City transit
Rotterdam's trams, buses and metro are very well arranged by the Rotterdam public transport organization RET. Most public transportation runs between 6am-12.30 in the night. There are night buses too like the Nachtnet and the BOB bus which use the same 14 lines to the outskirts of the city. The Nachtnet runs from Sunday night till Thursday night. The BOB bus runs on Friday, Saturday & Sunday nights.
Tickets are sold by the bus driver (cash only!). Most night buses depart between 1am and 6am from Central Station. Check signs at the bus stops to find out which bus number you need to reach your destination. You can find RET information and service offices at the Rotterdam Central Station and Beurs. The smaller stations have machines where you can purchase tickets. On the bus you can also purchase a ticket from the driver and on trams there will be a conductor to sell you a ticket (cash only!).
Anyhow it is always cheaper to get a ticket in advance from a machine at the entrance to the Metro station, from RET ticket sales points or tobacco shops. Currently the Netherlands is working on a new national fare system. Read here about the two different systems: OV-chip card and Nationale Strippenkaart.
OV-chip card
The OV-chip card can be used on all metros (mandatory), trams and buses in Rotterdam. There are 3 kinds of OV-chip cards: personalized, anonymous & one time use. With the personalized card and the anonymous cards (which costs €7.50) you can upload the chip with money to take rides on public transportation in Rotterdam. When it starts to run low just load it up again. The benefit of the personalized card is that if you lose it you can report it at the RET office and block it so that no one else can use it. With the anonymous chip card you are also able to use it as many times as you need. The cost for traveling is € 0.75 to start + € 0.115 per kilometer. Then there are several types of disposable cards: 2 hours of travel (€ 3.50), 2 one way trips (€ 4.90) and day cards for 1(€ 6.-), 2 (€ 9.-) or 3 (€ 12.-) days of unlimited travel in metro/bus and tram. All types can be purchased at information and ticket offices at Metro stations: Central Station, Beurs, Zuidplein, Capelsebrug and Spijkenisse. The smaller metro stations only have machines where you can upload your card, purchase a ticket or just see how much credit is left on your card.
Nationale Strippenkaart
The Nationale Strippenkaart is the national transportation fare system all over the Netherlands for buses and trams. Rotterdam is the only city that does not use this system anymore in the metro. You can get a Nationale Strippenkaart at the RET information and service office, the Kiosk, supermarkets, tobacco shops or Bruna shops in the train stations. Your Nationale Strippenkaart is good for a number of trips depending on how many zones you cross. Stamp your card as follows:
if you travel within: 1 zone - 2 strips (€ 1.60)
2 zones - 3 strips (€ 2.40)
The validated strips are good for at least 1 hour and you're allowed to make unlimited transfers during this time. Validate your ticket before starting your journey because you will get fined caught traveling without a valid ticket. If you travel more than once we advise you to buy a 15-strippenkaart (€ 7.30). You can travel with more people on one Nationale Strippenkaart as long as you stamp off the correct number of strips for each person separately. If you still don't have a clue as to how the system works, you can always come over to Use-it for a live explanation or go to one of the RET information offices.
Waterbus/Fast Ferry
Rotterdam has a lot of water so why not use it for public transportation? There are different routes to take to visit different places not far from Rotterdam and you can take your bike with you for free! Take the waterbus for instance to Kinderdijk. The stop in Rotterdam is at the Willemskade (next to Spido under the Erasmus bridge). It departs every half hour Mon-Fri from 7am-7.30pm, Sat from 9.30am-7.30pm and Sun from 11.30am-6.30pm. To get to Kinderdijk change ferries at Ridderkerk De Schans for the Driehoeksveer. This ferry runs daily from 6.45am-9.45am and 12.15pm-5.45pm; between May and September also on Sat from 10.15am-5.15pm and on Sun from 11.15am-5.15pm. The Driehoeksveer ferry returns Mon-Fri 6.30am-5.30pm and between May and September it runs on Sat from 9.50am-4.50pm and on Sun from 10.50am-4.50pm. From Ridderkerk De Schans there is a connection back to Rotterdam every half hour. Roundtrip ticket Rotterdam-Ridderkerk de Schans € 4.60. Return ticket Ridderkerk De Schans-Kinderdijk € 2.60.
Trains
Right now it is messy at Rotterdam Central Station due to building and renovation work but trains still run frequently between main cities like Den Haag, Utrecht & Amsterdam or any other destination in the Netherlands. After 1am night trains run every hour between the major cities. Purchase your train ticket beforehand! You will receive a fine when you get caught without a ticket plus an extra surcharge for the ticket itself. Take intercity trains or the sneltrein (fast train) for major destinations. If you fancy a long journey or just want to visit a small city, the stoptrein stops at every single station. The ticket machines not only sell national tickets but also provide tickets for destinations in Belgium and Germany. For other international destinations you can best visit the international ticket counter located on the 1st floor of the blue building at the Station. Open Mon-Sat 7am-8.30pm, Sun 9am-8.30pm.
