Day Trips from Rotterdam by Train and Boat

Rotterdam sits in the middle of the Randstad, so several famous places are a short train, metro or boat ride away. Journey times below are approximate, and fares change, so check the operator on the day.

Kinderdijk, the windmills

Kinderdijk has 19 windmills and has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1997. The visitor ticket costs €21 for adults and €9 for children aged 4 to 12, with children under 4 free and 10 percent off online. It includes the museum mills, a boat tour, the Wisboom Pumping Station, a bird theatre, a film and an exhibition. The address is Nederwaard 1b, and the ticket page is at kinderdijk.nl .

There are three ways to get there from Rotterdam.

  • The WaterShuttle leaves from the Erasmusbrug and takes under 30 minutes. It needs its own ticket, which can be bought with the entry ticket, and it does not accept OVpay. In winter it runs Friday to Sunday only. Bikes travel free.
  • Waterbus line 20 goes to Ridderkerk De Schans, followed by the short Driehoeksveer ferry, which has a separate ticket.
  • Bus 489 runs about twice an hour from Kralingse Zoom, which metro lines A, B and C serve, and takes roughly 35 minutes.

The windmill area is open all year, but visitor opening hours change by season, so check the site.

Delft

Delft is about 15 minutes by train. It has the Nieuwe Kerk with the royal tomb of the House of Orange, the Oude Delft canal, Vermeer’s home town and the Royal Delft factory, which has made Delft Blue since 1653.

The Hague

The Hague is about 25 minutes by train, or you can take RET metro line E to Den Haag Centraal. The Mauritshuis charges €20 for adults, admits under 19s free and shows the Girl with a Pearl Earring. Escher in Het Paleis is at Lange Voorhout 74 and is open Tuesday to Sunday from 11:00 to 17:00.

Gouda

Gouda is about 20 minutes by train. Its cheese market is held on Thursday mornings from 10:00 to 12:30, from early April to late August, in front of the Goudse Waag. It does not run on Ascension Day and can be cancelled in hot weather.

Dordrecht and the coast

Dordrecht can be reached by train or on Waterbus line 20, which stops at Dordrecht Merwekade. It is the oldest chartered city in Holland. For a beach, take metro line B to Hoek van Holland Strand on the North Sea.

Tips

  • Pay for local transport with a contactless card or phone, and tap out.
  • Pair Delft and The Hague in one day, but give Kinderdijk a half day or more.
  • Check museum hours before a Monday trip.

Read more: Rotterdam multi-day trips shows how to fit these around a city stay. Tours that bundle transport can be searched on Viator .