Rail connections from Rotterdam and ease of boarding train with luggage
Apr 3rd, 2015, 01:32 PM
#22
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Rotterdam is a fascinating city - the anti-Bruges with everything in the centrum all fancy modern even avant-garde architecture - it has several awesome museums - I spent a day there recently and want to go back to see things I did not get to. Put your bags in a station locker and explore a bit - a supreme shopping area right near Centraal Station.
Apr 6th, 2015, 12:00 PM
#24
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I had a Netherlands Museum Pass - worth it in Amsterdam if just going to the Van Gogh and Rijksmuseum and Anne Frank House which it now covers and used it to visit several Rotterdam museums, including the acclaimed Ship Museum at the old port and some acclaimed modern art museums. There is a Walk of Stars by the Ship museum a la Hollywood where famous stars have put their hand prints in fresh cement - some really famaous prints there.
Apr 6th, 2015, 12:25 PM
#25
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My recommendations would be
Boymans is the obvious museum choice, but its shows are a bit hit and miss. Sometimes very interesting, but this summer it seems to be their design collections mainly and some solo shows with lesser known artists, nothing major. Their core collection is always worth a look, however, but I don't like the museum building itself, always creeps me out, slightly.
HNI - architecture museum is interesting in its own right, but also gives you access to Huis Zonneveld, a 1930s Modernist villa all intact. And they're doing something interesting to the little garden right next to HNI, so something will appear there.
There is no shopping "right near" Central Station, but tram number 7 from CS will get you to Willemskade, where you can take the ferry (either watertaxi from Veerhaven) or the regular Aqua Shuttle across to Katendrecht.
(disclaimer, I'm one of the pioneer entrepeneurs on Katendrecht so I have a vested interest haha)
The area around Veerhaven is worth a stroll as well, and Loos is excellent for coffee. A top notch lunch experience can be had in the World Museum (used to be the Yachtclub) at Plancius, but book well ahead.
Katendrecht used to be the sailors' quarter, all tattoo parlors, brothels and bars. It went derelict in the 1980s, but has been part of a regeneration effort and now is hip and happening. Feniks Loods is the alternative Markthal (which is near Blaak station) and is raw and industrial but comfortable. Around Deliplein is a string of eateries and cafes: Kopi Soesoe is the nicest, with excellent coffee (ask for their namesake coffee, kopi soesoe) and vinyl records they'll play you on request. Lots of jazz.
Katendrecht is also the last berth of SS Rotterdam, the former HAL Cruiseship which has been restored and is now permanently docked there. A nice time capsule experience that takes you back to the 1950s. All restaurants have been left intact, so now you can have lunch in the Lido Restaurant and stylish dinner at the Captain's table. There are tours too, so you can visit the engine room and the bridge.
For 5 euros a head you can take a watertaxi back to town right from the SS Rotterdam tender deck and that will get you to any watertaxi dock in town. At Willemskade for instance, but Leuvehaven also has one. And that's much more central.
Other options are:
Witte de Withstraat, Rotterdam's Art street with TENT for good art shows, Bazar for lunch and there is now a string of interesting restaurants along Schiedamse Vest: Gusto, 13, Hudson.
NRC Cafe is a good stop for coffee.
Trams back to central station all use the Beurs tramstop, a major hub in town. Or use the excellent metro system (first in the Netherlands)
Our newest architecture hightlights are Central Station itself and the new Markthal opposite Blaak Station.
The Walk of Stars that PalenQ mentioned is a real let down. No one in Rotterdam knows why it was put there in the first place.
Boymans is the obvious museum choice, but its shows are a bit hit and miss. Sometimes very interesting, but this summer it seems to be their design collections mainly and some solo shows with lesser known artists, nothing major. Their core collection is always worth a look, however, but I don't like the museum building itself, always creeps me out, slightly.
HNI - architecture museum is interesting in its own right, but also gives you access to Huis Zonneveld, a 1930s Modernist villa all intact. And they're doing something interesting to the little garden right next to HNI, so something will appear there.
There is no shopping "right near" Central Station, but tram number 7 from CS will get you to Willemskade, where you can take the ferry (either watertaxi from Veerhaven) or the regular Aqua Shuttle across to Katendrecht.
(disclaimer, I'm one of the pioneer entrepeneurs on Katendrecht so I have a vested interest haha)
The area around Veerhaven is worth a stroll as well, and Loos is excellent for coffee. A top notch lunch experience can be had in the World Museum (used to be the Yachtclub) at Plancius, but book well ahead.
Katendrecht used to be the sailors' quarter, all tattoo parlors, brothels and bars. It went derelict in the 1980s, but has been part of a regeneration effort and now is hip and happening. Feniks Loods is the alternative Markthal (which is near Blaak station) and is raw and industrial but comfortable. Around Deliplein is a string of eateries and cafes: Kopi Soesoe is the nicest, with excellent coffee (ask for their namesake coffee, kopi soesoe) and vinyl records they'll play you on request. Lots of jazz.
Katendrecht is also the last berth of SS Rotterdam, the former HAL Cruiseship which has been restored and is now permanently docked there. A nice time capsule experience that takes you back to the 1950s. All restaurants have been left intact, so now you can have lunch in the Lido Restaurant and stylish dinner at the Captain's table. There are tours too, so you can visit the engine room and the bridge.
For 5 euros a head you can take a watertaxi back to town right from the SS Rotterdam tender deck and that will get you to any watertaxi dock in town. At Willemskade for instance, but Leuvehaven also has one. And that's much more central.
Other options are:
Witte de Withstraat, Rotterdam's Art street with TENT for good art shows, Bazar for lunch and there is now a string of interesting restaurants along Schiedamse Vest: Gusto, 13, Hudson.
NRC Cafe is a good stop for coffee.
Trams back to central station all use the Beurs tramstop, a major hub in town. Or use the excellent metro system (first in the Netherlands)
Our newest architecture hightlights are Central Station itself and the new Markthal opposite Blaak Station.
The Walk of Stars that PalenQ mentioned is a real let down. No one in Rotterdam knows why it was put there in the first place.
Apr 7th, 2015, 08:36 AM
#26
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Thanks guys. I had planned to visit the 'big two" museums in Amsterdam, the Ship Museum in Rotterdam, and some others around the country (Kroller Muller, for example). You've given me many more ideas. And I knew nothing about the Museum Card. Now, if we can only find the time!
Apr 7th, 2015, 08:41 AM
#27
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The Ship Museum is the Maritime Museum. The museum itself is interesting and Leuvehaven has their outdoor ship collection. If you're in a weekend in june, you can book a ride on one of their steam tugs, the Dockyard series. You go on the Maas for a bit and they take you past Willemsbrug and Erasmusbrug. Check the Maritime Museum's website to see if there are sailings for your dates.
Apr 7th, 2015, 10:14 AM
#29
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Museumkaart does offer free access to Kroller Muller, but NOT to De Hoge Veluwe park, because that is maintained by a private foundation. So you pay for access to the park, Museumkaart provides free access to Kroller Muller museum.
Apr 7th, 2015, 11:44 AM
#30
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That must have changed then - several years ago I showed the card and they adamantly said no even after I questioned them and Kroller-Muller was not on the list then - you are saying it is now and that is good - I was very dissapointed that they would not take my museum card then.
Apr 7th, 2015, 12:13 PM
#32
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since 2012 this has been the situation. Don't know when you were there
https://www.hogeveluwe.nl/nl/nieuws/...-voor-het-park
https://www.hogeveluwe.nl/nl/nieuws/...-voor-het-park
Apr 7th, 2015, 12:15 PM
#33
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If you look at entrance fees, you'll see that there is an entrance fee, 8.80 I believe, listed with "Museumjaarkaart" But in fact that's what you pay to access the National Park, because they reason you use the Park's infrastructure when you visit the museum, so that's what you pay for, not the museum as such.
Apr 17th, 2015, 06:10 AM
#36
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After a couple of weeks of thinking about this and reading the many other posts and excellent comments re the Netherlands, I've just about decided to return to Rotterdam for three nites after Brugge, drop the car on arrival, and take the train from Rotterdam to Paris. That is, unless some of you Netherlands experts tell me that's not a good idea.
In essence, we'd spend the three nites we had planned for Chantilly, where we stayed last year, in Rotterdam.
From your comments, Rotterdam and Amsterdam both appear to have much more to do than I had thought when first making my plans.
This would give us at least one more day in Amsterdam (rather than training to Rotterdam for one day), about two more days in Rotterdam and vicinity, and save us the $500 extra fee for dropping the car in France, three days of car rental, and the hassle of getting from CDG to central Paris.
It would also give us close to two days around Arnhem to see the Museum, the Park, and the Openluchtmuseum.
So, what do you all think?
In essence, we'd spend the three nites we had planned for Chantilly, where we stayed last year, in Rotterdam.
From your comments, Rotterdam and Amsterdam both appear to have much more to do than I had thought when first making my plans.
This would give us at least one more day in Amsterdam (rather than training to Rotterdam for one day), about two more days in Rotterdam and vicinity, and save us the $500 extra fee for dropping the car in France, three days of car rental, and the hassle of getting from CDG to central Paris.
It would also give us close to two days around Arnhem to see the Museum, the Park, and the Openluchtmuseum.
So, what do you all think?
Apr 17th, 2015, 11:58 AM
#39
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PalenQ--we visited Delft and DenHaag several years ago and are not currently planning to go back this time, except may be to the Maruitshuis Museum. We certainly want to visit the Kinderdijk windmills however.
Menachem--looks like Rotterdam is just over an hour driving from Arnhem, but we'd probably not do that. Current plan is to pick up a car on leaving Amsterdam, spend a nite in Arnhem, drive to Mechelen for five nites, to Brugge for a nite, then to Chantilly for three and then drop the car at CDG or elsewhere near Paris.
With this revised plan, we'd do the same, but substitute Rotterdam for Chantilly--thereby dropping the car three days or so early in the Netherlands (to avoid the drop charge) and taking the train straight to Paris. My spouse says she can live with one luggage-laden train voyage.
Menachem--looks like Rotterdam is just over an hour driving from Arnhem, but we'd probably not do that. Current plan is to pick up a car on leaving Amsterdam, spend a nite in Arnhem, drive to Mechelen for five nites, to Brugge for a nite, then to Chantilly for three and then drop the car at CDG or elsewhere near Paris.
With this revised plan, we'd do the same, but substitute Rotterdam for Chantilly--thereby dropping the car three days or so early in the Netherlands (to avoid the drop charge) and taking the train straight to Paris. My spouse says she can live with one luggage-laden train voyage.
