Rotterdam......

[Draytonian III]

.... I’m going there in a few weeks time, flying from Robin Hood to Amsterdam, then onto Rotterdam by train, just wonder if anyone on here had any useful tips

[drfchound]

Try the Thai place near the British Bulldog pub in Amsterdam before you go to Rotterdam.

[BillyStubbsTears]

I don't have any nightlife tips, cos I've never stayed there overnight. But I can give you a bit of a heads up generally about it.

A Dutch mate of mine (from Amsterdam) says that if Amsterdam is heat, Rotterdam is ice. That's my memory of it. It got flattened in the War and was pretty much rebuilt from scratch. A lot of modernist architecture built quickly after the War. Interesting, but clinical and a bit cold.

The east bank of the Rhine is the financial centre and pretty dull as I remember. The west bank is the artsy, bohemian side and probably better for nightlife.

[Donnywolf]

Train service is brilliant in Netherlands and of course the Airport Station is right below the Terminal. The Terminal (indeed airport) is vast and interesting

Flying from DSA can take 30 ish minutes and the flight can be shorter than the time to Taxi in / find a Gate and get the doors open

Anyway back to the Trains - they run on time ! Last time I did that trip trains left every 15 minutes so no pressure there if you miss one. Rotterdam Centraal is what it says Central and you have a choice of more Trains Trams Buses and  / or Taxis to your onward destination

After that I will defer to other night owls. I always find litttle waterside bars and drink interesting Dutch / Belgian Beer though so you may want a higher life than that lol 

[mushRTID]

Sorry to hijack your thread but same question goes for Gdańsk Poland. I’m going on Thursday, anyone been and have any suggestions please?

Always thought a travel thread would be useful in here!

[big fat yorkshire pudding]

Train service is brilliant in Netherlands and of course the Airport Station is right below the Terminal. The Terminal (indeed airport) is vast and interesting

Flying from DSA can take 30 ish minutes and the flight can be shorter than the time to Taxi in / find a Gate and get the doors open

Anyway back to the Trains - they run on time ! Last time I did that trip trains left every 15 minutes so no pressure there if you miss one. Rotterdam Centraal is what it says Central and you have a choice of more Trains Trams Buses and  / or Taxis to your onward destination

After that I will defer to other night owls. I always find litttle waterside bars and drink interesting Dutch / Belgian Beer though so you may want a higher life than that lol 

I remember this also in Amsterdam, pilot, "short taxi to the runway which they've just switched to the furthest one away", so about 20-25 minutes.  Flight time then another 30 back to Doncaster.

[Donnywolf]

Yes I remember well flying DSA to AMS and the Pilot told us before we left that we may be on the floor longer there than the flight time

We were allocated the furthest Runway from Terminal and I am sure I did not misremember this - the Pilot did not touch down until we had used most of the Runway up and so he was trying to save time that way - rather than touch down and have to Taxi for ages

We were then in a queue waiting for a Gate. Busy but worth it

[Ldr]

Ah the polderbaan pretty much back in the UK haha

[BillyStubbsTears]

Flew from Donny to Amsterdam last year, on the way to a meeting at The Hague.

That must be the smoothest trip I've ever had.

Got the bus from the middle of Sheffield to the airport. It was just under three and a half hours from getting in that bus at Sheffield, to getting off the train at The Hague. And that included time for a pint before getting on the plane. 

[Dutch Uncle]

hi DIII

The obvious things to do/see in Amsterdam are a canal trip (great for an overview), the Anne Frank house (which has long queues so book a slot if you can), the Leidseplein for bars and restaurants, and I would probably recommend the Van Gogh museum over the Rijksmuseum - the latter can be overwhelming. By the way they are right next to each other. The Heineken brewery tour is IMHO overrated.

Don’t know Rotterdam as well, but short train trips to either Delft or Leiden - both old University towns with many canals - are great.

Finally The Hague is my favourite, but then I lived there for 30+ years. If you do go , take the train to Den Haag CS, not HS, and I thoroughly recommend the Escher Paleis - an old working  place now dedicated to MC Escher’s Work (look him up, it is mind boggling in the flesh). Not far away is the Dutch Parliament and the Mauritshuis - an art museum full of great masterpieces, but so small it is very doable. Finally if you have longer in The Hague go to the Panaroma Mesdag, a huge cylindrical picture giving the viewer a full illusion of being in the sand dunes of the Hague in the 19th century.

Just a few ideas, whatever you do enjoy