Esperanza77

Hello
I know it's ambitious but I've been wanting to see Rotterdam for some time and it never fits into our plans. So with a 6h40 min layover, no luggage, can one get a feel of Rotterdam or is that impossible?

Thanks

janisj

>>Can I visit Rotterdam on a 6h40 min layover in Schiphol?<<

No

It is nearly an hour by train each way (to Leiden and then change to Rotterdam). If you are arriving long haul you have to go through Immigration. Then you have security when you return. So best case is you are spending between 4 and 5 hours in transit/formalities

janisj

>>No<< Actually meant to say not realistically.

PalenQ

Yeh sure - with that much time a piece of cake - trains go direc from the airport train station under the main arrivals terminal to Rotterdam (no changing anywhere) and take between 20-27 minutes each way and virtually no walking to the airport station. Check your luggage at the airport's luggage locker if you have more than a day pack-right under the main terminal.

One hour about of transit time - the center of Rotterdam is cool as is the riverfront - Rotterdam is one of my very favorite cities. Go for it!

Sassafrass

PalenQ, Bravo! I would not have thought it possible either.

flanneruk

Hmmm....

True: there are trains every 10-15 mins, and you don't have to commit till you've come through immigration and got to the railway ticket desk or machine on the arrival floor.

But you've got no control over how long it'll take to get through security coming back (it took me over an hour a few months ago), or through outgoing passport control. If you DO check your daybag: another queue to manage when you come back.

Buying a railway ticket for the first time in Holland isn't altogether straighforward: as in most of developed Europe, finding a ticket desk isn't easy, and to work the self-serve machines you need to understand the local ticketing system. In practice, this means another queue for help from the utterly helpful, but overworked, railway information person. Then you've got to find the right platform.

All easy enough if you know how the Dutch system works these days: but the pace of automation in these things means the system will be different from what it was two years ago - and that's more time wasted.

Assuming you want to be back at the airport 90 mins before takeoff, and you know you need only an hour in Rotterdam, you MUST be on an ex-Schiphol train, having bought a valid return ticket, at least 4.5 hours before takeoff.

If your ticket isn't valid (easy mistake to make), you will be put off the train at an intermediate stop to buy the right one and get the next train. More time potentially wasted

You MIGHT get to the machine on time. I wouldn't bet on it.

Andrew

I don't remember anything odd about buying a train ticket from the Schiphol ticket machines - except that they won't take American chip and signature credit cards. You either need to use Euro cash coins or a chip and PIN credit card. Perhaps it is easy to get coin change for euro bills at Schiphol - I don't remember, I used my chip and PIN credit card the last two times to buy tickets there.

Another option for buying train tickets would be a smart phone app, something I used last month in France and Italy. That would avoid any issue at a ticket machine.

menachem

janisj: there's a direct service from Schiphol to Rotterdam: 20 minutes.

two trains an hour.

apart from that: it's not really feasible. You'd have 2 hours on the ground in Rotterdam: there are considerable delays at passports and security now, because of the new carrousel system they introduced last year: take at least 3 hours.

menachem

Andrew, if you don't have iDEAL, (Dutch Banking System) there is no viable way of using the NS app to buy Dutch train tickets.

Cowboy1968

IMO, you simply need more time to explore the different facets of Rotterdam. I would make a great (full) day trip destination if you were staying in Amsterdam. But one or two hours are not enough, IMO.

Dukey1

Finding a ticket desk at Schiphol "isn't easy"????????? Did they do away with that rather prominent "TICKETS" desk in Schiphol Plaza that sat directly above the platforms? And as to the "confusion" on those platforms; what is that all about?

I'm going back to AMS soon and this whole "buying train tickets" ordeal seems ridiculous but I am determined not to use some expensive taxi into the city.

Esperanza77

Thanks a lot for the useful replies. This gives me food for thought. Just for my info, what is the "Carrousel system" at the airport.

Also, can I store large luggage at the airport or just carry-ons?

Thanks again

Dukey1

Yes, you can store luggage, or at least you ONCE were able to and not just in lockers as I recall.

I'm sorry, but Flanner's response was NOT "useful" IMO and was full of inaccuracies.

PalenQ

Carrousel is probably the baggage retrieval belt that goes round and round -you wait till your bags pop up -could take a while -never know.

You can store all kinds of luggage at Schiphol in the baggage locker area.

There has never been any problem finding the ticket windows at Schiphol Airport for me and rarely long lines as most locals buy online or from machines. buy a return (round-trip) ticket and yes cancel it yourself before boarding the train.

6-8 hours - if all goes well you should have about 3 hours in Rotterdam -enough to see what this modern architecture wonder looks like but not to take in its many museums and such. But beats staying in an airport for 6-8 hours - even the train ride to Rotterdam will show you the signature Dutch countryside of farmer fields divided by sluitjes - small drainage canals and cows and sheep everywhere.

Please report back if you do this.

Planes also an arrive early too.

hetismij2

The carrousel system is the security system followed by passport control when catching a flight at Schiphol.
It was designed for lower numbers of passengers than Schiphol now has, and the result can be chaos, and almost always long queues.
Even with carry-on you are advised to be at the airport a minimum of two hours before your flight for European flights and 3hours for intercontinental flights.
People who don't have more than the bare essentials in their carry-on can be fast laned, but if you have a wheely bag and carry-on only you could be stuck for a while.
Hopefully things will improve, but it won't be any time soon.

PalenQ

but if you have a wheely bag and carry-on only you could be stuck for a while.>

Would not OP with a connecting flight have checked those bags after landing in Schiphol and not have to drag them out of Immigration/Customs inspections and just have a small day pack for easy re-entering?

But if they must be there 2 hours in advance then going anywhere out of the airport is problematic. It takes about as long to get into Amsterdam as to Rotterdam.

menachem

even if you have a day pack going in there will be lines. the situation is now so dire that people have started suing the Schiphol company over this. Also because they had a viable and working system.

And yes, it makes getting into Amsterdam as much of a proposition as going to Rotterdam. Almost impossible to do.

PalenQ

Seems like safe thing is to dwell in Schiphol =lots of shops inside immigration exit and there is a tiny branch of the Rijksmuseum I believe still in the airport.

PalenQ

https://www.amsterdam.info/airport-museum/

hetismij2

If you really want to get out and see something during in your stop over you could get a bus (or a taxi) to Aalsmeer and visit http://www.htaalsmeer.org/Home for an hour or so. Taxi may be quicker, and you could arrange a return time with them, or get Connexxion bus 198, which takes about 40 minutes, but is cheaper.

You would of course still have to be back in plenty of time for security and passport control.