Amsterdam to Rotterdam on cruise departure day?

[lupaglupa]

We are cruising from Rotterdam next October and plan to stay in Amsterdam a few days before our departure. I had originally thought to go to Rotterdam the day before our cruise departs but now, seeing little that interests me in Rotterdam, I'm wondering if we should just stay in Amsterdam and head down the morning of the cruise. Can anyone advise me on that? I know my husband will worry that we might not make it! But it looks like the trains between Amsterdam and Rotterdam run quite regularly. 

 

TIA

[princeton123211]

33 minutes ago, lupaglupa said:

I'm wondering if we should just stay in Amsterdam and head down the morning of the cruise. Can anyone advise me on that? I know my husband will worry that we might not make it! But it looks like the trains between Amsterdam and Rotterdam run quite regularly. 

Getting between Amsterdam and Rotterdam is extremely easy-- its like getting between New York and Philly on the train. Trains run frequently (the high speed Eurostar-- which used to be called the Thayls when I last used it on this route) takes only 39 minutes and is the best way to do it. They run slower speed trains but just take the faster nicer one-- fares are as low as $30 per person. 

 

36 minutes ago, lupaglupa said:

I had originally thought to go to Rotterdam the day before our cruise departs but now, seeing little that interests me in Rotterdam,

Thats a shame because Rotterdam is quite lovely. You can actually stay overnight on the refurbished retired Holland America flagship SS Rotterdam which was a highlight of my time in Holland. Midcentury magnificence at its finest. 

[ski ww]

We're staying in Rotterdam 2 days pre cruise on the old SS Rotterdam hotel and going to Amsterdam by train to do some sight seeing. It is also the location of were the ship departs from.

[Ine]

You can check trains at the website ns.nl

Frequent trains , some of them with a small surcharge.

Buying tickets is easy too, just use your creditcard to check in and out.

More details here: https://www.ns.nl/en

From the trainstation take either a cab or use the metro (underground) to Wilhelminakade. 

[lupaglupa]

I'd love to hear what folks who plan to spend time in Rotterdam recommend doing there. It seemed to me that there was more to see in Amsterdam, but I'm open-minded. 

[Dutch_Travelgirl]

17 hours ago, princeton123211 said:

Getting between Amsterdam and Rotterdam is extremely easy-- its like getting between New York and Philly on the train. Trains run frequently (the high speed Eurostar-- which used to be called the Thayls when I last used it on this route) takes only 39 minutes and is the best way to do it. They run slower speed trains but just take the faster nicer one-- fares are as low as $30 per person. 

It much cheaper and just as fast to take 

the Intercity Direct train from Amsterdam to Rotterdam. This train uses the same highspeed train line as the Eurostar/Thalys trains use, but unlike Eurostar/Thalys trains you don’t need to book a specific train on a specific date and time.

A single train ticket from Amsterdam to Rotterdam on Intercity Direct costs €20,80. With that ticket you can take any Intercity Direct train on the date mentioned on your ticket. 

 

Another option is to take the regular Intercity train which takes 75 minutes from Amsterdam to Rotterdam. A single ticket for that train costs €17,90

[mdkf2021]

We really enjoyed our time in Rotterdam, mostly because it is so different than Amsterdam. Each has its own charm. As everyone has already said, the train is easy, inexpensive, and fast. The train is also a great option to and from the airport. Once in Rotterdam, you can take the Metro when you get off the train. The port is just 2 very short blocks from the Metro station. It is very easy and efficient.