Depending on where you come from you can reach Rotterdam easily in many different ways. To help you plan your journey to the conference you can find directions and links here. We added a number of markers to the map below for your orientation. If you have decided what type of transport is most convenient for you, you can click on the links below to get directions and additional information.

IWSM Mensura 2014 map of Rotterdam


Show IWSM Mensura 2014 map of Rotterdam on a larger map with airport and ferry markers.

By ship

Although Rotterdam is visited by over 32.000 ships per year there are not many regular commercial shipping routes to Rotterdam. If you want to arrive by ship there are the following options:

  • From Vigo (Spain) the Spain to Netherlands cruise with the Oasis of the Seas leaves on September 27, 2014 from Vigo and arrives at the Rotterdam Cruise Terminal on September 30. The Cruise Terminal is within walking distance of the ss Rotterdam terminal. The return cruise of the Oasis of the Seas to Spain leaves Rotterdam on October 14 giving you plenty of time to visit the conference and explore the Netherlands.
  • From Hull (England) a daily ferry connection brings you to Rotterdam Europoort. The ferry leaves Hull at 20.30 and arrives in Rotterdam at approximately 08.15 local time the next day. More information: P&O Ferries.
  • From Harwich (England) twice a day a ferry connection brings you to Hoek van Holland. The ferries leave Harwich at 09.00 and 23.15 and arrive in Hoek van Holland at approximately 07.45 and 18.00 local time. More information: Stena Line.
  • From Dordrecht (the Netherlands) you can take the waterbus 21 to Rotterdam Willemskade twice an hour. From there you can take the Aqualiner 1, which will bring you right to the ss Rotterdam. More information: Waterbus.

By plane

Schiphol airport Amsterdam

Schiphol airport Amsterdam is the international airport of the Netherlands with direct connections to all continents. If you visit the conference from outside of Europe this is your first option. For more information, see Schiphol airport.
Depending on where you come from you could also arrive at Rotterdam or Brussels airport.

Public transport from Schiphol airport
The train station of Schiphol airport is situated directly below the airport. You can pick up a free baggage trolley outside the arrival hall. Via Schiphol Plaza, you can walk straight to the platform. The trip to Rotterdam Central Station takes about 50 minutes by standard train and 20-30 minutes by one of the hi-speed trains. Check the NS timetable for travel details.
From here you can either take a taxi or go by public transport to the ss Rotterdam.

Rotterdam airport

Rotterdam-the Hague airport has direct connections to over fourty destinations in Europe like London, Munich, Geneva, Vienna, Rome, Madrid and Istanbul. For more information, see Rotterdam-the Hague airport.

Public transport from Rotterdam Airport
Rotterdam-the Hague airport is relatively close to the ss Rotterdam. You can take a taxi from the airport or go by public transport:

  • Take the airport shuttle (bus 50) to the RandstadRail metro station Meijersplein. Timetable
  • From there you can take line E (direction Slinge) to the metro station Rijnhaven.Timetable
  • From metro station Rijnhaven, take bus 77 to the ss Rotterdam. The final stop of this bus is right in front of the ship. Timetable
  • It is also an option to walk to the ss Rotterdam from the metro station Rijnhaven. The walk will take approximately 15 to 20 minutes. From the metro station Rijnhaven walk in the direction of Maashaven. Take a right at Maashaven Noordzijde. Walk all the way to the end of the street. You can see the ship once you get to the end.

Alternatively, you can take bus 33 to Rotterdam Central station and go from there to the ss Rotterdam. Timetable

Eindhoven Airport

Eindhoven Airport has direct connections to seventy destinations in Europe like Berlin, Bologna, Kopenhagen, Madrid, Milan, Stockholm and Warsaw. For more information, see Eindhoven Airport.

Public transport from Eindhoven Airport
From the airport terminal you can take bus 400 or 401 that will bring you directly to Eindhoven central station in about twenty minutes. From there you can take the intercity train to Rotterdam Central station. The trainjourney will take about an hour. See below for details how to plan your train journey and the public transport in Rotterdam.

Brussels airport Zaventem

Brussels airport Zaventem is the national airport of Belgium and also relatively close to Rotterdam. It serves a lot of European and intercontinental destinations and can be an interesting alternative to the Dutch airports, depending on where you come from. For more information, see Brussels airport.

Public transport from Brussels airport
The train station of Brussels airport Zaventem is situated directly below the airport. Every hour you can take a train to Rotterdam. You need to change in Antwerp. The trip to Rotterdam Central Station takes about 2 hours. Check the NMBS/SNCF Route Planner for travel details.
From Rotterdam Central Station you can either take a taxi or go by public transport to the ss Rotterdam.

By train

If you come to the conference from within Europe, you can come by train. The Netherlands has a very good national railway system. Intercities usually depart every 15-30 minutes and local trains every 30-60 minutes during the day. Your railway destination will be Rotterdam Central Station. For the short journey between the station and the ss Rotterdam you can either take a taxi or use the public transport options described below. You can plan a railway journey within the Netherlands with the NS Travelplanner.
There are a number of direct hi-speed connections to various European destinations, such as Berlin, Brussels, Frankfurt, Basel, Paris and Marseille. The extended hi-speed network also serves destinations such as London, Hamburg, Munich, Zurich and Vienna. See NS Hispeed for more details.

Public transport in Rotterdam

Rotterdam has a very dense public transportation network with trains, metro/lightrail, tram, and bus. Rotterdam Central Station is the central hub for all these modes of public transport. You can plan your journey by public transport with the RET Travelplanner.

How to reach the ss Rotterdam by public transport
Rotterdam Central Station is close to the ss Rotterdam Terminal. You can travel by metro and bus. The metro station is situated under the station.

  • Take Metro D (to De Akkers) or E (to Slinge) to metro station Rijnhaven. Check the timetable line D or timetable line E.
  • From metro station Rijnhaven, take bus 77 to the ss Rotterdam. The final stop of this bus is right in front of the ship. Timetable
  • In the morning and afternoon a free shuttle service runs between the ss Rotterdam and metro station Rijnhaven (taxi stand). If there is no shuttle present at the metro station, you can call +31 10 297 30 96. It will take the shuttle about 10-15 minutes to arrive at the metro station. The shuttle operates at the following hours:
    • Monday through Thursday between 08.30 – 11:00 and 16:30 – 19:00
    • Friday between 08:30 – 11:00 and 15:00 – 19:00
    • Saturday and Sunday between 08:30 – 12:00 and 15:00 – 19:00
  • It is also an option to walk to the ss Rotterdam from the metro station Rijnhaven. The walk will take approximately 15 to 20 minutes. From the metro station Rijnhaven walk in the direction of Maashaven. Take a right at Maashaven Noordzijde. Walk all the way to the end of the street. You can see the ship once you get to the end.

OV-chip card to pay for public transport
The Netherlands has a single travel pass for all modes of public transport, the OV-chip card. For some modes of public transport you can still buy tickets, but for the Rotterdam metro this is the only method of payment. The OV-chip card is the new way of paying for public transport in the Netherlands. You can credit the balance on the card in euros after which you may travel anywhere you wish. For occasional travelers, there are two sorts of tickets:

  • An anonymous OV-chip card. You can purchase this card at the Sales & Information points or from ticket machines at railway stations.
  • A disposable OV-chip card. These are also available from the ticket machines at railway stations.

See ov-chipkaart for more info.

By car or motorcycle

To get detailed directions, click on the yellow pin in the Google map at the top of this page and select Directions or set your navigation to the address 3e Katendrechtsehoofd 25, Rotterdam. If your navigation supports Dutch postal codes you can use 3072 AM 25. There is sufficient parking space right in front of the ss Rotterdam.