Travel To Rotterdam, Holland - EuropeTrip Part 1

TRAVEL TRIP (AUGUST 2011)

I went to Rotterdam for just a day. From Amsterdam I went to visit some friends in Rotterdam, overnight there, and came back to Amsterdam in the next day afternoon.

Rotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and the largest port in the world. Starting as a dam on the Rotte river, Rotterdam has grown into a major international commercial centre.

Being second best city, Rotterdam is quite subtle compares to Amsterdam. It has its own nightlife attractions, although not as happening as Amsterdam but still an interesting place to live in.

One thing I like about Rotterdam was because of the cost living is lower than Amsterdam. The expenditure was more economical. I believe Amsterdam was expensive just because of the 'branding'. It is 'Amsterdam'. :)

TRANSPORTATION

1. From Malaysia
If you are travelling from Malaysia, usually you will departure from KLIA (Kuala Lumpur International Airport). KL or Kuala Lumpur is the federal capital with lots of city attractions.

To book the airlines ticket, you have two choices. You may check MAS (www.malaysiaairlines.com). This is the national carrier of Malaysia or KLM (www.klm.com). Both airlines take off from KLIA. Journey will takes about 12 to 13 hours by direct flight.

You will land in Schiphol Airport Amsterdam. There is no direct flight to Rotterdam.

2. From Amsterdam
By Road:
You may travel by car/bus/taxi to Rotterdam. Jouney is about 1 to 2 hours.It is advisable to travel by train as it is faster and cheaper.

You can check these websites for car rental: www.europcar.com.my, www.sixt.com.

By Rail:

If you want to travel by train, please check this website www.thetrainline.com or www.raileurope.com. The journey will takes about 1 hour or less (by express train). Train to Rotterdam will departure from Amsterdam Centraal Station and arrive in Rotterdam Centraal Station.

ACCOMMODATION

Before deciding on places to stay in Rotterdam, you need to choose which area is your preference. There are 9 favorite neighbourhoods with its own characteristic that may help you to decide:

1. City Center

2. Feijenoord

3. Prins Alexander

4. Delfshaven

5. Vlaardingen

6. Schiedam

7. Charlois

8. Noord

9. Kralingen-Crooswijk


PLACES OF INTEREST

To be honest, I didn't feel that Rotterdam has interesting places for me to visit. Well if you are unlike me who didn't like museums and zoos, then I guess you will still find few attractions. When I was at Rotterdam, I spent time with my Malaysian and Singaporean friends who have reside there for more than 20 years.

My activities were more toward enjoying the night life and tried to live for few days as locals. But if I have to advise attractive places that are good for visit, I would suggest Mevlana Mosque and Witte Huis

Mevlana Mosque is a mosque in northwestern Rotterdam, Netherlands which serves mainly Turkish-Dutch Muslims. The mosque, named after Rumi, was built in 2001 and benefits from two minarets.

The Witte Huis or White House is a building and National Heritage Site in Rotterdam, Netherlands, built in 1898 in the Art Nouveau style. The building is 43 m tall, with 10 floors. It was also the first hoogbouw in Europe

-Alvy-