Rotterdam- Amsterdam

[Vampiress88]

Tell me about this. 
 

me and my stupid ideas looked at the p&o website only to find a cheap weeks deal in school holidays and now I’m tempted to book it. 
 

this is why I should not be on holiday websites. 
 

anyway. I want to go to Amsterdam (space cakes 🤔) how do I get there without paying p&o £45 per person?

 

plus it’s overnight. Anyone has an experience doing this cruise ?

[showingdiva]

The train from Rotterdam to Amsterdam Centraal is around 45 minutes and approx 15 Euros each way.  I seem to recall booking it in advance through Trainline.

 

I've been on cruises that have been overnight in both Rotterdam and Amsterdam (before P&O decanted to Ijmuiden).  Much prefer Rotterdam, not least because the city centre is only a short walk over the Erasmus Bridge.

 

No experience of the space cakes.   Sorry.   

[Vampiress88]

1 hour ago, showingdiva said:

The train from Rotterdam to Amsterdam Centraal is around 45 minutes and approx 15 Euros each way.  I seem to recall booking it in advance through Trainline.

 

I've been on cruises that have been overnight in both Rotterdam and Amsterdam (before P&O decanted to Ijmuiden).  Much prefer Rotterdam, not least because the city centre is only a short walk over the Erasmus Bridge.

 

No experience of the space cakes.   Sorry.   

it says on the one I’m looking at that it’s Rotterdam for two days. 
 

I can see the train from Rotterdam to Amsterdam. Just need to figure out how to get from the port to the train station now. 

[wowzz]

Are Space Cakes the Amsterdam delicacies that I think they are!  

[showingdiva]

16 minutes ago, Vampiress88 said:

it says on the one I’m looking at that it’s Rotterdam for two days. 
 

I can see the train from Rotterdam to Amsterdam. Just need to figure out how to get from the port to the train station now. 

 

From the cruise terminal to Rotterdam central is a good 30 min walk, over the Erasmus Bridge, but almost in a straight line.   There are always plenty taxis at the cruise terminal.   Amsterdam Centraal is in the middle of the city, so not so much a walk there.

[Windsurfboy]

The trains are great I like the upper deck , £15 return on trainline buy in advance. Trainline also has Coach at half the price, but ive sat in traffic for hours on the Rotterdam to Amsterdam  motorway especially by Schipol. Train would be worth extra as very punctual , especially if you went on day two

[Eddie99]

JMO but I’d hesitate over taking little children to Amsterdam just because of the traffic (motorised on the roads and often cycles on the pavements).  It’s not an easy city to get around.  Last time we went we took a free walking tour and really enjoyed that but I think your girls are too little to appreciate how Amsterdam actually started Stock Exchanges etc etc

 

Sorry to sound like a party pooper.  P’raps I’m just an over fussy Nana?  Hopefully a young person will appear to tell you how they spent a fabulous 8 hours in the city with their 5 children.

 

[P&O SUE]

25 minutes ago, Eddie99 said:

JMO but I’d hesitate over taking little children to Amsterdam just because of the traffic (motorised on the roads and often cycles on the pavements).  It’s not an easy city to get around.  Last time we went we took a free walking tour and really enjoyed that but I think your girls are too little to appreciate how Amsterdam actually started Stock Exchanges etc etc

 

Sorry to sound like a party pooper.  P’raps I’m just an over fussy Nana?  Hopefully a young person will appear to tell you how they spent a fabulous 8 hours in the city with their 5 children.

 

Canal boat ride? Im not sure Vamps will be going for 8 hours!

 

Such a shame they don’t dock in Amsterdam anymore. It’s a lovely scenic sail out through the lock and the ship docks so close to everything.

[Vampiress88]

1 hour ago, Eddie99 said:

JMO but I’d hesitate over taking little children to Amsterdam just because of the traffic (motorised on the roads and often cycles on the pavements).  It’s not an easy city to get around.  Last time we went we took a free walking tour and really enjoyed that but I think your girls are too little to appreciate how Amsterdam actually started Stock Exchanges etc etc

 

Sorry to sound like a party pooper.  P’raps I’m just an over fussy Nana?  Hopefully a young person will appear to tell you how they spent a fabulous 8 hours in the city with their 5 children.

 

kids will be 7 & 8 😱 so maybe not as little as I keep saying they are. We just want to go to the city and have a walk around. I think there is a cool zoo I’ve read. None of us have ever been and something I always wanted for mine was to go different places. 
 

to be honest the deal is that good even without the ports so I’m really contemplating just putting the deposit down. 

[Eddie99]

Please don’t let me put you off!

 

[Vampiress88]

8 minutes ago, Eddie99 said:

Please don’t let me put you off!

 

I’m not going to 😂 

 

i appreciate everyone’s input which is why I ask. I’ll do some research tonight. Currently cleaning and doing kids bedtime.
 

just seems like a deal I can’t pass up on even though Amsterdam is really the only port we would even be bothered for. Then again I’ve been proven wrong on ports before and have been both disappointed and surprised  

[Vampiress88]

3 hours ago, wowzz said:

Are Space Cakes the Amsterdam delicacies that I think they are!  

I’m not sure how to word it on a forum. Pot cake? 😂 It’s not like both of us could anyway cos we have the kids so I will have to be responsible and decline it. 
 

it was actually recommended to me once as a pain killer for my health issues. I stuck to painkillers instead. 

[davemorton]

When is the cruise? 

Once things open up, perhaps another option for you could be the Newcastle/Amsterdam ferry, with a night or two overnight in Amsterdam.  Obviously dependant on where in the UK you live.  

Edited May 11, 2021 by davemorton

[Windsurfboy]

If the weather is lovely Schreveningen beach is nice, there's a pier and lots for the kids. The Kurhaus hotel is an up market classic Victorian hotel , a bar with a great view and often music (pianist), a bit of your time to have a cocktail afterwards. It's a suburb of Den Hague , which is another lovely place to wander round. All easily accessible by train

 

[Mim Lloyd]

1 hour ago, Vampiress88 said:

I’m not sure how to word it on a forum. Pot cake? 😂 It’s not like both of us could anyway cos we have the kids so I will have to be responsible and decline it. 
 

it was actually recommended to me once as a pain killer for my health issues. I stuck to painkillers instead. 

First time I went to Amsterdam we stopped at a cafe to rest our legs and have a coffee and cake before getting the train back to the airport to come home. I went to the counter and ordered 2 coffees and 2 homemade chocolate muffins. The server asked me if I wanted normal muffins or the special ones. I said, 'special please' thinking it meant extra chocolate sprinkles or something like that.  Went back to my husband who then said he didn't feel like a muffin after all but would put it in his bag for later. I ate 1/4 of mine and left the rest as it was a bit dry and tasteless. Well,  I drifted back to the airport in a happy blissful state and promptly fell fast asleep as soon as I got on to the plane. My husband said he was sure the cabin crew and passengers around me thought I was drunk! We laughed about it with our teenage kids when we got home but our son was then horrified to find that we'd brought the other muffin home, we'd completely forgot about it. He said we could have been thrown in gaol if it had been found! He took it to his uni mates and said that our street cred had shot up in their eyes! 

[Windsurfboy]

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[Vampiress88]

20 minutes ago, Mim Lloyd said:

First time I went to Amsterdam we stopped at a cafe to rest our legs and have a coffee and cake before getting the train back to the airport to come home. I went to the counter and ordered 2 coffees and 2 homemade chocolate muffins. The server asked me if I wanted normal muffins or the special ones. I said, 'special please' thinking it meant extra chocolate sprinkles or something like that.  Went back to my husband who then said he didn't feel like a muffin after all but would put it in his bag for later. I ate 1/4 of mine and left the rest as it was a bit dry and tasteless. Well,  I drifted back to the airport in a happy blissful state and promptly fell fast asleep as soon as I got on to the plane. My husband said he was sure the cabin crew and passengers around me thought I was drunk! We laughed about it with our teenage kids when we got home but our son was then horrified to find that we'd brought the other muffin home, we'd completely forgot about it. He said we could have been thrown in gaol if it had been found! He took it to his uni mates and said that our street cred had shot up in their eyes! 

😂 that’s awesome. Had I have not known about them I would have thought extra sprinkles too. 

[Vampiress88]

1 hour ago, davemorton said:

When is the cruise? 

Once things open up, perhaps another option for you could be the Newcastle/Amsterdam ferry, with a night or two overnight in Amsterdam.  Obviously dependant on where in the UK you live.  

beginning of 2023. 
not fussed for a ferry. Would do that if we didn’t have the kids but I just like a week away on a cruise for a bargain price. Cruise with the kids seem an easier way of seeing the world without having to stay if we are bored. 

[davemorton]

1 minute ago, Vampiress88 said:

beginning of 2023. 
not fussed for a ferry. Would do that if we didn’t have the kids but I just like a week away on a cruise for a bargain price. Cruise with the kids seem an easier way of seeing the world without having to stay if we are bored. 

Ahh, cant bring myself to think that far forward. 

[Vampiress88]

36 minutes ago, davemorton said:

Ahh, cant bring myself to think that far forward. 

Seem to get the best deals on cruises when I’m years ahead 

[wowzz]

4 hours ago, Vampiress88 said:

Pot cake?

That's the one. Mim has obviously got first hand experience!

Probably not a good idea with two children in tow, but how about a takeaway? 

[Vampiress88]

26 minutes ago, wowzz said:

That's the one. Mim has obviously got first hand experience!

Probably not a good idea with two children in tow, but how about a takeaway? 

never thought of that. Not sure they would let me back on the ship with it. 
no it’s not a good idea with two kids. One of us maybe but not both adults 

[Eglesbrech]

14 hours ago, Vampiress88 said:

I’m not going to 😂 

 

i appreciate everyone’s input which is why I ask. I’ll do some research tonight. Currently cleaning and doing kids bedtime.
 

just seems like a deal I can’t pass up on even though Amsterdam is really the only port we would even be bothered for. Then again I’ve been proven wrong on ports before and have been both disappointed and surprised  

If you have a second day in Rotterdam the children might enjoy going to the cube houses, they are really quirky inside and the one we went into had a massive glass case full of old school toys. They are just opposite the shuttle bus drop off point as is the large indoor food market which is great for a walk around (and has nice clean public toilets on the lower mezzanine level).

 

Another silly  thing that appealed to my nephew in Rotterdam was the biscuit shop. It is on the lower level shopping street and has hundreds of flavours of tiny crisp colourful biscuits covered in a coating, you can graze to find a favourite then buy a few bags.

 

Rotterdam is hosting the Eurovision Song Contest this year, might be worth watching as they usually show and tell you a bit about the host city.

While Amsterdam obviously has some amazing attractions you can also spend an interesting day in Rotterdam. The port usually put on a shanty choir in the arrivals hall which is really enjoyable, the port also provide large clear umbrellas just as you go out the door for passenger use (or pre covid they did).

[Chrisdriving]

Shuttie bus takes you to Rotterdam Blaak station for the Amsterdam train.

Edited May 16, 2021 by Chrisdriving

[P&O SUE]

9 hours ago, Chrisdriving said:

Shuttie bus takes you to Rotterdam Blaak station for the Amsterdam train.

Good to know 👍 I’ve been on a train in the Netherlands, they are so efficient. I would have probably just done the P&O coach but it’s a silly price.

Edited May 16, 2021 by P&O SUE