.

There is also a Sprinter stopping train service (direction Uitgeest, 2x hourly) which runs via Gouda and stops at Amsterdam Bijlmer-ArenA, Amsterdam Amstel and Amsterdam Central. Travel time is only a little more than the Intercity.

The OV-chip card system is also used on Dutch railways and you will need to check-in and check-out of your journey. You can also use a bank card/contactless payment (OVpay).

The standard one-way fare from Rotterdam Central to Amsterdam Central costs €20.20 (2nd class) or €36.36 (1st class). There is a €1.60 surcharge for buying a disposable ticket.

The standard one-way fare from Rotterdam Central to Amsterdam Zuid costs €18.70 (2nd class) or €33.66 (1st class). There is a mandatory €3.20 supplement for travel by Intercity Direct.

Children 4-11 only pay €2.50 each for a Railrunner ticket which is valid the whole day on the Dutch rail network including Intercity Direct trains. Children 0-3 travel free.

You can buy disposable train tickets and Intercity Direct supplements at the station Tickets & Service desks (inside the ‘Service Center’) or at the yellow and blue ticket machines.

Both accept debit/credit cards (V-Pay, Maestro, Mastercard, Visa and American Express) using pin and/or contactless. If you want to pay by cash go to the service desks as the machines only accept euro coins.

For speed and comfort it is well worth paying the Intercity Direct supplement – especially if you have large suitcases. Intercity Direct trains have decent overhead storage racks. Standard double-decker Intercity trains have stairs to navigate and tiny racks (or no racks) – though some space for luggage can be found under the seats.

For night owls, an hourly night train (01:00-05:00) runs both ways between Rotterdam and Amsterdam.

Amsterdam to Rotterdam return trip: Just do the journey in reverse – train from Amsterdam Central to Rotterdam, then walk out to the bus station to get RET bus 33 back to the airport. Or get a metro to Meijersplein and then the bus to Rotterdam airport.

Amsterdam Central is the transport hub of Amsterdam – see Amsterdam Transport Tickets for cost-effective public transport options in the city.

If travelling elsewhere in the Netherlands there are direct trains from Rotterdam to Amersfoort, Breda, Dordrecht, Eindhoven, Groningen, Leeuwarden, Leiden, Utrecht, Venlo and Vlissingen.

International trains include the Eurostar (blue trains) to Brussels and London, Eurostar (red trains, formerly Thalys) to Antwerp, Brussels and Paris and the Intercity Brussels to Antwerp and Brussels.

4. Trains from Den Haag Central to Amsterdam

Because Den Haag is slightly nearer to Amsterdam, it is actually cheaper to travel by rail to Amsterdam Central from Den Haag Central rather than from Rotterdam Central.

You arrive with metro line E at Den Haag Central station and then need to go downstairs to the main railway station.

The standard one-way fare from Den Haag Central to Amsterdam Central costs €15.30 (2nd class) or €27.54 (1st class) – plus the €1.60 surcharge for buying a disposable ticket.

You can purchase fully refundable Den Haag-Amsterdam train e-tickets here.

The Intercity train takes about 50 minutes and runs every half hour.

5. Taxis from Rotterdam The Hague Airport

Taxis are available directly outside the airport building.

From Rotterdam The Hague airport expect to pay about €20-€25 (central Rotterdam), €35 (Rotterdam Alexander), €55 (The Hague), €100 (Rotterdam Europoort), €125 (Schiphol) and €150 (Amsterdam). Note, Uber is present in Amsterdam.

Sneleentaxi offers slightly cheaper fixed fares to/from Rotterdam airport to Rotterdam, Amsterdam or any destination in the Netherlands. Book a taxi at fixed rate with Sneleentaxi

The airport also has desks from many major car rental companies. If you need to hire a car in advance from Rotterdam, you can book with Discover Cars here which checks all the main sites.

This article was first published in 2010 and has been continuously updated since then. Last update 5 January 2026.

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The unique €175m Markthal building was designed by Dutch architectural firm MVRDV and has helped put Rotterdam firmly on the world map. Made up of a large 40m high archway, it offers a covered market area the size of a large football pitch with around 100 food stalls and 20 shops and restaurants. Each end is sealed by a glass façade to keep out the weather.

The building is 70m wide and 120m long and contains no less than 228 apartments. Each has an outside terrace whilst half of the apartments also have triple-glazed windows overlooking the market.

Perhaps the most striking aspect of the Markthal is the huge psychedelic artwork on the inner wall featuring colourful fruits, grains and vegetables. Called the Horn of Plenty, it was conceived by Arno Coenen and Iris Roskam and is made up of 4,000 separate tiles covering 11,000 m². It is thought to be the biggest artwork in the world.

The stallholders are a mix of local and national businesses with a focus on high-end food produce. This includes dedicated stalls selling cheeses, meats, fruit & veg and fish. Plus those selling miscellaneous items such as nuts, olives, spices, chocolates and sweets. There is also a decent sized Asian supermarket.

The complex also contains a number of restaurants, some of which have upper seating terraces. You can find the official stall map of the Markthal here

The level below has an Albert Heijn supermarket, a Gall & Gall off license and Etos chemist; there is a large 4 storey underground car park with 1,200 spaces. Deliveries to the stalls and shops are also handled from the underground level which has its own cooling facility.

There is a permanent exhibition called Tijdtrap which shows medieval archaeological finds from the construction of the building. Entrance is free and can be found by going down to the car park levels (-2, -3 and -4).

The Markthal is located in the east of the city centre in the Laurens district – being marketed as the ‘SoHo of Rotterdam’. It is just opposite Rotterdam Blaak station or a 15 minute walk from Rotterdam Central station. There is an outdoor market in the square outside and you will also find Rotterdam’s library and the Kubuswoningen (Cube houses) nearby.

Rotterdam certainly has a different atmosphere to the other historic Randstad cities – Amsterdam, The Hague and Utrecht. Its centre was destroyed in World War 2 so today it has a more modern metropolis feel.

If you have an interest in food or architecture then Markthal is a good reason to give the city a visit.

Also of note in Amsterdam is Foodhallen, an indoor food court.

Markthal Rotterdam Essential Info

Markthal, Ds. Jan Scharpstraat 298, 3011 GZ Rotterdam
+31(0)30 234 6464, markthal.nl

Last updated 6 October 2021. This article was first published in 2014 and has been regularly updated.

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