Eurostar to Rotterdam

If you’re into city breaks and looking for somewhere a bit more interesting to visit next on your travels, give The Netherlands’ second city Rotterdam a go. It’s a wonderfully cosmopolitan place, filled with incredibly contemporary architecture and fabulous history to boot. Due to its location on the Meuse River, it is one of the top port cities, not only in Europe, but the whole world. Rotterdam is one of the destinations available on the Eurostar connection service, so it’s never been easier to get to.

About Rotterdam

After you’ve settled in to your hotel, head to the incredible Euromast in the city centre. It is the tallest tower in the city, with a platform for viewing the stunning surrounding cityscape. It’s especially beautiful at night, when the lights of the Erasmus Bridge are turned on. From this high up, you’ll see the city in all its splendour.

To really immerse yourself in Rotterdam’s day-to-day life, head down to the hustle and bustle of the port. A great idea for an afternoon is to take a trip on a boat. And if you time your visit right, you might even be in Rotterdam for the annual Port Days Festival (Wereldhavendagen), where the shipping business is celebrated by the locals.

If you like to travel for the museums, you’ll definitely be able to spend a few days in the Museumpark, which is home to some of the best in all of The Netherlands. One of the most popular is the Boijmans Van Beuningen Museum, which contains an astonishing collection of work by artists such as Rembrandt, Van Gogh, and Monet. It’s also home to the Tower of Babel by Bruegel.

Another great tourist attraction is The Netherlands Architecture Institute. If you are keen on construction and buildings, it’s definitely worth a visit. There are some fascinating exhibitions on both modern architecture and historical builds. But you don’t have to go to the museum to see fantastic examples of architecture; a must-see during your stay is the cube homes near the old port, or Kijk-Kubus. They are often compared to Lego houses!

As well as the Port Days festival, Rotterdam is home to a number of events throughout the year. In summer, you might like to time your visit to coincide with the Ortel Summer Carnival, or the North Sea Jazz Festival. Or if you’re a fan of the cold, you could visit Rotterdam when the International Film Festival takes place. During these festivals, the city is buzzing with locals and tourists alike, and has a great party atmosphere.

Rotterdam by Eurostar Trains

You can get to Rotterdam by train on one of the Eurostar’s connection services. This means you'll have to change trains at some point. Eurostar trains depart from St Pancras International, a very easy-to-get-to destination in London. Your simplest option of connection services after getting on the train at London is to change Gare de Bruxelles Midi, from one platform to another for a connection Thalys train. All in all, the journey time will take about three and a half hours.

Visit the official Eurostar web site to book your train tickets to Rotterdam.