Rotterdam Tourist Information

From: Rotterdam Travel Guide

ABOVE: Maritime cranes and an old lighthouse in the Leuvehaven, next to the Harbor Museum..

Rotterdam tourist offices

Rotterdam Marketing operates a tourist information office called the VVV Rotterdam Store at the corner of Coolsingel and Hofplein, a few blocks east of Rotterdam Centraal Station. It's open every day except December 25-26, and it offers the usual tourist-office amenities: literature, answers to questions, logo wear and other souvenirs, Internet access, tickets to events, and the Rotterdam Welcome Card, which offers discounts at various local attractions.

A satellite office, the VVV Rotterdam Info Café, is located in the Groothandelsgebouw, a large office building on the square in front of Rotterdam Centraal Station.

Also check www.visitholland.com for Rotterdam features and photos before your trip. (The site is run by the Netherlands Board of Tourism & Congresses.)

Maps

We strongly recommend these three maps:

• Citymap Rotterdam is free from Rotterdam Marketing (see above). The pocket-size map shows landmarks, transit lines, and suggested walking tours. The back side of the map has general tourist information for Rotterdam.

• Citoplan Rotterdam's inexpensive map of the city center covers more territory than Cityplan Rotterdam does, and it's more useful for finding specific streets and landmarks. Look for it at the Selexyz Donner bookstore on Lijnbaan in the city center, which also sells:

• The Port of Rotterdam's Port Signposting System, which shows the city, river, and towns from east of the Kinderdijk windmills all the way to the North Sea. (The map makes a great souvenir and costs only a few euros.)

Guidebooks

Selexyz Donner sells a pocket-size, 144-page CitySpots: Rotterdam guidebook from Thomas Cook that's worth its cover price (about 10 euros when we bought our copy).

The tourist office's free Rotterdam in Your Pocket guide is also useful, and Use-it's Simply the Best (see "Student/youth travel" below) is worth seeking out.

Accessible travel

Accessible Rotterdam has a searchable database with accessibility data for more than 500 buildings in and around the city. It also has English-language information on public transportation, taxis that accommodate wheelchairs, wheelchair rentals, etc.

Student/youth travel

Use-it is a service and information center for young budget travelers in Rotterdam. It offers inexpensive dorm beds, free lockers, DIY tours, bike rentals, book swaps, and travel literature--including an excellent Simply the Best budget guide that's worth picking up even if you're neither young nor frugal. (In addition to general tourist advice, the guidebook has a summary of Dutch drug laws and a photo essay on "How to roll a joint.")

Look for Simply the Best at Use-it's two locations in Rotterdam, at hostels, and in other places that cater to young backpackers. The 80-page guidebook is free.

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