Accidentally boarding the opposite train at the airport, we got off here to transfer back into…read moreAmsterdam. It's a large train station. It's clean, bright, and comes with many shops and cafes.

I'm not sure if it is the busiest, or the biggest, station in the Netherlands, but it certainly is…read morepretty bid. I guess because it sits at the junction of a number of lines, and a lot of trains pass through here to all parts of the Netherlands, particulary since Amsterdam is the next major station. It is pretty cool though, and it drops you right in the city centre, which helps an awful lot.

Mijn ervaring was helaas negatief. Er stond een hele lange rij bij de beveiliging en het…read morebeveiligingspersoneel was overweldigd en gestrest. Een verbetering op dit gebied is noodzakelijk Mijn vlucht had 40 minuten vertraging. Onze piloot vertelde ons dat dit te wijten was aan een gebrek aan beschikbaar grondpersoneel op de luchthaven. Het restaurant was uitstekend met een goede selectie aan eten en drinken en zeer vriendelijk personeel My experience was unfortunately negative. There was a very long queue at security and the security staff were overwhelmed and stressed. An improvement in this area is necessary My flight was delayed by 40 minutes. Our pilot told us that this was due to lack of available ground staff at the airport. The restaurant was excellent with a good selection of food and drinks and very friendly staff.

Little local airport. Short security queues, a duty free shop, and a couple of food outlets…read more The most remarkable about this airport it's outdoor terrace, where you can watch planes departing. There was only one person in the duty free shop, which means you might have to wait for ages. Also, there are no self-service check in machines for flybe, so you have to queue with people who are checking in luggage. It is fairly easy to get to Rotterdam, there is a bus, 3 EUR one way - you can either buy your ticket in a ticket machine or from the driver if you have EUR.

Pretty bad overall experience (so far) I'm several nights…read moreinto my stay here (after being forced to get a bed here last minute because other accommodation in the city kicked me out without a reason) While the staff are nice here, they're about the only upside. To start with they charge "tourist tax regardless of where you're from or if you're in Rotterdam for work like I was. The photos are misleading, the rooms are sparse, outdated, uncomfortable with paper-thin windows that let all the noise in from the street. I know it's a hostel but in an area with a lot of nightlife, PLEASE get some better soundproofing. I never slept despite having earplugs in all night every night. It's made worse by a total lack of information and rules being enforced. Guests were bringing people in from the street at all hours to just fuck around and be loud throughout the building, and several of my roommates were on their phones through the night, and staff refused or ignored any attempts to get a quieter room or tell them to stfu. Cleanliness was awful, the showers look like something out of the gulag, and the fellow travellers, even for a cheap hostel, were so gross - one dude literally scratched his ass in the bed next to me, sniffed it, then wiped the brown on his sheet, and rolled over. WTF?! Seriously hoping for a refund on booking 26031 but I doubt they will acknowledge any negative feedback let alone fix it. Didn't try much of the food. It looked fine from what I saw others have but I had my own stuff.

The hostel you stay at and the people you meet will make or break the trip, so choose wisely!…read moreStaying at this hostel was one of the BEST decisions out of the many hostels we have stayed at for it's hospitality, cleanliness and the friends we made here! The hostel is near the Erasmus bridge so walking to city center will take about 10 minutes, which isn't bad. It's easy to find and has a lot of surrounding restaurants nearby as well as the supermarket. There's a tram/metro stop just outside the hostel on the same block so you can get there easily. This is a VERY social hostel with a bar in the common area and a variety of activities planned daily, which we LOVE because it's one of the reasons we stay at hostels! The hubby and I had had a private room on the 3rd floor called the "Love Room" by coincidence. There are plenty of restrooms and showers (some private some shared) on each floor and we never had any issues finding an open shower/toilet even though the hostel was always packed with travelers! We had the opportunity to participate in their Dutch Delight social night on Monday, the Food Tasting Tour on Tuesday, the 5 Euro burrito plus tequila night and the free walking tour on Wed night! Plus the DAILY happy hour from 7-9pm which includes 1,50 euro beer, wine and shots! We made numerous friends from all over the world while staying here that we appreciate all the kindness everyone has shown us! We even had a few young locals here show us the nightlife! Because we stayed in a private room, we received the upgraded breakfast for each night we stayed there. The breakfast was your basic coffee, tea, toast and cereal. Pretty typical but if you are hungry, the local market is just a block away. We also took advantage of the full kitchen in the basement so save some money. Laundry is available for YOU to use for 5 euros (you do your own) and it includes detergent. All the staff here are super friendly and helpful! I love that they too are social and participate in the activities to make us feel comfortable! Although everyone was great, the two that stood out the most for us was Angela and Carlos! Angela especially, was one of the nicest person I have ever met! When she checked us in, she gave us so much information about the city, what to do, where to go...etc. She also showed us how to play Sjoelen, a dutch shuffleboard type game, during Dutch Delight night, which was such a great way to start our stay here in Rotterdam! We also met one of the owners during the Food Walking tour and she was just the sweetest person! Always smiling and gave us so much information and history about this amazing city! I highly recommend staying here if you want to stay at a comfortable and clean room and if you want to meet some amazing people!

A few years ago, some friends moved to The Netherlands, and they live in Leiden, so we have…read moreutilized this train station to see them when visiting. It is convenient to their home (not a far walk). If you visit Leiden, it is close to the medical center and university. Tons of trains arrive and leave here, so we never had to wait for very long for the train we needed. Dutch trains are very much on time, unlike Germany! If you need a snack or drink, there's a small Albert Heijn and a Backwerk on the lower level, as well as kiosks on the platforms where the trains are. Toilets in the train station do cost so have some euros for that.

Great train station in Amsterdam not far from the airport. Clean and easy to navigate…read more Many places to eat and buy necessities before embarking to your destination. The station provides an easy jumping off point to cities like Leiden, Haarlem or even The Hague. Ask for assurance at the information desk and they'll walk you through the steps to get where you want to go

We occasionally have diner with friends at Hotel Bazar. In weekends it is better to make a…read morereservation. The food is authentic and delicious. If you don't know what to decide, the personal are happy to help you out. Its a very lively restaurant and it has great turkish decorations. Food is served on authentic turkish plates.. And so on. As for the price: the three of us had a two course meal with drinks for €55,- in total. At least visit it once!

Stopped here with a local friend and had ribs and a beer. Good food and vibe. The staff was…read morereally attentive to the details and the fries were fresh

And now for something totally unexpected…read more Loved the Free Walking Tour Rotterdam. When our cruise ended in Rotterdam, we decided to spend the night in the city before taking a train to go the Paris Olympics. What a beautiful city filled with so much history, interesting public art and unique architecture. Our tour guide, Nidas, was a wealth of information. Met at the Markthal Building which is nicknamed the pencil sharpener. This is near the Pencil Tower and Cube Houses, both designed by Piet Blom. As we walked, we learned more about the history of Rotterdam. During World War II, most of Rotterdam was destroyed. After the war unlike most European cities ravaged by war, a decision was made not to rebuild old structures. So unless a building or neighborhood survived, a unique post modern building or park was constructed in its place. Churches with woven lattice facades. Buildings made of cubes. Angles and curves. Each completely different. Of course, some historic buildings survived. The tour was amazing. Would definitely book again. One of our favorite tours on our adventure to The Netherlands. Make sure to tip your guide. Like many free walking tours, the guides make their salary based on the tip they receive after the tour.

It was the better way to meet this beautiful city! Our tour…read moreguide was Wim, he is lovely and friendly. I was by myself but he made me feel part of the group. He showed us the modern and the "old" part of the city. Telling us the great histories behind it.