Gay Rotterdam City Guide

 

Rotterdam

The "World Port World City" Rotterdam is renowned for its port - one of the largest in the world. The city's appeal, however, extends well beyond the ships and quays.

This is a young, dynamic city and the second largest in the Netherlands. The cultural melting pot of Rotterdam's 173 different nationalities contribute to a cosmopolitan, liberal atmosphere.

The city's rapid pace of growth has seen the skyline transformed in recent years. Spectacular skyscrapers now sit alongside historic port buildings, famous museums and world-class shopping districts.

There is an almost endless choice of restaurants, cafés and pubs along with a friendly gay scene.

Gay Rights in The Netherlands

The Netherlands is a world leader in terms of liberal policies towards and public acceptance of the LGBT community. For more information, click here.

Getting to Rotterdam

Rotterdam is served by two airports - Amsterdam's Schipol Airport and Rotterdam The Hague Airport.

Amsterdam Schipol is the country's major international hub. The airport has a direct rail connection to Rotterdam city center. The journey time is just 27 minutes with fares ranging from €13-19. There is also excellent road connections between the airport and city.

Rotterdam The Hague Airport is just a 15-minute car or taxi ride from Rotterdam city center, or 20 to 25 minutes by public transport. Bus 33 takes you to Meijersplein metro station and from there it is a 10-minute ride into the city centre and the journey should cost you less than €2. Taxis should cost around the €20 mark.

Rotterdam also has excellent sea connections with the UK. Stena Line runs services from Harwich in Essex to Hook of Holland, just 30 minutes by car from Rotterdam.

High-speed rail services connect Rotterdam with Amsterdam, Antwerp, Brussels and Paris.

Getting around Rotterdam

By Public Transport

The city has an extensive public transport network comprising of metro, tram and bus lines all operated by RET.  You will need a pre-paid OV-Chipkaart ("Public Transport chip card") for your travels with single journeys starting at €1.83.

By bicycle

Rotterdam is extremely bicycle-friendly and it is usually the fastest way to get around the city. Bicycle lanes have been added to most major streets along with separate traffic lights for bicyclists. Most hotels will be able to help you with renting a bicycle for your stay.

 

Delfshaven with Historic Building

 

Rotterdam Welcome Card

Worth considering is the Rotterdam Welcome Card. The card is also an OV-Chipkaart valid for 1, 2 or 3 days of unlimited travel on all metro, tram and bus lines in the RET public network starting at €11 for one day.

You also get a helpful 25% discount or more at 50 attractions, museums and restaurants. Sales points throughout the city can be found here.

Where to Stay in Rotterdam

Rotterdam has a great choice of hotels to suit all tastes. Some of the best hotels in Rotterdam for gay travelers are listed on our Gay Rotterdam Hotels page.

Things to See & Do in Rotterdam

 

 

• Feyenoord Statium - home to football club Feyenoord.  Check out the silverware and take a trip through the history of the club and this famous stadium.
• Diegraarde Blijdorp - one of Europe's most breathtaking zoos home to sharks, king penguins, turtles, elephants, gorilla's, snakes and more. Open seven days a week.
• Markthal - a brand new, stunning covered market full of shops, restaurants & cafés. The internal arch features one of the largest artworks in Europe.
• Euromast - for a great view of the city ride up 185 metres to the top of the Euromast. Open daily
• Maritime Museum - a world-class museum showcasing Rotterdam's maritime history.
• Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen - Bosch, Rembrandt, Van Gogh, Dali and more can be found at this journey through art history.
• Splashtours - Jump on a bus. It takes a wrong turn and you end up in the river.  Actually, the bus is a seaworthy vessel and the trip will take along the spectacular Maas River.
• SS Rottterdam - Explore the biggest ocean steamer ever built in the Netherlands.
• Chabot Museum - home to the collection of one of the most important Dutch Impressionist painters, Henk Chabot.
• Het Nieuwe Instituut - architecture, design and e-culture collection of drawings, models and an "ultra-modern" home designed in 1933.

 

 

Shopping

Unlike many other cities in the Netherlands, most of the shops in downtown Rotterdam are open seven days a week. Most shops open at 10am, except on Sundays and Mondays when they open at midday. Most close at 6pm (Friday 9pm).

Money

The Netherlands is part of the Eurozone. Credit and debit cards are widely accepted.