Traveling
Wondering how to reach Rotterdam for the EMAG23, or how to get around? There are plenty of options! You can find the main ones below.
By Plane
Want to come by plane? Rotterdam has its own airport, Rotterdam The Hague Airport, with direct flights from several cities in Europe, including London, Rome, Istanbul and Geneva. If you don’t have a direct flight to Rotterdam from where you live, it is probably better to check for Amsterdam Schiphol Airport. There is a train station under the terminal, and the Intercity direct train takes you to the center of Rotterdam every half hour in less than half an hour. There is no need to make a reservation.
By Train
Rotterdam has a beautiful, brand new train station, and is easy to reach from many directions. The main venue is within walking distance from the train station. Make sure you travel to Rotterdam Central Station. We are working on getting a discount code for the Eurostar international train, and will put it here as soon as we have it.
Eurostar: https://www.eurostar.com/rw-en/train/netherlands/london-to-rotterdam
RailEurope: https://www.raileurope.com/en/destinations/trains-to-rotterdam
NS International: https://www.nsinternational.com/en
By Car
Rotterdam is not as car-unfriendly as many other Dutch cities, but parking in the city center can still be challenging and pricey. The city has several Park and Ride (P&R) locations away from the center, from where you can travel by public transport to the city center. Parking can then even be for free, but please check their requirements carefully.
More info on https://www.rotterdam.nl/pr-terreinen (please use the translation option, as they don’t offer this page on the English website)
Getting around
Using public transport in the Netherlands has recently become very simple: you can check in and out with your bank card! You can easily travel by train to cities like Delft, the Hague, Utrecht or Amsterdam. Local buses, trams and metros take you pretty much everywhere you need to be in and around the city.
More on traveling with your bank card: https://ovpay.nl/en/
Train: https://www.ns.nl/en
Metro, Tram and bus: https://en.rotterdam.info/visitors-info/in-rotterdam/
Transport planner app: https://9292.nl/en
Alternatively, you can rent a bicycle. As every Dutch city, Rotterdam is very bike-friendly. There are plenty of bicycle rentals available. But please be careful! The Dutch bicycle traffic may be different from what you’re used to! Obey the traffic rules, and stay on the right if you’re not a fast biker.
Bicycle rentals: https://en.rotterdam.info/cycling-in-and-around-rotterdam/rent-a-bike-in-rotterdam/