Need transportation from Rotterdam Port to Hotel in Amsterdam on August 21. Any ideas?

[rkanter]

At the end of our cruise on the Celebrity Apex, we are planning a stay in the city of Amsterdam and need transportation there. Any suggestions?

[bigbenboys]

train

 

https://www.google.com/search?q=Rotterdam+to+Amsterdam+by+train&gs_ivs=1

 

Taking the train is the fastest way to travel from Rotterdam to Amsterdam. Trains depart from Rotterdam's Centraal train station and arrive at Amsterdam Centraal train station after as little as 37 minutes of travel time.

[terrydtx]

We are on the September 14th Apex cruise and we are using Welcome Pickups for our transportation from the airport to our Amsterdam Hotel and then to Rotterdam to get on the cruise.  We get off the cruise in Athens and also are using them to get to the airport.

Welcome - Making travel easy, friendly, personal (welcomepickups.com)

Edited May 16, 2023 by terrydtx

[Julma]

Just off the Apex TA, we used a private car service through Viator.  We had looked at other, less expensive options, but decided the car service was worth it and we still think it was.  Rotterdam was very busy and our driver was there with a sign and we zipped by all the people and we were on our way in minutes after stepping off the ship.  Another tip, Ubers could not pull up to the hotel we stayed at.  I believe it may be like that many places in Amsterdam.  They have "pick-up/drop off points" which can be a bit of a distance from your hotel.   

[tce40]

5 hours ago, Julma said:

Just off the Apex TA, we used a private car service through Viator.  We had looked at other, less expensive options, but decided the car service was worth it and we still think it was.  Rotterdam was very busy and our driver was there with a sign and we zipped by all the people and we were on our way in minutes after stepping off the ship.  Another tip, Ubers could not pull up to the hotel we stayed at.  I believe it may be like that many places in Amsterdam.  They have "pick-up/drop off points" which can be a bit of a distance from your hotel.   

Which car service did you use?  I'm certainly interested.

[cruisestitch]

Look at the Viator site 

[Julma]

10 minutes ago, tce40 said:

Which car service did you use?  I'm certainly interested.

We booked through Viator.  Their cancellation policy is generous.  It was very easy, but not cheap.  We paid $290 ish all in.  Like I said, I'd do it again.  It was rainy and there were a ton of people all crushed in and I would have hated to have to figure out transportation.  

[tce40]

Thank you. I’m looking for a private transfer as well, for that very reason!

[rkanter]

If you are interested, we can share the transportation ride and split the cost.

[jagger16]

Back in 2014 we took the train from Amsterdam to Rotterdam. It couldn’t have been easier. We got First Class tickets, which were very reasonable, and that gave us assigned seats. We had no trouble storing our luggage in First Class and they gave us a glass of sparkling wine. It was a delightful experience and our only regret is that we wish the ride was longer. We enjoyed it so much!

[Host Kat]

9 hours ago, rkanter said:

If you are interested, we can share the transportation ride and split the cost.

 

Hello @rkanter

 

To help you out, your thread has been moved to the Ports of Call - British Isles/Western Europe forum where it will be on topic. The majority of your fellow Cruise Critic members that have been there frequent this forum and provide feedback here. Browse through the thread titles on this forum looking for threads of interest. You will probably find your fellow Cruise Critic members have already posted questions and received answers that may be of interest to you.

 

Also, your share request needs be posted on the specific Roll Call thread for your specific cruise. Per the Guidelines we all agreed to follow when registering for our free Cruise Critic memberships, the specific Roll Call thread for your ship and sail date is the ONLY place on the Cruise Critic message boards where you and your fellow Roll Call thread members sailing with you are allowed to post personal ads about sharing private tours, excursions & transportation with each other. There is a "captive audience" on your Roll Call thread since you are all sailing together on the same cruise.

 

For information about our Roll Calls, please read What is a Roll Call? Everything you Need to Know and How To: Create A New Roll Call. For more information about our famous Roll Calls, please read the Roll Calls and Our Policy Regarding Facebook and Roll Calls sections in the Guidelines. We also have the following Cruise Critic article you might enjoy: 8 Reasons to Join a Cruise Critic Roll Call

 

Since you do not mention the sail date for your Apex cruise, I cannot direct you to the existing Roll Call thread for your cruise IF one is already created on the Celebrity Apex Roll Calls forum. If not, please feel free to create it there.

 

Hope this will be helpful and glad to have you aboard Cruise Critic!

 

Happy sails,

 

Host Kat

[princeton123211]

22 hours ago, Julma said:

Another tip, Ubers could not pull up to the hotel we stayed at.  I believe it may be like that many places in Amsterdam.  They have "pick-up/drop off points" which can be a bit of a distance from your hotel.   

Have never had this in 3 trips to Amsterdam with extensive Uber use. Sure, there are pick up points at Schiphol Airport but not in the city. Have always gotten picked up and dropped off right at the hotel we usually stay at, the W right in the middle of town. 

 

Its very possible your driver didn't feel like taking the long way around something to get to your hotel and just made up something about drop zones to cover. 

[princeton123211]

16 hours ago, Julma said:

We booked through Viator.  Their cancellation policy is generous.  It was very easy, but not cheap.  We paid $290 ish all in.  Like I said, I'd do it again.  It was rainy and there were a ton of people all crushed in and I would have hated to have to figure out transportation.  

That's a pretty crazy price for what's essentially an hour drive. A great app I use frequently in continental Europe, called Blacklane, would provide a Mercedes E class for $190 including gratuity which is sort of the going rate for liveried cars on that route into central Amsterdam. UberX (not the same quality level as Blacklane or likely what you used) is $100-120. 

 

Viator is a third party aggregator and you pay a hefty commission to them-- most likely the $100 you paid over the going rate. 

 

I agree with the first response though-- the train is a very easy way to do this if you are staying somewhere that's within walking distance to Centraal Station in Amsterdam (which can sometimes be much quicker than taking a taxi due to how the roads are) or if not, book direct or use an app for a car service and avoid paying the hefty commissions you do with an aggregator like Viator. 

[gumshoe958]

17 hours ago, Julma said:

We booked through Viator.  Their cancellation policy is generous.  It was very easy, but not cheap.  We paid $290 ish all in.  Like I said, I'd do it again.  It was rainy and there were a ton of people all crushed in and I would have hated to have to figure out transportation.  

$290? And they wouldn’t even drop you at your hotel? Sorry, but you were robbed.

[terrydtx]

1 hour ago, princeton123211 said:

That's a pretty crazy price for what's essentially an hour drive. A great app I use frequently in continental Europe, called Blacklane, would provide a Mercedes E class for $190 including gratuity which is sort of the going rate for liveried cars on that route into central Amsterdam. UberX (not the same quality level as Blacklane or likely what you used) is $100-120. 

 

Viator is a third party aggregator and you pay a hefty commission to them-- most likely the $100 you paid over the going rate. 

 

I agree with the first response though-- the train is a very easy way to do this if you are staying somewhere that's within walking distance to Centraal Station in Amsterdam (which can sometimes be much quicker than taking a taxi due to how the roads are) or if not, book direct or use an app for a car service and avoid paying the hefty commissions you do with an aggregator like Viator. 

We are paying $209 for a Mercedes mini van for the 4 in our group. It is picking us up at our Amsterdam hotel (Banks Mansion) and dropping us off at the cruise terminal. We could have booked a sedan for about $180 for 2-3 people but the mini van with more room for luggage was needed. We booked directly with the transportation company, not Viator, which was a lot more cost.

[FreestyleNovice]

3 hours ago, terrydtx said:

We are paying $209 for a Mercedes mini van for the 4 in our group. It is picking us up at our Amsterdam hotel (Banks Mansion) and dropping us off at the cruise terminal. We could have booked a sedan for about $180 for 2-3 people but the mini van with more room for luggage was needed. We booked directly with the transportation company, not Viator, which was a lot more cost.

 

Not a steal but also not uncommon, hence the third party booking tool you mentioned. 

 

Train is about 20 Euros per person (included a 2-3 Euro surcharge for the 37 minute Intercity Direct) which is roughly 21-22 USD. 

 

My rule of thumb for R'dam - A'dam and vv is 1-2 pax; public transport to the Central Stations and definitely train. Elderly/lots of luggage/unfamiliar with Amsterdam/foreign travel/first time/honeymooners/whatsoever and groups starting at 3-4 and up to 7-8 pax; taxi (sedan and up to 9 (driver included) in a van). Really large groups of 9 and more: rent a (mini) coach. 

 

Enjoy The Netherlands! 

Edited May 17, 2023 by FreestyleNovice

[Julma]

6 hours ago, terrydtx said:

We are paying $209 for a Mercedes mini van for the 4 in our group. It is picking us up at our Amsterdam hotel (Banks Mansion) and dropping us off at the cruise terminal. We could have booked a sedan for about $180 for 2-3 people but the mini van with more room for luggage was needed. We booked directly with the transportation company, not Viator, which was a lot more cost.

That is what we had.  We could have fit 6, but it was just the 2 of us.  

[princeton123211]

6 minutes ago, Julma said:

That is what we had.  We could have fit 6, but it was just the 2 of us.

At $290 they still robbed you even with a van. 

[Julma]

 

3 hours ago, FreestyleNovice said:

 

Not a steal but also not uncommon, hence the third party booking tool you mentioned. 

 

Train is about 20 Euros per person (included a 2-3 Euro surcharge for the 37 minute Intercity Direct) which is roughly 21-22 USD. 

 

My rule of thumb for R'dam - A'dam and vv is 1-2 pax; public transport to the Central Stations and definitely train. Elderly/lots of luggage/unfamiliar with Amsterdam/foreign travel/first time/honeymooners/whatsoever and groups starting at 3-4 and up to 7-8 pax; taxi (sedan and up to 9 (driver included) in a van). Really large groups of 9 and more: rent a (mini) coach. 

 

Enjoy The Netherlands! 

This is very good advice!  Our ship charged disembarkation city from Amsterdam to Rotterdam shortly before we left.  So our decisions had to be made quick without a lot of time to research.  We purchased train tickets as well, but cancelled them just to make life easy.  Well over 2,000 passengers were heading off the Apex that day almost all trying to get to Amsterdam.

[Julma]

7 hours ago, gumshoe958 said:

$290? And they wouldn’t even drop you at your hotel? Sorry, but you were robbed.

It was Uber who could not pull up to our hotel.  Our van service pulled right up.  We stayed at the Anantara Krasnapolsky, maybe it is their no Uber rule.